Forensic DNA testing of human remains reveal more clues

DEADWOOD Its a break in the case of the unknown former Deadwood resident. With the final report in on the DNA analysis from the set of human remains unearthed in Deadwoods Presidential neighborhood in 2012, historic preservation officials say they are a few steps closer to finding out the identity of the burial from 66 Taylor Ave., discovered during a retaining wall replacement.

At the meeting of the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission Tuesday evening, Historic Preservation Officer Kevin Kuchenbecker said that the DNA tests were performed to help determine race, ethnic heritage and other identifying traits.

We now have it narrowed down to 24 individuals, based on historical records, as we moved forward Kuchenbecker said. If the families of those 24 individuals came forward and gave DNA, we could probably match them and find out who he is.

Kuchenbecker said the individual was formerly being called Jackson, as he was found near Jackson Street.

Based on this report, we should probably call him McJackson as he is of Irish descent, Kuchenbecker said. With skeletal casting, the next step is to do an artists rendition.

In April, 2014, the city of Deadwood hired Dr. Angie Ambers, a DNA analyst and forensic geneticist at the Institute of Applied Genetics in Fort Worth, Texas, to perform the DNA tests.

As part of the project, DNA samples were recovered from two molars in the mandible and a portion of the left femur.

The samples were then subjected to a series of tests that included Y chromosome, DNA analysis, mitochondrial DNA and pheotype-information SNP analysis.

Combined, these tests helped to determine the race, ethnic heritage and eye and hair color of the unknown individual, said Deadwood city archivist Mike Runge. Based on the DNA results, the unknown individual came from a Western European ancestry reaching over 80 percent of the population in Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, western Wales, the Atlantic fringe of France, the Basque country and Catalonia. Based on the SNP test, the unknown individual likely had light red hair and light brown eyes when alive.

The DNA lineage results are consistent with the findings of a previous anthropological report which determined that the remains belong to a male of European ancestry (Caucasian).

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Forensic DNA testing of human remains reveal more clues