After decades of questions and uncertainty, a cold case involving human remains found in Menlo Park has finally reached a form of closure. Authorities have identified the remains as belonging to Brian Edward Jones, a 20-year-old San Jose man who went missing in 1984, KTVU reports. Known previously only as the Menlo Park John Doe, the link to Jones was established through advanced DNA technology, which has seen an uptick in solving forensic cases across California.
Jones vanished after reportedly feeling despondent over a breakup, and his remains were discovered in April 1985 in an undeveloped area of Menlo Park. But it wasn’t until a routine search of the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) pointed to a familial relation that his identity began to emerge. According to KTVU, in October 2023, the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office took the step to exhume the remains, and DNA was submitted to CODIS. A missing person report from 2016 fortuitously contained a sample that eventually led to this breakthrough.
The DNA analysis was spearheaded by the California Department of Justice’s tireless efforts, according to ABC7News. They report that Othram, a Texas-based laboratory specializing in DNA technology, has been at the forefront of solving such cases, with its director of case management, Michael Vogen, stating, “We’re averaging almost a case a day at this point.” Othram’s interactive website showcases the impressive number of cold cases it has helped solve nationwide, signaling a new dawn for cold case investigations…