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Written by: E. George
Published November 8, 2024 @ 5:22 PM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – In 1996, an unidentified man was viciously attacked in southeast Atlanta in an attempted robbery in which the suspect poured kerosene on him and lit him on fire. The victim remained unknown until recently, almost three decades later, when DNA allowed him to finally be identified as David Brown, who was reported missing around the same time as the crime.
The breakthrough materialized in October 2023 due to the work of the nonprofit organization DNA Doe Project, which was referred to Brown’s missing person case by the Facebook group Find Our Missing. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office assisted in the investigation, and preserved DNA was extracted from the unknown remains.
DNA Doe Project utilizes DNA testing and family tree evaluation in its genetic genealogy investigations to identify unknown remains.
When Brown’s family reported him missing to authorities and viewed his body, the severity of his injuries prevented them from identifying him. With his case unsolved, Brown was deemed a “Fulton County John Doe.”
After the robbery, witnesses discovered Brown on Lansing Street suffering from terrible burns all over his body. Still alert but seriously injured, Brown told them someone tried to rob him, drenched him in kerosene, and set him on fire.
Reports indicated that neighbors called 911 and attempted to help the burning man by trying to extinguish the fire. Sadly, Brown expired later at a local hospital.
His remains suffered such extensive burns that his fingerprints could not be collected, and he had no identification on his person.
Lance Daly, a genetic genealogist who worked on Brown’s case, stated, “The lack of records prior to 1870 makes African American genealogical research very challenging. We discovered an ancestor from the 19th century who was born in Lincoln County, GA, but later died in Atlanta. This led us to hypothesize that our John Doe had deep family ties to Atlanta and may have been born there.”
Volunteer genealogists spent months piecing together family trees using online DNA resources, such as FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch, before making a match to Brown’s relatives. A DNA sample collected from a family member confirmed the findings and brought closure to his loved ones.
Team co-leader Rebecca Somerhalder stated, “We are proud to have been able to finally identify him after so many years. Most of our cases are very complex, and we are extremely grateful to those who upload their DNA to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA to assist us in our work.”
Somerhalder has helped produce results for multiple cases and admitted that Brown’s case was particularly troubling. She said, “It’s a bittersweet moment… this person died so horrifically, but now this person has his name back.”
No suspect has yet been identified in Brown’s murder.
Somerhalder explained that their experts count on members of the public who share their DNA data. She added, “We absolutely rely on people being willing to upload their matches to GEDmatch. If you have your Ancestry DNA done or My Heritage or 23andme, you can take your raw data and upload it to GEDmatch.
And then you check a box that says, ‘I opt in for law enforcement to look at my kit,’ and then we can see those matches to do our work.”
Visit GEDmatch.com to share DNA data. Visit DNA Doe Project for more information about the nonprofit organization.
The investigation remains active.