Medical Examiner Identifies Unknown Man's Remains After 4 Decades

On May 24, 1985, the remains of an individual were found in a wooded area in Gibsonton, near Adamsville Road. Though it was determined that the deceased was male and between the ages of 40 and 60 years old at the time of death, little else was known about him. A few pieces of clothing and personal items were found at the scene, but nothing pertaining to his identity was recovered otherwise. Who he was would be a mystery for almost 40 years.

As the decades passed, the remains of the unidentified man rested in the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Office. A sample of the remains were run through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a database that allows law enforcement crime laboratories to compare DNA profiles electronically. A facial composite was also created and shared with the public, as well as posted on the county's Unidentified Remains webpage. Still, for years the man's remains were left unclaimed.

Using DNA to map family trees

Finally, late last year, a break was made in the case. With the help of emerging genetic genealogy technology, a relative of the deceased was found.

In 2023, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office partnered with a lab in Texas that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy. Using DNA extracted from a skeletal sample of the unidentified remains, the lab created a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown man.

That profile was then uploaded to GEDmatchPRO, a portal dedicated to supporting law enforcement and forensic teams with investigative comparisons to genetic data. From there, a family tree of the deceased individual began to take form.

Using the new leads from the family tree, investigators were able to identify and locate potential relatives of the unknown man. One such person was discovered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and turned out to be the deceased's brother.

Thirty-nine years after his death, the identity of the unnamed man was uncovered. Charles Ray Allen, an honorable veteran of the United States Navy who had been missing since the mid-1980s, had at last been found.

Monumental clues in microscopic data

The Medical Examiner Office hopes that similar success can be had in identifying the remains of almost 50 other people the office has in its possession. Since law enforcement and medical examiners are not permitted to search direct-to-consumer DNA genotyping databases (such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA), they must rely on the data available on other platforms like GEDmatchPRO and FamilyTreeDNA.

These companies allow people to upload their DNA data from other genotyping databases. This lets users run their genetic kit results against over a million other people's, including those who may not be in the databases of the companies that created their initial DNA profiles.

Uploading DNA profiles to platforms like GEDmatchPRO and FamilyTreeDNA increases the forensic data available for use by researchers, genealogists, and others interested in learning more about their ancestry and genetics. It also provides more information for authorities to use when working to uncover the identity of criminals and remains belonging to unknown individuals.

Medical Examiner Office

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Office conducts investigations to determine the cause of death in certain situations, including deaths under suspicious circumstances or when a person was in apparent good health. These investigations often, but not always, require an autopsy. The department is also responsible for the disposition of unclaimed human remains. Visit the Medical Examiner webpage for more information.