For more than two years, the identity of the man known only as Portageville John Doe remained an unsolved and heartbreaking mystery.
He was Found in the Mississippi River in June 2022, and the young man had no identification.
Despite extensive efforts, traditional DNA testing failed to provide answers, but thanks to investigative genetic genealogy, authorities have finally identified him.
On June 2, 2022, deputies from the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office responded to a grim discovery—human remains floating in the Mississippi River near Portageville, Missouri.
The autopsy revealed the victim was a white male, between 18 and 29 years old, standing about 5’10” with no obvious signs of trauma.
Investigators estimated he had been in the water for two to three months.
Despite developing a traditional STR DNA profile, no matches were found in missing persons databases.
For years, detectives chased leads, checked tips, and entered the case into NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System) as UP96458.
However, the man’s identity remained unknown and the case went cold.
In June 2024, Detective Jackie Hays reached out to Dr. Jennifer Bengtson, a forensic anthropologist at Southeast Missouri State University, for help.
Dr. Bengtson and her team examined the remains, updated dental records, and sent forensic samples to Othram, a lab specializing in forensic genetic genealogy.
Despite severe DNA degradation, Othram’s scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a detailed genetic profile.
Their in-house genealogy team then traced potential relatives, leading investigators to social media posts from a family searching for a missing loved one.
Using Othram’s KinSNP® rapid relationship testing, detectives verified that Portageville John Doe was 26-year-old Robert J. Eaton, in April 2025.
He was reported missing from Elizabeth, Indiana, in February 2022, as seen on DNASOLVES.Com.
According to official reports, Eaton was last seen at Caesars Casino in Elizabeth on February 20, 2022.
He didn’t have a car and often used cab services for his movements.
The circumstances of his disappearance and death remain under investigation.
"Cases like this show the power of forensic genetic genealogy," says Dr. Bengtson.
"Even when traditional methods fail, advanced DNA technology can bring closure to families who have waited years for answers."
The New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate Eaton’s death, and If you have any information about this case, please contact them directly.
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