Summary

In December 1986, hikers stumbled upon skeletal remains in a field roughly 150 yards behind a cafe in Cordo Junction, near Phoenix, Arizona. An autopsy by the Yabapai County Medical Examiner revealed the remains belonged to a man who had been murdered, with significant blunt force trauma to his head and two skull fractures. The clothing found with the body included white socks, blue jeans, a leather belt, a checked western-style shirt, and a t-shirt featuring a shark logo and the text “Frank’s Shark Killers” alongside the Florida Riviera Beach theme.

For decades, the individual remained nameless, earning the moniker John Doe of Yabapai County. His case, logged as UP114489 in Namus, had investigators searching for leads for nearly 40 years, yet they couldn’t crack the mystery without a name.

In 2024, the Yabapai County Medical Examiner collaborated with Othram to identify the unknown man using cutting-edge DNA testing. Forensic evidence was sent to the Oslam Institute in The Woodlands, Texas, where Othram scientists successfully extracted DNA from the skeletal remains and utilized Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing® to create detailed DNA profiles. This team also managed to generate new leads, including potential family connections through genealogy searches.

Reference DNA samples from possible relatives were compared to John Doe’s profile using Othram’s Kinsnp® rapid relationship test. This led to the identification of Arthur Humphrey, born December 9, 1939, who would have been around 47 years old at the time of his death in 1986.

The funding and advanced DNA testing for this case were supported by Namus, a national initiative that helps resolve cases of missing, unidentified, or unclaimed persons throughout the U.S. Namus operates under the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and is managed via contract with the Research Triangle Institute International (RTI). Othram expressed gratitude to RTI, Namus, and NIJ for their assistance.

Identifying Arthur Humphrey marks the 10th case in Arizona where authorities have successfully identified individuals using technologies developed by Othram. For information on other resolved Arizona cases, see Dnasolves.