Skeletal remains found nearly 50 years ago in Arizona have been identified as a Vietnam veteran from Minnesota, authorities announced Wednesday.
According to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, the body of Gerald Francis Long was found off Meteor City Road, 40 miles east of Flagstaff, on April 19, 1975, by farmers chasing a runaway pig. It was discovered for the first time.
Over the course of 49 years, detectives uncovered numerous clues but were unable to reveal the victim’s name. The victim became known as Munsingwear Do because of the Munsingwear brand jacket that was found with his body.
In August 2023, the Sheriff’s Office turned to a forensic genetic genealogy investigation in collaboration with Intermountain Forensic in Salt Lake City, Utah. Scientists created a DNA profile of the victim’s genetic family tree and compared it to existing profiles available in genealogy databases.
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He enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1969 and was deployed to Vietnam later that year, according to the sheriff’s office. (Coconino County Sheriff’s Office)
Forensic investigators identified potential ancestry and by February discovered Long was a possible match to the remains.
Detectives contacted one of Long’s surviving family members and learned that Long had served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, the sheriff’s office said. Long enlisted in January 1969 and deployed later that year.
He was released early by the sheriff’s office, asking for his help in identifying the body. The cause of Long’s death was unknown in 1975 and remains unknown to this day, the sheriff’s office said. (Coconino County Sheriff’s Office)
Long returned to Minnesota in February 1972 and was discharged from the Army a month later, according to his family. Mr. Long was last seen or heard from in October 1972, when he told his family he was leaving Minnesota for the West Coast.
Long returned to Minnesota in February 1972 and was discharged from the Army a month later. In October 1972, Long told his family that he was leaving Minnesota for the West Coast. The sheriff’s office said that was the last time anyone saw or heard from him. (Coconino County Sheriff’s Office)
This new information allowed the FBI Laboratory’s Latent Fingerprint Division to compare the partial prints collected from the body in 1975 with known fingerprint records belonging to Long. The test showed a positive match.
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DNA collected from Long’s family and compared to DNA from the body also turned out to be a match.
Although Munsingwear Do’s identity was eventually revealed, Long’s cause of death was undetermined in 1975 and remains unknown to this day.
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“We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Long’s family, who have asked for privacy at this time,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
