DNA solves decades-old Olympic National Park mystery

Forensic work and DNA analysis by Othram, using forensic genealogy, identified the skeletal remains found in a sleeping bag in Olympic National Park in 2000 as Joseph Louis Serrao Jr., who had been missing since 1998. Investigators traced relatives across several states and matched DNA to confirm Serrao’s identity, solving a nearly 30-year case and providing closure for his Hawaii-based family; the work was completed by 2025 and publicly announced in 2026.