Unidentified Human Remains Initiative

In some cases, despite the best efforts of investigators, the identities of individuals who are found deceased remain unknown. With few leads to pursue, the cases often grow cold. However, over the last several years, law enforcement agencies across the country have seen measurable success in submitting skeletal remains of unidentified individuals for forensic genetic genealogy testing.

The Bureau’s bold initiative began in 2022 after the Governor’s Office was approached with a proposal regarding specialized DNA testing involving unidentified human remains cases. They recognized the need and partnered with TBI to provide one-time funding of $100,000, later approved by the General Assembly to be used specifically for forensic genetic genealogy testing in TBI cold cases in which all other methods have been exhausted.

Fourteen cases involving unidentified individuals initially met the criteria for the initiative. Agents submitted a portion of the skeletal remains of each victim to Othram, Inc., a private lab based in Texas, to conduct DNA sequencing and extraction. As of August 2025, eight of those victims have been identified.

While we’ve seen measurable success, there is still a lot of work left to do. Currently, there are more than 100 cold cases in Tennessee that involve unidentified human remains.

Fortunately, TBI received an additional $100,000 as a result of U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett’s 2024 Community Project Funding request through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The federal funds will allow agents to expand the initiative,
working with local agencies across the state to submit more cases involving unidentified individuals for forensic genetic genealogy testing, striving to give family members and loved ones closure.

Our mission with this initiative is simple. We want to determine the identities of the victims so that we can develop information and potential leads about the circumstances leading to each person’s disappearance and death.