Cold case revived DNA samples taken from body found in river in 1986

COAL TOWNSHIP - Authorities are hoping new technology can help solve the mystery behind an unidentified young man found dead in the Susquehanna River in 1986.

For the second time in three months, Northumberland County Coroner James F. Kelley and state police were at the county cemetery at Mountain View Manor Tuesday to retrieve evidence from a grave.

In this case, it was of a Hispanic male, believed to be 18 to 25 years old, who was found Aug. 2, 1986, in the river in Lower Mahanoy Township. "Herman Doe's" death was ruled "undetermined-unnatural."

Kelley, along with state police Cpls. Ronald Zanella and Richard Bramhall and forensic unit trooper Dean Benedict, conducted Tuesday's disinterment and retrieval of samples of the body. They will be sent to a forensics lab at the University of North Texas.

Kelley said no one has come forward over the past 23 years claiming to be a relative or party of interest to "Herman Doe."

"There have been a few possible identifications," related to men from New York and New Jersey who were reported missing during the time prior to the deceased being found, he said in a statement issued Tuesday. "Unfortunately, both had negative results."

Kelley said he, Zanella and Bramhall are hopeful the advances in science, including mitochondrial DNA, which, in addition to bone, tests DNA using tissue, hair and fingernails, will produce results to solve this "cold case." He also said the University of North Texas is in the "forefront" of such procedures.

On July 13, Kelley and Bramhall were among those who took a significant step in another cold case when they oversaw the exhumation of a newborn girl, who was

found dead in a bag along the Stonington-Snydertown Road on July 18, 1983. Police speculated at the time the bag containing the baby's body, which still had its umbilical cord and placenta attached, was thrown from a moving car.

Petition granted

In this latest case, a "petition to exhume body" filed Oct. 7 by Kelley and his department solicitor, Daniel J. Rheam, was granted by Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage.

In his petition to the court, Kelley said the purpose of the exhumation was to have bone samples of "Herman Doe" tested to aid in determining the identification of the deceased through DNA.

The results could be used to identify other persons related to the deceased, Kelley said.

2 past autopsies

An autopsy was conducted on the victim three days after his body was discovered. The resulting report reflected that the examination of the body was limited in scope, in that only the chest and stomach were examined, Kelley said.

The coroner and pathologist at the time ruled "death by drowning," and the body was interred.

On Dec. 17, 1990, a second, complete autopsy was performed, by Dr. Isidore Mihalakis and then-Coroner Richard H. Ulrich. They determined the cause of death to be "undetermined-unnatural."

Attempts by investigators to identify the victim by fingerprint comparisons were unsuccessful. During the second autopsy, post-mortem dental X-rays and tissue and bone samples were obtained for possible future identification. A bust of the deceased was created by Dr. Frank Bender to distribute to law enforcement and news outlets.

The samples obtained in 1990 were sent to the University of North Texas; however, the samples have since degraded, Kelley said.

New dental registry

During the following years, the case would be reopened by state police and the coroner's office for investigative purposes, but attempts to identify the victim have been unsuccessful.

In the past year Kelley, Zanella and Bramhall have been working on the case again. They have met with Dr. Richard Scanlon, forensic odontologist, in an attempt to use the post-mortem dental X-rays for identification purposes. The deceased's dental X-rays have been downloaded into a newly opened National Dental Registry, which uses ante-mortem and post-mortem dental X-rays for comparison purposes of those individuals who have been registered, Kelley said.

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