Lancaster County Coroner and DNA Doe Project Identify 1998 John Doe

Missing Harrisburg man matched to unidentified remains

*Turkey Point Joe Doe identified as James Floyd Gibson*

Lancaster County, PA – The body of a man recovered from the Susquehanna River in April, 1998 has been positively identified as James Floyd Gibson of Harrisburg. Gibson had last been seen in February of the same year.

In 2023, the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office engaged the DNA Doe Project to use investigative genetic genealogy to attempt identification of the man after 25 years. A DNA profile was developed, and volunteer investigative genetic genealogists began the painstaking process of building the John Doe’s family tree in January of this year. By mid-March, they had traced his connection to two distant cousins and located his branch of the family tree, leading them to his missing persons record in the NamUS.gov database.

When his remains were recovered in 1998, investigators believed he was Caucasian. They noted significant post-mortem changes in the body that made identification extremely difficult.

“Estimating the ancestry of human remains is often complex, and this case illustrates how investigative genetic genealogy can support investigations by offering more accurate estimates through DNA analysis of unidentified individuals,” said DNA Doe Project Team Leader Tracie Boyle. “We are honored to have contributed to the identification of James Gibson, providing his family with much-needed answers.”

The DNA Doe Project is grateful to the groups and individuals who helped resolve this case: the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office, who entrusted the case to the DNA Doe Project; Astrea Forensics for extraction of DNA from a tooth, sample prep, and whole-genome sequencing; Kevin Lord for bioinformatics; GEDmatch Pro and FTDNA for providing their databases; and DDP’s dedicated teams of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who work tirelessly to bring all our Jane and John Does home.

About the DNA Doe Project

The DNA Doe Project is a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to identify John and Jane Does and return them to their families and communities. Investigative genetic genealogy research is provided pro bono to our partners in law enforcement, but the organization relies on donations to fund lab costs and operational support of our volunteers. To date, DDP has helped resolve more than 120 cases of unidentified human remains. For more about our work and to join our mission, visit our website: https://dnadoeproject.org.