The remains of a man found 20 years ago in Ridgefield have been identified as 32-year-old James Orin Johnson.
The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office announced Tuesday that staff had linked Johnson's family's DNA to that of the remains found Jan. 13, 2002.
Staff submitted a DNA sample from the remains to Bode Technology, a DNA lab in Virginia, which then linked the remains to two sisters born in Oregon in the mid-1800s, according to a news release. Investigators compiled a list of other people distantly related to them.
Medical Examiner's Office Investigator Christine Holroyd spent months contacting potential relatives about any missing male family members. In May, Medical Examiner's Office Operations Manager Nikki Costa met with a descendant of the two sisters, Arlene Zumwalt. the DNA she provided helped them determine which side of the family tree to pursue, the news release states.
In August, staff from the Bode lab determined the unidentified man was very likely a biological son of Judith Cox Johnson. Her son, James Orin Johnson, had no traceable activities since mid-2001, according to the Medical Examiner's Office.
Johnson's son, Jaccob Johnson, told Costa that his family had not heard from his father in over 20 years. Johnson's former wife, Candy Hallanger, hired a private investigator in 2003 to find her children's missing father, but the family never found him, the news release states.
Another of Johnson's sons, James Johnson Jr., uploaded his DNA profile to DNA site GEDmatch, which also allows people to opt in for law enforcement searches in genetic genealogy cases.
Forensic genealogists at Bode determined Johnson Jr.'s DNA sample matched the remains in a parent/child relationship. Clark County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Martha Burt agreed that the previously unidentified man was James Orin Johnson Sr., according to the news release.
"This great work by our team helped to provide a family with answers they had been waiting 20 years to receive," Burt said in the news release. "The Medical Examiner's Office is committed to finding the names of all unidentified decedents in Clark County."
On Sept. 17, Costa met with Johnson's family — son Jaccob Johnson and his wife, Kathryn; Johnson's daughter, Catreena Johnson, and Johnson's former wife, Candy Hallanger — to tell them about the investigation that led to Johnson's identification.
"This was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career," Costa said. "Jaccob gave me a hug that communicated so much. I will remember it for the rest of my days."
