Officials in Monterey County are hoping to crack a cold case by connecting with people who may have information about an unidentified Southeast Asian man whose remains were discovered over a decade ago.
On Dec. 30, 2010, the lower half of a human leg was located on a beach in the city of Monterey. The leg, which was intact below the knee, appeared to have been in the water for several weeks.
Investigators attempted to load the person’s DNA into a California Department of Justice database but found no match.
Authorities also say no known missing person’s report could be matched to the leg.
Working collaboratively, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force, the Monterey County Sheriff Coroner’s Office, California Department of Justice, and the private forensics lab Othram, based in Texas, conducted additional DNA testing, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said.
Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) was started by Othram in 2023. FGG is the use of DNA analysis and traditional genealogy research to help identify investigative leads in both unidentified human remains cases and violent crimes.
The initial results of the FGG testing have identified the leg as belonging to a Southeast Asian male (Vietnamese, Cambodian, or Laotian). A forensic anthropologist has tentatively identified the male’s age as being between 20-50 years old, the District Attorney’s Office said.
The person’s identity is still unknown.
“It is possible that someone in the community has information on the individual we are trying to identify,” said a statement released by Monterey police. “If potential family members are located, a DNA comparison can be made to confirm identity.”
This will also help in determining how the remains ended up in Monterey Bay and the circumstances surrounding their presumed death, police said.
Anyone with possible information about this investigation is asked to contact Monterey Police Department cold case investigator Bill Clark, assigned to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force, at (831) 646-3971 or bclark@monterey.org.
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