GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. — A dead man's name has been lost to history for more than 100 years in South Carolina. But a hurricane and DNA of the living are helping provide clues to who he was - and who his living relatives may be.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources first came to the public asking for DNA samples in March. The goal was to help identify human remains uncovered at Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Investigators believe the remains may date back to the 1890s.
The agency provided an update on Tuesday thanking the public for its outpouring of support that included DNA samples and data from past tests.
Among those tests came a handful of distant matches suggesting the deceased had possible ties to the Bahamas.
"Researchers have isolated a few common families among a handful of matches including those with the surnames Washington, Deas, and Geddes/Gethers," the DNR said in Tuesday's statement. "The matches also suggest he might be related to Georgetown and Charleston families with ties to Florida and Virginia, or other coastal South Carolina locations like Black River and Johns Island."
Researchers are now seeing older relatives of those matches in hopes that they get "closer to John Doe in time."
The collaborative effort now has a goal of finally knowing who they found in 2017.
"One day soon, with the help of the public, we hope we will be able to say his name for the first time in over 100 years," SCDNR said.
Anyone interested in participating in the DNA testing to learn of a possible connection to John Doe can visit a page set up by FHD Forensics, an organization that works to use DNA to help solve cold cases and is involved in the investigation.
