COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a breakthrough for forensic genealogy, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Franklin County Coroner Dr. Nate Overmire announced today that skeletal remains discovered 36 years ago have been positively identified as Ernest Emerson Carter, a white male born in 1923.
The remains were originally found on Nov. 3, 1989, along Walcutt Road in western Franklin County. Very little is known about Carter’s life or the circumstances of his death.
“Solving a cold case takes teamwork, technology, and tenacity – all of which were on display in this case,” Yost said. “This type of public-private partnership has a direct impact on so many and brings real results to loved ones.”
Overmire emphasized the importance of dignity in handling unidentified remains. “We believe each person is worthy of dignity and respect,” he said. “Our patients can no longer advocate for themselves, so we must on their behalf. I am extremely proud of the compassionate, talented staff who worked on this case from my office, BCI, and our community partners. Together, we were able to utilize science to solve a mystery.”
Investigators from Overmire’s office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) have worked for decades to solve the case. BCI became involved in 2000 through Project LINK (Linking Individuals Not Known), which collects DNA from unidentified remains and from people with missing loved ones in hopes of generating matches. Despite advanced DNA testing over the years, no leads were uncovered—until last year.
The nonprofit Porchlight Project funded new forensic genealogy testing conducted by Othram, a Texas-based forensics technology company. Genealogists and BCI’s Criminal Intelligence Unit collaborated to build a family tree that ultimately led to a match with a close relative, confirming the identity of the remains as Ernest Emerson Carter.
“I am grateful to Ohio BCI, the Franklin County Coroner’s Office, and Othram for their collaboration and dedication throughout the process of solving this decades-old mystery,” said Val Bogart, Porchlight Project genetic genealogist. “I am hopeful the identification of Mr. Carter brings long-awaited answers and a step toward closure for all involved.”
Kristen Mittelman, Chief Development Officer for Othram, added, “There is technology here today that works, and it is able to give answers to a lot of families, like in this case. We’re proud to work with law enforcement who are working every day to solve cases and help families.”
The identification marks a major milestone in Franklin County cold case investigations and highlights the growing role of forensic genealogy in solving decades-old mysteries.
