Body found floating under CA bridge in 2003 posed mystery. Now man is identified
.jpeg "A body found floating below a bridge in 2003 has been identified, California officials say.")
For more than two decades, the body of a man discovered floating in the water below a California bridge posed a mystery.
Now, with the help of DNA testing, the body found in Oakland in September 2003 has been identified as Robert Craig Whitsett, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sept. 2 email to McClatchy News.
After the man’s body was discovered below the Coast Guard Island bridge, authorities started an investigation and searched the area in hopes of finding evidence that may help identify the man, Othram Inc. said in a news release.
Along with the man’s remains, authorities also collected his clothing, which included “a blue denim jacket, a red pullover with hood and zipper, a button-up checkered shirt, blue denim trousers, dark running-type shoes and gray socks with black tops,” said Othram, the forensic genetic genealogy company that helped identify the body.
Despite an investigation, Othram said the man’s name remained a mystery.
Then, in April 2017, the man’s information was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
NamUs, a “national repository for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases,” serves as a resource for “law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners, and investigating professionals,” according to the program’s website.
After decades without answers, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office set its sights on forensic genetic genealogy in hopes of identifying the man, Othram said.
Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with “traditional genealogical methods” to create “family history profiles,” according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related.
Detectives sent DNA evidence to Othram’s scientists, who then built “a comprehensive SNP profile for the man,” the company said.
SNP testing looks at “tiny variations at individual points in the DNA sequence,” according to Bode Technology.
“These variations, called single nucleotide polymorphisms, provide a detailed genetic roadmap,” the company says.
Othram said their forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to create new leads for authorities, who did follow-up investigation and found the man’s potential relatives.
A potential relative provided a DNA sample, which was compared to that of the man, confirming his identity as Whitsett, who went by the first name “Craig” and was born in New York, the company said.
“This case is a reminder that every piece of preserved evidence has the potential to unlock long-awaited answers,” Othram said.
Othram has assisted in 68 identifications in California, the company said.
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Body found floating under CA bridge in 2003 posed mystery. Now man is identified."
