Colorado cold case solved 24+ years after remains found in Weld County field

Thanks to forensic genetic genealogy, the mystery surrounding a man's body found in a Northern Colorado field has been solved. The investigation began on Feb. 14, 2000 when a man walking his dog in a field near E. 8th Street and Weld County Road 43 discovered human remains. 

Weld County deputies and investigators responded and found no evidence of foul play. The man's remains were sent to an anthropologist who determined they were that of a white male, aged 35-50 years old and 5-foot-4 inches tall. The male's body weight could not be determined but it was believed he had a possible tattoo in the center of his back. 

Investigators said there was no indication of trauma and no cause or manner of death could be determined because of the body's advanced state of decomposition. 

Weld County investigators named the unidentified male found on Valentine's Day 24 years ago, John Doe 2000. 

In 2022, forensic genetic genealogy was conducted with DNA from John Doe 2000's remains. Those results led to relatives in Nevada who willingly submitted their DNA to help solve the case. 

In December 2023, Cold Case Detective Byron Kastilahn said he got the break he had been waiting for when the results of the genetic genealogy testing returned. John Doe 2000 was tentatively identified as Christopher Scott Case. Further genetic testing confirmed the remains were positively identified as Christopher Case. 

"This case was as cold as they get. There was no evidence other than the human remains. If not for forensic genetic genealogy, Christopher Case would not have ever been identified. After learning about forensic genetic genealogy in 2020, I wanted to try to get all our unidentified human remains cases into that process. So far, we have identified three UHR cases and I hope they can all be identified eventually," said Kastilahn.  

Before his death, Case was living in Rock Springs, Wyo. and was last seen by his half-brother in 1998 in Nevada.