It is the end of a mystery that has lasted 30 years. The bones discovered on a New Jersey beach between 1995 and 2013 were finally identified, says NBC News. The bones of one leg, an arm and fragments of a skull belonged to Captain Henry Goodsell, 29, who died at sea 181 years ago.
It was thanks to the progress of DNA technology that state police detectives, specialized in unresolved cases, were able to determine that these bones belonged to the same person. Then they went to the Center for Genetic Research (IgG) of the College of New Jersey Ramapo.
Files and family trees
The experts took the time to determine the age. “Do we not stop asking if they were historical or not?” Anna Delaney said, Judicial Anthropologist of the New Jersey State Police.
Ramapo university students sought genetic parents and established family trees that revealed ancestral links with Connecticut. They also began examining shipping files. It is this approach that led to identification.
“When looking for these details, they identified this ship, which then led to the captain of the ship,” said David Gurney, director of the IGG Center in Ramapo.
Captain’s family found
Henry Goodsell was the oriental captain, a schooner who transported the marble from Connecticut to Philadelphia in 1844. During this trip, the oriental sank right next to the coast of Brigantine. The entire crew died in the sinking.
The researchers managed to find Captain’s great -great -grandson in Maryland. He provided a DNA sample that confirmed the identity of Henry Goodsell.
“As far as we know, this is the oldest case that has been resolved thanks to the genetic research genealogy,” said Cairenn Binder of the IGG Center.
At the moment, Henry Goodsell’s family does not want these bones, therefore, they will remain in a state deposit indefinitely.
Source: BFM TV
