Oldest DNA Sample to Date Resulting in Successful IGG Identification (1844)

What began as a mystery nearly two centuries ago has finally been solved—thanks to modern DNA science, committed investigators, and the cutting-edge capabilities of our lab at Resolve Forensics.

In what is now recognized as the oldest forensic DNA recovery and Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) identification on record, our lab team successfully recovered and profiled DNA from skeletal remains dating back to 1844. The case involved fragmented remains that washed ashore on multiple New Jersey beaches over the past 30 years—remains now confirmed to belong to Captain Henry Goodsell, a 29-year-old ship captain who perished in the wreck of the schooner Oriental off Brigantine Shoal.

Between 1995 and 2013, human remains—including a skull and multiple bones—were discovered in Longport, Margate, and Ocean City, New Jersey. Despite decades of forensic efforts, the remains remained unidentified, and the case became known as “Scattered Man John Doe.”

In 2023, the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Cold Case Unit engaged the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College, hoping IGG could provide answers where traditional methods had failed.

The breakthrough began when a bone sample was sent to Intermountain Forensics, where the advanced forensic DNA work was handed off to the laboratory FIGG A-team, Daniel Hellwig and Derek Cutler of Resolve Forensics. The lab executed a complex extraction and developed a robust SNP DNA profile from highly degraded, 180-year-old skeletal material—an unprecedented scientific achievement.

The SNP profile was uploaded to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA in early 2024. Ramapo College students then began tracing potential ancestral connections and, through archival research, linked the remains to families in Connecticut dating back to the 1600s.

Historical newspaper clippings from December 1844 revealed that the schooner Oriental, carrying marble to Philadelphia, had wrecked in a storm near Brigantine. All five crew members perished. Among them was Captain Henry Goodsell.

In March 2025, NJSP collected a reference sample from a living descendant. On April 8, 2025, Goodsell’s identity was officially confirmed—closing one of the oldest cold cases ever solved through IGG.

This historic identification underscores what makes Resolve Forensics unique: our ability to deliver superior DNA results from even the most degraded, fragmented, and timeworn samples. As science pushes boundaries, our team remains at the forefront—pioneering the most advanced science solutions, combining innovation, new technology, accuracy, and purpose in every case.

We are honored to have contributed to this extraordinary case and extend our respect to the family of Captain Goodsell, to Ramapo College’s remarkable researchers, and to the NJ State Police Cold Case Unit for their commitment to the truth.

“Using modern genealogy testing to identify bone fragments from the 19th century is a powerful reminder of our unwavering commitment to resolving cases no matter how old.”
– Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, NJ State Police Superintendent

Let us take a look. We are not only pioneers in the forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) space, our new lab brings all this unique expertise and passion under one roof, specializing in the hardest, oldest, and coldest cases, offering the most advanced forensic DNA extraction and sequencing techniques for quality SNP profiles and leads that solve cases.