PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The remains of a teenager found more than 50 years ago have been identified through advanced DNA technology as a young woman who went missing from Portland, Oregon State Police said.

According to a news release from the police, the discovered remains belong to Sandra Young, a high school student who went missing in either 1968 or 1969.

According to a news release, Dr. Nici Vance, the coordinator for the Human Identification Program at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, announced that Sandra Young has finally been identified after 54 years. This accomplishment was made possible through the hard work and cooperation of family members, law enforcement, medical examiner personnel, and DNA company Parabon NanoLabs.

Vance stated that this serves as another illustration of the creative methods utilized by the ME’s Office and investigative genetic genealogy to aid Oregon residents in obtaining closure.

On February 23, 1970, a leader of a Boy Scout troop discovered the remains. According to authorities, the skeleton of Young was located on Sauvie Island in the Columbia River, approximately 10 miles north of Portland.

Detectives suspected that the injuries on her body were a result of criminal activity, but the circumstances surrounding her death remain a mystery.

In 2004, the remains of Young were transferred to the state medical examiner’s facility in a suburban area of Portland, along with more than 100 other sets of unidentified remains, according to the police.

The DNA sample from Young’s remains was entered into a computer database containing DNA profiles, but no genetic connections were discovered.

In 2018, the Oregon State Police Medical Examiner’s Office received a grant which enabled them to conduct thorough DNA testing. In 2021, the DNA company Parabon NanoLabs utilized this data to create a prediction of Young’s facial features.

In 2023, a person who submitted their DNA to the genetic genealogy platform GEDMatch was identified as a potential distant relative of Young. As more individuals also submitted their DNA, additional matches were discovered and family trees were created.

Relatives reported that Young disappeared at the same time the remains were discovered.

According to authorities, after Young’s sister provided a DNA sample and spoke with a detective from the Portland police, genetic evidence verified that the remains belonged to Young.

According to law enforcement, utilizing genetic genealogy for investigations and confirming results has been effective, but can be expensive with costs reaching $10,000 per case.

Source: wral.com