Authorities in Arizona recently identified human remains found near the Hoover Dam in 2009 as belonging to William Herman Hietamaki, who had been missing for nearly 30 years. Construction workers initially discovered bones and various items near Highway 93, but no leads developed despite years of investigation. In 2022, a bone sample was sent for DNA testing, which ultimately led to genetic genealogy testing by Othram Inc., a genetic lab in Texas.
Through this method, investigators were able to connect Hietamaki’s DNA to relatives in Michigan, who confirmed that they had not seen him since 1995. Hietamaki, born in 1950, lived a nomadic lifestyle as a hitchhiker and had visited his sister in New Mexico before disappearing. He had also lived in Las Vegas and suffered from epileptic seizures.
The medical examiner’s office was unable to determine a cause of death due to the condition of the remains. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to Othram Inc. for their work and for obtaining grant funding for the genetic genealogy investigation, which provided closure to Hietamaki’s family. This case demonstrates the increasing use of genetic genealogy by law enforcement to solve cold cases and identify unidentified individuals.
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