What is the series about?

Naming the Dead is a documentary series from National Geographic that can be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu, depicting the groundbreaking work carried out by the nonprofit organization DNA Doe Project. In the series' second episode, titled 'A Box of Bones', we follow the technical and emotional process of giving a name back to a person who has been forgotten by the system for nearly four decades. The series highlights the fact that there are over 50,000 unidentified bodies in the U.S. that remain in cold storage or in archives without an identity. Through advanced genetic genealogy, investigators attempt to match DNA profiles with public genealogy databases to find living relatives of the deceased.

The real case

The real case behind the episode begins in 1987 in Tyler, Texas. Here, the earthly remains of a young woman were found discarded beside a highway. Despite an initial investigation, the police never managed to determine her identity or find her murderer. For 38 years, her remains remained hidden away in a simple cardboard box in the police evidence storage, labeled as an anonymous victim. The case was categorized as a cold case until DNA Doe Project stepped in. By extracting DNA from the old bones and cross-referencing the material with databases like GEDmatch, genealogists were able to map out a family tree that led directly to the woman's biological family.

Timeline of the case

The investigation of the case in Tyler has spanned several generations. After the discovery in 1987, the police were left without leads, as the woman did not match any local missing persons reports. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the case was regularly reviewed, but without technological breakthroughs, the box remained on the shelf. It was only with the breakthrough in genetic genealogy — the same technology used to catch Golden State Killer — that progress was made. The documentary showcases the tireless volunteers' work in reviewing thousands of distant cousins to narrow down the search to a specific family in Texas.

Watch the series

You can watch Naming the Dead: A Box of Bones on Disney+ in Denmark as part of National Geographic's true crime catalog. The series is essential for viewers interested in the scientific side of crime solving and the ethical dilemmas associated with the use of genetic data in police work. Although the identity of the victim has now been established, the hunt for the perpetrator behind the murder in 1987 remains an ongoing process for the authorities in Tyler.

Similar series on Truecrime News

If you are interested in cases solved with DNA, you can read more about DNA Doe Project here on the site. We also recommend reading about other Texas-based cold cases such as Texas Killing Fields , which also deals with unidentified victims found in desolate areas.

Sources

• DNA Doe Project Official Site
• National Geographic Series Overview
• Hulu Streaming Catalog

Reviews

"There are 50,000 bodies unnamed and ungrieved in the U.S. with no possibility of identification — until now." — Hulu / National Geographic (N/A)