February 9, 2024

A Yavapai County cold case was solved after more than ten years, thanks to a Forensic Genetic Genealogy program at a New Jersey College.

In late August 2011, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said hikers found a man dead, with no identification, in a stream bed near the Beaver Creek Campground. Investigators determined he had come into Arizona on an Amtrak train, then made his way to the campground, and that he had died of heart complications; but they were never able to identify him.

Early last year, Ramapo College approached YCSO and said they had started an Investigative Genetic Genealogy Program, and they offered to perform case work, free of charge, on unidentified persons.

According to a press release from the school, a blood blot card for the Beaver Creek John Doe was sent to a forensic laboratory for DNA extraction, genome sequencing and bioinformatics. The results were then uploaded to two genetic DNA sites, and through family tree research and unique circumstantial details in the case, students determined the man was likely David Emil Jacobsen of Florida.

The Yavapai County Medical Examiner’s Office then compared the John Doe’s DNA with that of one of Jacobsen’s siblings, confirming his identity.

Jacobsen’s family thanks all those who worked to bring closure to this painful 13-year experience; and the Sheriff’s Office says they hope to partner with Ramapo College on other cases in the future.

Josh Freeman | KAZM News Director | josh@mellowmountainradio.com