A man who was found unconscious on the sidewalk in Phoenix over 20 years ago has finally been identified thanks to groundbreaking genealogy techniques. Police were unable to determine his identity at the time of his death due to heat exposure. Despite entering his fingerprints and DNA into databases, no next of kin came forward for decades. However, through collaboration with specialist genealogy labs, two living third cousins of the man were identified, confirming his identity as John Thiellesen. Thiellesen, who was reported missing in Toledo, Ohio, suffered from mental health problems and had called his sister with plans to jump into a river before his disappearance. It is unclear how he ended up in Phoenix. The breakthrough in identifying Thiellesen occurred after the case was referred to the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in New Jersey. Through a series of genetic research steps involving labs in Georgia and Virginia, a genotype was uploaded to DNA databases, leading to the identification of his cousins. The center’s work has been credited with providing answers to families of missing individuals and has helped close 28 cases while working on 39 others. The team at Ramapo College continues to work tirelessly to restore names and provide closure for loved ones of missing persons.
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