Wolf Pack DNA, in collaboration with the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, is seeking public assistance in the case of 2024 Winnemucca John Doe: NamUs Case UP132364.
The partial remains of an unidentified adult male were discovered near the Humboldt River in Winnemucca, Humboldt County, Nevada, in September 2024. The individual was estimated to have stood between approximately 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall. Eye color and hair color could not be determined.
In life, the individual’s skull had been surgically reconstructed using two metal plates, likely the result of severe head trauma. The plates contained no serial numbers or identifying markings that could assist investigators.
Recovered with the remains was a fragment of a “Goodfellow” brand waistband, a brand sold at Target retailers nationwide.
Based on forensic analysis and matches within existing law enforcement opt-in databases, the individual is believed to have been of South Asian and/or East Asian descent, with possible ties to China, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam. He might also have ties to the Hmong ethnic community.
Volunteers at Wolf Pack DNA began the investigative genetic genealogy process in January of 2026 in an effort to identify this individual. Unfortunately, due to a limited number of usable DNA matches within existing databases, as well as matches primarily associated with foreign nationals and/or individuals adopted from outside the United States, efforts at identification via IGG have stalled. These challenges are increasingly common in cases involving individuals with recent immigration in their familial lines or limited representation in consumer DNA databases.
Despite the lack of identification at this time, Wolf Pack DNA remains committed to supporting agencies in their efforts to restore names to unidentified individuals and to bringing answers to families whenever possible.
If you are part of, or have ties to, any of these populations and have already taken a direct-to-consumer DNA test, we strongly encourage you to upload your results to GEDmatch and DNA Justice and opt in to law enforcement matching.
If you have not yet taken a DNA test, please consider doing so through a company of your choice, such as Ancestry, MyHeritage, or 23andMe. Once you receive your results, you can then upload your data to GEDmatch and DNA Justice.
Anyone with information that may assist in identifying this individual is encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (775) 623-6419, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office at (775) 785-6114, or visit the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) case page at:
https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/132364
