Skeletal remains identified as Arizona man who disappeared in 2020, sheriff says
Skeletal remains found in 2021 have been identified as those of a missing man, an Arizona sheriff said.
DNA helped identify the remains as Brian Crain, 56 of Golden Valley, who was reported missing by family in September 2020, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said in an April 17 Facebook post.
A passerby stumbled upon the remains in January 2021 in Golden Galley, deputies said.
The Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office was not able to identify the remains or determine the cause of death, the sheriff’s office said.
The case was added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in February 2021, according to a news release from Othram Inc., the forensic genealogy company that helped identify the remains.
“With few leads to go on, the case soon went cold,” the company said.
In February, deputies said they sent a DNA sample from the remains to Othram.
“Using advanced DNA testing and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing, Othram Inc. was able to identify the human remains as” Crain, the sheriff’s office 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.
Crain’s disappearance and death are still being investigated, Othram said.
Anyone with information about Crain is asked to call the sheriffs office at 928-753-0753.
Golden Valley is about 160 miles west of Flagstaff.
This story was originally published April 18, 2023 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Skeletal remains identified as Arizona man who disappeared in 2020, sheriff says."
