After more than 40 years, Kirkland police say they have put a real name to a man known for decades only as a John Doe and, to some locals, as the “Bicycle Man.” Detectives have identified the man found dead in the city’s lowlands in 1985 as William D. Horn, crediting modern forensic tools for finally breaking open the cold case.
How police reached a name
The Kirkland Police Department publicly announced the identification in a post on X. Detectives said advances in forensic science, including investigative genetic genealogy, generated leads that were then confirmed through additional DNA comparison and records checks with outside forensic partners. The result, they said, is that a long-unidentified John Doe finally has his name back.
Kirkland Police Identify 1985 Cold Case Victim through Genetic GenealogyThe Kirkland Police Department has formally identified a man whose body was discovered in Kirkland four decades ago. Through advances in forensic science and the use of genetic genealogy, the individual… pic.twitter.com/yAODO7RAZ5
— Kirkland Police (@KirklandWAPD) February 10, 2026
Where he was found
The Doe Network’s case file records that the man was discovered on December 8, 1985, in a sheltered patch of blackberry bushes in the 10100 block of Points Drive NE. His body was wrapped in blankets and layers of plastic. For decades, the decedent was catalogued in national databases as an unidentified male and was sometimes referred to locally as the “Bicycle Man” because he was seen with a silver 10-speed bicycle.
How genetic genealogy helped
Investigative genetic genealogy, which combines DNA-match results with traditional family-tree research, has become a powerful tool for naming long-unidentified remains. Experts note that the method has helped crack hundreds of cold cases while also stirring policy and privacy debates about how consumer DNA databases are used by law enforcement, according to Family Tree Magazine.
Local effort and next steps
The identification of Horn comes as the Kirkland Police Department continues pushing to keep old investigations in public view and to solicit tips from the community. Local coverage of the department’s cold-case portal has noted that this kind of outreach is a key part of that effort. Investigators say the newly obtained genealogical leads are a starting point for further work to close out the case and to fill in the missing chapters of Horn’s life…