David Resnik was about 28 years old when the remains were found in 1976
Credit: Alamy
NEED TO KNOW
- Skeletal remains were found on Feb. 12, 1976 at a ridge in the Baboquivari Mountains
- With no success in identifying the remains at the the time, authorities dubbed the unknown victim “Kitt Peak John Doe”
- With DNA analysis, officials were able to track down potential relatives and determine the remains belonged to David Resnik
Authorities said human remains found more than 50 years ago in Arizona's Baboquivari Mountains have been confirmed as a missing Vietnam War veteran.
The victim was identified by officials as David Michael Resnik, born on Dec. 25, 1947, NBC affiliate KVOA reported on June 17.
The skeletal remains were found on Feb. 12, 1976 at a ridge in the Baboquivari Mountains, about four miles south of Kitt Peak, near Tucson, according to Othram, a Texas-based DNA laboratory involved in the remains' subsequent identification.
Also found with the remains were blue denim jeans, a blue and red shirt, Dunham brand boots, a backpack, a hatchet and scabbard, and an orange plastic tarp, Othram added. No identification was present.
At the time, officials believed that the remains belonged to a white male somewhere between 18 and 24. However, the condition of the remains made it difficult to identify him.
With no further leads in successfully identifying the remains, the victim was classified as “Kitt Peak John Doe,” and his case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17676.
Forty-eight years after the initial discovery of remains, in September 2024, the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office shared forensic evidence with Othram to see if advanced DNA testing could help in the Kitt Peak John Doe case.
The lab's scientists developed a DNA extract from the remains and later created a comprehensive DNA profile.
Othram's scientists then performed a genetic genealogy search using the profile to develop new investigative leads, which were presented to law enforcement.
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Officials used the new information from the forensic analysis to track down the victim's potential relatives. An investigation resulted in the positive identification of Resnik.
“David Resnik, an Army Medic who served in the Vietnam War, would have been 28 years old at the time that his remains were discovered,” Othram said in a news release. ”Resnik lived in Tucson prior to his disappearance. Resnik's identification brings long-awaited answers for his family and friends.”
Othram stated this was the 17th publicly announced case in Arizona in which officials employed Othram's services.
The Pima County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for additional information about the case on Tuesday, June 23.
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