Detectives used facial reconstruction and DNA testing to identify 25-year-old Donald Gene Horecka, who went missing sometime in the late 1970s to early 1980.
The identity of a man known only as ‘John Doe #3’ has finally been revealed, nearly 45 years after his body was discovered. Detectives have credited advances in facial reconstruction and DNA testing for helping them identify the man found on February 2, 1980, as Donald Gene Horecka.
His body was initially found in a creek bed off Lopes Road in Benicia, California. Pathologists concluded that he died from corrosive esophagitis, a condition caused by ingesting a chemical substance not intended for human consumption.
Despite an extensive investigation lasting several months, his identity and the circumstances of his death remained a mystery. He was eventually buried without being identified.
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However, in July 2023, as part of the Doe Cold Case Project, ‘John Doe #3’s’ body was exhumed and the investigation into his identity and the events leading up to his death was reopened. Over the following 15 months, coroner investigators and forensic staff uncovered further leads about his identity.
After 44 years, through facial reconstruction, new DNA testing, and forensic genetic genealogy, the man was positively identified as 25 year old Donald Gene Horecka from Las Vegas, Nevada. He had previously been reported missing in his home state sometime in the late 1970s to early 1980, reports the Mirror US.
The Sheriff’s office has shared a striking set of images showing what Donald Horecka looked like as a teenager, alongside a CGI portrait of his possible appearance before his death. They’re now urging anyone with knowledge of him to step forward and help with their investigation.
A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s office appealed: “If anyone has information about the disappearance or death of Donald Horecka, we ask the public to contact Coroner Investigator Jessica Dew at (707) 784-7500.”
