Human Remains Found in 1970 Finally identified After More Than Five Decades near Portland, Oregon

PORTLAND, Oreg. — In a poignant development, human remains discovered in 1970 have been successfully identified after more than five decades near Portland, Oregon.

Back in February 1970, a Boy Scout troop leader stumbled upon human remains buried in a shallow grave on Sauvie Island, as reported by CNN. Despite efforts at the time, the remains remained unidentified.

Law enforcement officials noted signs of trauma on the body, leading them to suspect foul play, according to the Oregon State Police.

The remains were eventually transferred to the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s facility in Clackamas County in 2004, along with over 100 other unidentified remains, as per police. A bone sample was submitted to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, and a NamUs profile was created as part of the process.

A breakthrough came in January 2023 when an individual uploaded their DNA results to GEDMatch, a genealogy database, as highlighted by CNN.

GEDMatch identified a potential distant family member of the remains, prompting investigators to conduct interviews and further research while a genetic genealogist enlisted more family members to upload their DNA data to the database.

Subsequently, a family tree was constructed, leading to the positive identification of the remains as belonging to Sandra Young.

Sandra Young, born on June 25, 1951, was last seen in Portland and her remains were discovered approximately 10 miles north of her last known location, according to police. She was reported missing in 1968 or 1969.

“Sandra Young has now regained her identity after 54 years,” stated Dr. Nici Vance, the state’s Human Identification Program Coordinator at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office. “Her story exemplifies a remarkable level of dedication and cooperation between family members, detectives, Oregon State Medical Examiner staff, and our contract laboratory Parabon Nanolabs. This case underscores the innovative ways in which the ME’s Office and investigative genetic genealogy can aid in resolving cold case mysteries and providing closure to Oregonians. This technology equips investigators with a potent tool to assist all Oregon agencies in solving their unsolved cases.”

Law enforcement authorities are now focused on ascertaining the circumstances surrounding Young’s demise, if feasible, and pursuing additional investigative avenues.

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