Skeletal remains found in Michigan field 28 years ago finally ID'd thanks to advanced DNA testing
DNA testing reveals clues to dead man's identity
For nearly 30 years skeletal remains found near train tracks in Plymouth Township were part of a cold case for police. Investigators refused to give up and now thanks to new technology, they’re one step closer to solving this mystery.
PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - Almost 30 years after a man's remains were found wrapped in a carpet in Plymouth Township, a murder victim has been laid to rest.
DNA testing decades later identified the skeletal remains as Benjamin Harrison Fountain, who would be 99 today.
The backstory:
According to Othram, a forensics company that assisted with the identification, the bones were found in a field off Haggerty Road in Plymouth in May 1997 by a person who was surveying the land to purchase it. Police believed that the remains had been there for years before they were discovered.
Investigators were able to determine that the remains were of a man who appeared to have been around 5 feet, 8 inches tall. Shorts found with the remains led investigators to believe he may have been slim.
A shirt found with the remains (Photo courtesy of Othram)
His death was ruled a homicide due to a suspected head injury, and a .357 slug was found with the skeleton.
Investigators performed testing on the slug and the clothing found with the skeleton, and also tracked down the origin of a gold class ring found with the remains, but were unsuccessful in identifying who it was.
Traditional DNA testing was conducted in 2015 and the results were entered into CODIS, but like other methods of ID'ing the victim, didn't yield any matches.
Dig deeper:
In 2022, the Plymouth Township Police Department teamed with Othram to conduct advanced DNA testing. DNA was extracted from the bones, and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing was performed at Othram's Texas lab.
Through this, it was discovered that the ancestry of the unknown person was African. By using the DNA profile, Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team developed new leads about possible family members and provided them to police.
Police were then able to contact a potential relative and use their DNA to determine Fountain's identity.
Who he was:
Fountain, who was born in Virginia on May 6, 1926, also lived in West Virginia before landing in Detroit. He served in World War II after being drafted.
His remains, which had been at the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office since they were found, were finally laid to rest in May, when he was buried at Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Brownstown.
What we don't know:
It is unknown who killed Fountain or how he ended up dead in a field.
An investigation into his death is ongoing.
The Source: Othram provided details for this story.