A body recovered in Yavapai County more than a decade ago has been identified.
David Emil Jacobsen, 46, of Largo, Florida, was found unidentified in the Beaver Creek area in August 2011, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office. County spokeswoman Kristin Green said an autopsy on Jacobsen determined he died of natural causes due to heart complications.
The sheriff's office said Jacobsen's remains were identified through forensic genealogy research conducted free of charge for the department by Ramapo College in New Jersey through the Investigative Genealogy Research Program. A combination of genealogical research and circumstantial evidence led the students to Jacobsen, according to a university press release. The Yavapai County Coroner's Office confirmed his identity through mitochondrial DNA comparison, the sheriff's office said.
For years, investigators tried to find a match through NamUs, the federal missing persons database.
“The Jacobsen family is extremely grateful to everyone who has worked to bring closure to this painful experience of the past 13 years. YCSO is grateful for the efforts of Ramapo College and the dedicated efforts of its students in this effort. “We look forward to working with them on other cases in the future,” a statement from the sheriff's office said.
