Human remains that were found floating in the Alameda Marina in September 2008 have now been identified through advanced forensic DNA analysis as Esteban Pablo Pablo, a 20-year-old man who had last been seen alive in Alameda County in 2007, according to an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office report posted on social media.
It took nearly 17 years to finally determine the decedent’s identity. The partial skeletal remains of the then-unidentified individual were found with a white or gray sock and a size 8.5 Vision brand “skateboarder” type shoe, the Sheriff’s Department report stated.
In July 2011, additional skeletal remains were located floating in the estuary near the 2000 block of Embarcadero. DNA comparison at that time showed that both sets of skeletal remains belonged to the same individual, but despite extensive investigative efforts, the decedent’s identity remained unknown, the Sheriff’s Office stated.
In 2024, Deputy Karen Easling, Sheriff’s Technician Brandi Foscalina, and the California Department of Justice began working with Othram, a forensic technology company, to employ advanced forensic DNA analysis. Forensic evidence was sent to Othram, and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing (FGGS) was used to build a comprehensive DNA profile suitable for forensic genetic genealogy…