DRY RIDGE, KY – The Kentucky State Police are using the DNA Doe Project (DDP), an initiative that uses genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does, to help solve a cold case. Recently, this technology was used to solve a 2001 cold case in Bowling Green, identifying Dawn Clare Plonsky Wilkerson (45) of Nashville, TN.
Currently, KSP and the DNA Doe Project are trying to solve a case from 1989. Human remains of a large male were found in a tobacco barn off KY State Highway 22 about 7.5 miles west of Dry Ridge near Williamstown, Ky. The victim was shot twice in the back of his head with a .22 caliber weapon, and he was stripped of his clothing. His hands were severed from his arms.
Forensic scientists determined the deceased to be a white male, 25-35 years old, 6’5” tall, and weighing approximately 220 pounds. He wore his medium brown hair in a crew cut with short sideburns. The victim died approximately two weeks prior to being found.
The volunteer investigative genetic genealogists with the DNA Doe Project have determined that the man likely has roots in Eastern Europe. He may also have ancestry from the Middle East and England. So far, the DNA matches are at the distant cousin level.
If you have any information about this case, please contact KSP Post 6 Dry Ridge at 859-428-1212 or call anonymously at 1-800-222-5555. To learn more about the DNA Doe Project, please visit www.dnadoeproject.org.
The photo attached is an outline of how the victim may have appeared.
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