In a reveal that's been years in the making, a set of human bones discovered near the Hoover Dam in 2009 have been identified as belonging to William Herman Hietamaki from Michigan, according to officials. The Mohave County Sheriff's Office relayed that the remains were stumbled upon by construction workers on November 11, 2009. While preparing to pour cement on Highway 93 near the iconic dam, the crew uncovered a bone prompting a further search that yielded more skeletal remains, clothing, and a green sleeping bag. The identity of the bones, however, remained a mystery for over a decade.
The remains, which turned into a cold case, were finally identified due to DNA testing. Initially, detectives had sent a bone sample for analysis to the Arizona Department of Public Safety's lab in February 2022, as detailed by CBS News Detroit, but it brought back negative results. Similarly, efforts by the University of North Texas to create a DNA profile ended without an identification. It wasn't until Othram Inc., a genetic lab in Texas, received grant funding that they could create a DNA profile and upload it to a genealogy database. This key development in April 2024 spurred a further investigation into the man's lineage.
Investigators were then able, only this month, to trace the genetic lineage back to ancestors from the mid-1800s who lived in Michigan. After speaking with Hietamaki's brother, they learned that he went by his middle name Herman, and had been traveling around the southwestern United States when last seen in 1995. "Relatives of Hietamaki were located. They confirmed that they have not seen their brother since 1995 since he was traveling in the southwest area of the United States," stated the report by WILX.
The identification of Hietamaki's bones finally brings closure to a case that remained unresolved for 15 years. In gratitude towards the genetic lab's crucial contribution, "The Mohave County Sheriff’s would like to thank Othram Inc. for their work in this case and for obtaining grant funding to enable the forensic genetic genealogy investigation to be completed," the Sheriff's Office told WCHSTV.
