In an update to a decades-old cold case, Charles Joseph Nunnenman III has been named as the Massachusetts man who lost his life in a Boardman-area crash over 40 years ago. The once anonymous victim, known for more than four decades by the moniker Western Reserve Road John Doe, was walking on Western Reserve Road on the night of August 12, 1982, when he was struck by a car. The driver, who later turned herself in, fled the scene without any identification on Nunnenman’s person being found, and the case soon went cold. This identification breakthrough is the culmination of efforts by the DNA Doe Project and the Porchlight Project. The former provided the expertise of volunteer genealogists, while the latter funded the case's lab work and database upload costs, according to Cleveland19 and Forensic Magazine.
Using GEDmatch and later, FamilyTreeDNA databases, the DNA Doe Project traced Nunnenman's roots back to Ireland and a man born in 1836, which led them to potential descendants in Massachusetts. Speaking to Forensic Magazine, the DNA Doe Project noted, "This match allowed the team to identify a man born in Ireland in 1836 as a likely ancestor of the unidentified man." A woman who shared nearly 2% of her DNA with John Doe was instrumental to this discovery, which ultimately brought to light Nunnenman's identity. Born in 1941 in Waltham, Massachusetts, he lived in the Boston area before moving to Los Angeles. His connections to Ohio, however, remain undisclosed.
The Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office followed up on the lead provided by the DNA Doe Project and got in touch with Nunnenman's niece. After comparing DNA profiles, they managed to conclusively establish that John Doe was indeed Nunnenman. In a statement obtained by WFMJ, the DNA Doe Project commemorated the identification as one of the more than 150 cases solved by the organization in its nine years of operation.
The success of the identification illuminates the relentless efforts of pro bono genetic genealogists and demonstrates the significant strides made in cold case investigations through the use of modern DNA technology. As an organization, the DNA Doe Project has been pivotal in bridging the gap between unknown victims and their awaiting families, bringing a sense of closure to prolonged anguish. Further details of Charles Joseph Nunnenman III's life and his mysterious presence in Ohio that fateful night remain to be unraveled.
