Intermountain Forensics (IMF) joins our partner, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, to announce that remains previously referred to as "Munsingwear Doe" have been successfully identified as Gerald Francis Long, a Vietnam War veteran originally from Minnesota.
Long's skeletal remains were discovered on April 19th, 1975, approximately 40 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona, and were given the nickname "Munsingwear Doe" for a brand of jacket that was found alongside. For 49 years, efforts to identify him were unsuccessful.
More information regarding this investigation can be found in the information release shared by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office here.
Our laboratory extends its warmest and heartfelt condolences to Gerald's family, friends, and loved ones. We are honored to be a part of this amazing team of dedicated professionals and the subsequent investigation that led to this successful resolution.
We would like to personally thank all of the partners involved in this meticulous process: The Coconino County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Latent Print Unit, and the Coconino County Office of the Medical Examiner.
This case is an especially significant milestone for the IMF team, as this is the first announced case that was resolved exclusively utilizing our organization for both laboratory processing and forensic genetic genealogy investigation. As such, we would like to specifically thank the amazing team of IMF forensic investigative genetic genealogists for their dedication and hard work in resolving a very difficult identification:
Alison Wilde (Director of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy)
Alyssa Ellis (Team Leader)
Nancy Landini
Justina Cook
Elizabeth Marshall
Jaclyn Johnson
Andrea McCarthy
We cannot be more honored and proud of these dedicated IMF team members and the impact they bring to our laboratory and the communities we serve.