A man who was brutally killed in 1996 when he was doused in kerosene and lit on fire during a suspected robbery in Atlanta has been identified thanks to the work of a nonprofit group.
The DNA Doe Project announced Thursday that its volunteer researchers had identified David Brown as the man who died from severe burns after the attack in southeast Atlanta on April 24, 1996. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office shared a sample of Brown’s DNA with the group earlier this year, and the victim was identified as Brown after researchers pieced together his family tree.
“We are proud to have been able to finally identify him after so many years,” team co-leader Rebecca Somerhalder said. “Most of our cases are very complex, and we are extremely grateful to those who upload their DNA to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA to assist us in our work.”
Credit: NamUS.gov