Thanks to advances in DNA testing, the skeletal remains of a missing girl have been identified nearly a decade later.
Remains believed to be those of Mary Sue Fink, who was between 2 and 6 years old at the time of her death, were discovered in Hawaii in June 2014, nearly 60 years after her death, according to reports. cone honolulu.
Fink's remains will be sent from Honolulu to the Osram Institute for further DNA testing in August 2024, when investigators will build a DNA profile from existing evidence to identify potential relatives. That led to a match.
After the relative consented to testing, their DNA profiles were compared and it was determined that they were Mary Sue Fink, born April 29, 1959. She would have been 65 years old today.
“One piece of the puzzle that was sent is partially responsible for solving and identifying this Jane Doe baby,” said Dr. Robert Mann, professor of anatomy and pathology at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine. cone honolulu.
“We can do things 30 years ago that we couldn't do 50 years ago, and we can do things now that we couldn't do 30 years ago,” Mann told the magazine. “And this really shows that…cold cases don't have to stay cold forever.”
It was not immediately clear how Ms. Fink died or why it took 60 years for her body to be found.
Honolulu police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The incident from 10 years ago was uncovered as part of Osram's investigation. Project 525 initiativeswhich aims to resolve 525 juvenile cases in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. The institute said in a statement that more forensic genetic genealogy cases have been solved using Osram's forensic-grade genome sequencing technology, which was used in the Fink case, than by any other method. said.
Fink's case is the second in Hawaii where authorities have publicly identified a body using technology developed by Osram. The institute added that its sequencing technology has “helped solve numerous active and cold cases for local, state, and federal agencies across the United States and abroad.”
Of the 24,400 active cases of missing persons in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, approximately one-quarter involve minors, Osram said.
