Copyright newsweek
A human jawbone and teeth that were found on a California beach in 1984 have now been identified. Through advanced DNA testing, the skeletal remains have been matched with Donald Scott Reich, who drowned in a boating accident years before, said Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Why It Matters The case is an example of how modern DNA technology is being used to solve decades-old mysteries. What To Know The partial skeletal remains were discovered on Silver Strand Beach, Oxnard, in May 1984. The Medical Examiner was only able to determine that they had belonged to an adult man between the ages of 19 and 99 years old, and the man came to be known as Ventura County John Doe. An early DNA profile entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in 2006 yielded no matches to any missing people. Authorities recently submitted forensic evidence to Othram Labs, a company that specializes in using forensic genetic genealogy to resolve cases. Othram was able to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man, which led to investigators comparing the DNA with one of Reich’s relatives and confirming his identity. Reich, who was 33 at the time of his death, went missing following a boating accident in 1978. He had enlisted 20-year-old mechanic Mike Gay to repair a 23-foot boat that he owned. The two men were last seen at around 10 p.m. on a Sunday night at the harbor. Investigators believed the pair took the boat out to test the engine, and that it had likely either run out of fuel or suffered an engine malfunction, leading to it being caught in the surf and ripped apart. A search by air and sea was conducted after the two men were reported missing. The following day, wreckage of the boat was found on Mandalay Beach and the body of the mechanic Gay was found floating about four miles offshore. Most of Reich’s remains washed ashore about a month later, but his jawbone remained missing until it was discovered on Silver Strand Beach six years later. At the time of his death, Reich was a professional organist and had recently moved to Ventura County after getting married. He worked at the Wagon Wheel Junction complex in Oxnard. What People Are Saying Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said: “This case represents a significant advancement in fulfilling our unified goal of ensuring identification of all human remains. Every individual deserves to be identified and returned to their loved ones.” What Happens Next Reich’s identification finally closes a four decades-old mystery and provides answers for his family.
