IDAHO COUNTY, Idaho – The family of a man who was found deceased nearly 40 years ago finally have answers after a familial DNA match uncovered his identity. The man’s skeletal remains were located near an abandoned camp by White Sand Road outside of Powell. Deputies believe he had passed away sometime in 1982, but wasn’t found until 1984.
This month, ICSO was notified DNA technology had finally produced a name. Roger Brian Bennett was born in Oklahoma City in 1955. ICSO says he grew up in Oklahoma and later enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from high school. It’s unknown what brought Bennett to Idaho County.
“As an adolescent he had an interest in the Lewis and Clark expedition and wondered what it would have been like traveling with the expedition,” an ICSO release said.
Near the remains, first responders located prescription eyeglasses with a missing lens, clothing and a water bottle. There was no ID, and future attempts to comb through the area for more evidence were not successful.
The remains were reviewed by multiple experts, and sent to the North Idaho Regional Crime Lab in 1985. They produced a sketch of what John Doe may have looked like. As the investigation continued, those working the case began ‘affectionately’ referring to him as ‘Mr. Bones’ according to ICSO.
By 2011, the identity of the man was still a mystery. With assistance from the website and experts at namus.gov, ICSO then sent ‘Mr. Bones’ to the University of North Texas for further evaluation and DNA extraction. They found, ‘no injuries from or near the time of death were observed.’ It’s still unclear how ‘Mr. Bones’ died.
Eleven years after ICSO began working with NamUS on the case, they got word NamUS would fund genetic genealogy testing through the laboratory, Othram Inc. The lab has had numerous success stories nationwide.
“Othram is the first and only lab that has taken the most genomic technologies and adopted it for just forensics,” Dr. Kristen Mittelman, the Chief Development Officer of Othram told KHQ. “We don't do anything else. All we do is identify victims and perpetrators from DNA left at a crime scene.”
Within weeks, Othram notified the agency that they had located a possible familial match. ICSO was then able to confirm the lead and identify the remains as Bennett.
Dr. Kristen Mittelman, the Chief Dvelopment Officer with Othram Inc. says the work is rewarding and success stories like Roger Bennett’s push them to keep going.
“I think we will be able to show, we are not going to solve one, or two or even 20 cases, but we can clear entire backlogs and give people the closure they have been waiting for, for decades,” Dr. Mittelman said.
She said she was particularly touched by the case out of Idaho County and Bennett’s dedication to our country by serving in the Air Force. She says she’s hopeful it has brought some level of peace to his loved ones. She says they will keep working on investigations to hopefully assist even more families, and soon.
“I think we are showing we can one day live in a world where there are not cold cases,” she said. “Cases can be solved when they happen and families can get those answers right away....I think it's incredible. It means the world to us to give closure and answers.”
If you would like to learn more about Othram, click here.
Othram also helped Spokane Police solve the Candy Roger’s case late last year.
