Burned body found in vacant Georgia lot 28 years ago, officials say. Now man identified
A Georgia man lit on fire and left to die in a vacant lot 28 years ago now has a name.
Using genetic genealogy, the DNA Doe Project analyzed DNA evidence to trace the deceased’s lineage and identify “Fulton County John Doe” as David Brown, the nonprofit said in an Oct. 31 news release.
The confirmation comes decades after investigators said Brown was splashed with kerosene and set on fire in an attempted robbery near his Atlanta home in 1996, WAGA reported.
Brown, who was severely injured but lucid, told bystanders what happened before he died from his injuries at a hospital, according to the station. Authorities said he was burned so badly, they couldn’t get fingerprints, and he wasn’t carrying identification.
Brown had been reported missing by his family, the DNA Doe Project said.
Investigators believe he was between 18 and 25 years old when he disappeared
In October 2023, the “Find Our Missing” Facebook group referred the case to the DNA Doe Project, according to the release. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office also provided a DNA sample from the burned remains, launching a second look into the decades-old case.
To create a genetic profile, volunteer genealogists spent months researching “complex genealogy,” conducting advanced DNA testing and rebuilding his family tree.
“The lack of records prior to 1870 makes African American genealogical research very challenging,” genetic genealogist Lance Daly said in the release.
“We discovered an ancestor from the 19th century who was born in Lincoln County, GA, but later died in Atlanta,” Daly said. “This led us to hypothesize that our John Doe had deep family ties to Atlanta and may have been born there.”
With zero clues about his identity, Brown was buried without his name, the nonprofit said.
This year, genealogists were able to confirm a genetic match and identify the missing man.
“We are proud to have been able to finally identify him after so many years,” Rebecca Somerhalder, co-leader on the team, said in the release.
“Most of our cases are very complex and we are extremely grateful to those who upload their DNA to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA to assist us in our work.”