The Brief
- The identity of a “John Doe” found in Fort Worth in 1987 has been discovered after 37 years using advanced DNA technology.
- The man, previously unidentified, was found to be a U.S. Air Force veteran born in 1942.
FORT WORTH, Texas – The name of a previously unidentified John Doe found in Fort Worth has been discovered thanks to updated DNA technology.
The man’s remains were discovered in 1987, and he was marked as unidentified in 2008.
Fort Worth John Doe Found in 1987
The man, listed as a John Doe, was discovered in Fort Worth in October 1987 and was found to have been living in a night shelter while using a fake name. Investigators estimated that he had died five days before being found and was between 25 and 40 years old.
Despite wearing a watch and a distinctive ring, his body could not be identified, and an investigation was launched. Photos of the accessories and a sketch of what he looked like while alive were released, but in 2008, he was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
John Doe Identified
In 2024, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office sent evidence to Othram’s laboratory for DNA testing. Using advanced technology, they were able to develop a DNA profile for the man, resulting in new leads.
A follow-up investigation found potential relatives of the man, and soon after, he was identified as Shirlee Lee Henkel.…