Cutting Edge Forensic Techniques Identify Hand from 1948 Plane Crash

Researchers and scientists using specifically-developed forensic science techniques have finally identified an arm and hand found buried in an Alaskan glacier 60 years ago.  It took nine years of cutting edge DNA and fingerprint research and genealogical studies to identify the remains of a Roanoke, Va., native.  The 1948 plane crash killed all of its passengers – Merchant Marines returning from China. In 1999, the crash site was located within a glacier, and the preserved arm and hand were discovered.  A fact sheet is available with more detailed information.

A teleconference will be held tomorrow August 15 2008, at George Washington University with researchers and experts in Alaska and D.C.  Present will be: Edward Robinson, prof at GWU who did the fingerprint indentification, Odile Loreille, PhD from AFDIL who did the DNA indentification, Colleen Fitzpatrick, PhD, the forensic genealogist who found the family reference for DNA comparison, and Kevin McGregor, one of the pilots who discovered the arm and hand.  McGregor will have with him the ring found close to the hand and parts of the plane crash.

NPR did a 45 minute interview with Geoff Bleakley, Historian at the Wrangell Saint Elias National Park, in August 1999 when the remains were first discovered.

Comments

[Jeanne M. Levie]

I had the good fortune to attend Colleen's presentation on this story at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree in June. It was my favorite presentation at the Jamboree. She mentioned that one of the problems they had to overcome was that the arm had been embalmed which was thought to make it impossible to extract DNA from it. After a great deal of effort and expense, a way was found to extract useful DNA which allowed for the ultimate identification of the individual. The Government was especially interested in this technology because there are at least 800 other US military personnel from the Korean War who have not yet been identified that they hope to be able to identify. Colleen ended her presentation by stating that there will never again be an "Unknown Soldier" because now the military gets DNA samples from all new recruits to be used only for posthumous identification purposes. It took scientists from all over the world to crack this mystery. When you see what the human mind is capable of in a situation like this, it makes you proud to be a human being.