Thanks to modern technology, the case of an Idaho man whose body has been missing since 1986 was finally solved 38 years later.
Thanks to modern technology, the case of a man whose body has been missing since 1986 was finally solved 38 years later.
Officials said Wayne Dee Heath was fishing with a friend at the bottom of Snake River in Palisades, Idaho, on April 1, 1986, when a rope got caught in the propeller of the boat. The boat filled with water and prevented Heath from getting to shore. According to witnesses of the scene, Heath's body disappeared around a quarter of a mile downstream. Search efforts never recovered his body at the time, officials said.In June 2009, 23 years later, officers with Bonneville County Sheriff's Office said a local fisher found a human tibia bone — the large bone between the knee and ankle — while fishing at Snake River in Heise, Idaho.
Finally, in February 2024, officers at the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office received a report that the genetic data in the bone found in 2009 linked to DNA samples from Heath's biological son and sister, officials said. "Advancements in technology and resources related to DNA collection over time ultimately lead to confirmation the bone belonged to Mr. Heath," officers said. "This discovery has allowed detectives to bring this case to a close and provide answers to the Heath family."
Idaho United States Texas United States Heise Idaho United States Idaho United States Palisades Heise Wayne Dee Heath Law_Crime DNA DNA Database Forensic Genetics Othram Forensic Science Combined DNA Index System DNA Profiling Biological Databases SNAKE RIVER SUGAR COMPANY Biometrics
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