Haunting mystery of 'nomadic' man who vanished in 1995 is finally solved

The haunting enigma of a nomadic hitchhiker who vanished astir 3 decades agone was yet solved and has travel to a tragic conclusion.

Construction workers were taking connected a task adjacent nan Hoover Dam successful Arizona successful November of 2009 erstwhile they discovered quality bones connected nan broadside of nan highway.

After 29 years pinch nary progress, nan Mohave County Sheriff's Office yet announced connected Tuesday that nan bones recovered astir 15 years agone belonged to William Herman Hietamaki, a Michigan man who was past seen by his family successful 1995, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

After years of efforts to make leads astir who nan man was and lick nan acold lawsuit erstwhile and for all, a assistance fixed to Othram - a familial laboratory successful Texas - yet made that possible.

In April of this year, Mohave County investigators were told that nan laboratory had received a assistance to salary for forensic genealogy successful nan lawsuit that led to nan creation of a imaginable DNA floor plan for nan decades-long missing man.

The floor plan was uploaded to a genealogy database, and six months later, investigators yet sewage a hit.

The study told investigators that nan man was a descendant of ancestors calved successful nan mid-1800s and resided successful Michigan.

That accusation led officers of Mohave County to statesman interviewing imaginable relatives successful nan state.

Hietamaki's suspected siblings were among those who were interviewed, and aft familial testing, it was officially confirmed that nan remains were those of their long-lost brother.

'Hietamaki's family now has closure owed to Othram's dedication successful identifying John and Jane Does,' nan sheriff's agency said successful a post.

In 2009, building workers who were contracted to move cement connected nan Highway 93 widening task were connected break astatine Milepost 3 adjacent nan Hoover Dam.

One of nan workers saw what appeared to beryllium a bony connected nan westbound broadside of nan highway, St George News reported.

When 2 of nan workers began searching nan area, they came crossed much bones and came to nan conclusion that they were erstwhile belonged to a quality earlier notifying their supervisor.

The building workers, constabulary and National Park Service agents past discovered further bones, a sun-bleached brace of bluish jeans, a damaged achromatic towel, a sun-bleached reddish T-shirt, a achromatic diversion footwear and a greenish sleeping container aft a speedy hunt of nan area.

Even much quality remains were collected successful a 2nd hunt conscionable a fewer days later earlier nan postulation of items were yet turned complete to nan Mohave County Medical Examiner's Office.

But years of efforts by detectives only led to dormant ends. 

It wasn't until February of 2022 that nan sheriff's agency was capable to get a bony sample from nan man which was past sent disconnected to nan Arizona Department of Public Safety's laboratory and nan University of North Texas.

There, it was stored for study - but an recognition connected nan sample was ne'er made until Othram stepped in, finally put an extremity to nan years-long mystery.

William Herman Hietamaki, who went by his mediate name, was calved successful April of 1950.

He went to precocious schoolhouse successful Michigan earlier heading to mechanic's schoolhouse aft graduation, and yet leaving his location authorities soon aft to statesman traveling.

He was past seen by his sister while visiting her successful New Mexico successful 1995.

Hietamaki was said to beryllium a walking nomad - hitchhiking astatine dozens of locations to execute nan type of manner he wanted.

The sheriff's agency said that owed to nan authorities of his remains, they were incapable to supply a origin of death.

However, Hietamaki was said to suffer from epileptic seizures that could person played a portion successful his untimely passing, which nan aesculapian examiner estimates to person been betwixt 2006 and 2008.  

Forensic genetic genealogy exertion has solved hundreds of acold cases successful nan past decade.

The DNA Doe Project, which was founded successful 2017, is simply a non-profit corp pinch a ngo to place John and Jane Does done investigative familial genealogy. 

Since first launching nan statement 7 years ago, DNA Doe Project has worked connected much than 200 cases of unidentified remains, according to their website.

Although it whitethorn ne'er beryllium clear what really happened successful nan moments earlier Hietamaki mislaid his life, his family now has closure.