Sigvard Svensson : “Marin County Sheriff Solves 1982 Muir Woods Cold Case”

Authorities in Marin County have finally solved a decades-old mystery surrounding the identity of a man whose skeletal remains were discovered in the Muir Woods National Monument over 40 years ago.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Department recently confirmed that the body found near the Deer Park Fire Trail in 1982 belonged to Sigvard Svensson, a San Francisco resident. The individual, initially known as Marin County John DOE 82-278, was a male estimated to be between 60 and 70 years old and standing at approximately 5’8″ tall. He was found wearing a white collared shirt, gray socks, and size 11.5 white tennis shoes.

Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement to identify the man, no matches were found when the case details were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2018. However, a breakthrough came two years ago when the Marin County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with the California Department of Justice and Othram Forensics to develop a genetic profile for John DOE 82-278.

Othram’s forensic genetic genealogy team utilized this DNA profile to conduct genealogy research, leading to the collection of reference DNA samples from potential relatives of the unidentified man. Through this investigative process, Svensson was positively identified. Born on February 4th, 1908, he immigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1926, settling in San Francisco.

In a statement, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division expressed gratitude to the California DOJ and Othram for their unwavering dedication to solving this cold case. The authorities also extended their condolences to Svensson’s family and friends.

This breakthrough in identification marks a significant milestone in the case that had remained unsolved for decades. The use of advanced DNA technology and forensic genealogy techniques has played a crucial role in bringing closure to this long-standing mystery.