Columbus police and DNA Doe Project renew appeal to identify 2007 Scioto River John Doe

Case remains unresolved 18 years after discovery

Columbus investigators and the Franklin County Coroner’s Office have renewed a public request for help identifying an adult man recovered from the Scioto River on May 30, 2007, near the Dublin Road water treatment facility off State Route 33. The man had no identification, and authorities say no verified identification has been made in the years since his death.

The unidentified man is described as Hispanic/Latino, estimated to have been 25 to 40 years old, approximately 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighing about 125 to 145 pounds. Investigators documented black hair, overlapping front teeth, a crooked nose, and a healed scar about 1 inch long on the right side of the forehead. Authorities have reported no evidence of prior dental work or surgeries and no injuries that clearly explained how he died.

What investigators know about clothing and circumstances

Authorities say the man was likely in the water from days to weeks before he was found. At the time of recovery, he was wearing a gray Career Club long-sleeved button-up shirt and tan L.L.Bean pants reported as a women’s size 8. He also had one brown Earth Shoe-brand shoe, size 10.

The cause and manner of death have been listed as undetermined. Based on the absence of apparent injuries, investigators have stated the death could be consistent with accidental drowning or suicide, while continuing to treat the identification effort as essential to clarifying what happened.

Genetic genealogy adds geographic and surname leads

The identification effort now includes investigative genetic genealogy in partnership with the nonprofit DNA Doe Project, which works with agencies to identify unknown decedents. The case was submitted for that work in 2022, and recent updates indicate the genetic genealogy process has produced possible family roots in El Salvador and Honduras.

Authorities have described potential ties to communities in San Miguel, El Salvador, and Intibucá, Honduras, and have publicly referenced possible connections to the surnames Guzmán, Hernández, Orellana, Bolaños, Rivas, and Rodríguez. Investigators emphasize these are leads intended to focus outreach and family-tree research rather than definitive identifiers.

How the public can assist, and why opt-in DNA matters

Investigators say the most direct way the public can assist is by providing a name-based tip from someone who recognizes the man or the details of the case. In addition, people who have taken consumer DNA tests can choose to upload their results to genealogy databases that permit law-enforcement matching, which may generate a relative match that helps narrow the man’s identity.

• Columbus Division of Police Homicide Case Review Unit: 614-645-4036
• Franklin County Coroner’s Office: 614-525-5290

Investigators say that even a single distant DNA relative match can be sufficient to move an identification forward when combined with traditional records work.

Authorities continue to seek information that could restore the man’s name and, with it, a clearer understanding of the circumstances surrounding his death.