The man, known as Maricopa County John Doe 2013, is the first British citizen to have been successfully identified using Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG), a technique which combines both DNA and genealogical analysis.
He was believed to be visiting a friend in the Phoenix, Arizona area when he passed away in February 2013. He had arrived at his friend's home with no belongings other than the clothes he was wearing and no identification.
The man had left the friend’s house and returned four hours later, he complained of not feeling well and laid down in a guest bedroom. A short time later he began to convulse and went unresponsive. The friend called 911 and emergency service personnel responded to the scene and death was pronounced at that location.
The friend Hill visited in the Phoenix area provided a name, Michael Sidney Hill, and date of birth to the authorities. This information alone could not be used to confirm Hill’s identity. Traditional means of identification employed by Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner (MCOME) also did not yield a positive result. There was no identification on his person, and he had no siblings, children, or close relatives to contact and provide a positive identification. The case remained cold.
A team of researchers and students from Sheffield Hallam University were made aware of the case and worked with the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in New Jersey and Silverwell Research in London.
The team were given information that the police and coroner’s office in Arizona held about the case. Using DNA taken from the body, combined with genealogical analysis, the team were able to confirm the identity of Michael Hill via a living relative who provided a confirmatory DNA test.
Dr Craig Paterson, who led the work from Sheffield Hallam University, said: “It is a privilege to see the team solve this case and to restore Michael's name and identity. This case proves that IGG can be used in the UK to identify distant relatives and generate leads in cases that have remained unsolved using other investigative techniques. There are lots more unsolved cases in the UK where IGG can be used and we will continue to work with our partners and students to ensure that as many cases as possible benefit from this expertise."
Cairenn Binder, Director of the IGG Certificate Program at Ramapo College, said: “This case demonstrates the power of our modern advanced DNA testing abilities which can identify distant relatives, offering resolution in cases of unidentified people that would have previously been impossible to solve.”
Until now, the IGG technology has been largely used only in the United States, Canada, and Australia. David Gurney, director of the Ramapo College IGG Center, has been collaborating with staff at the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam.
David Gurney said: “Members of Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, trained by Ramapo, helped give Michael his name back.
“The Ramapo IGG Center is proud to be partnering with professors, staff, and students at SHU to prepare a cohort of UK IGG practitioners to take on the many cases in the UK that have been waiting for answers.”
