Homicide victim identified in 1986 Monroe County cold case
Michigan authorities have identified a homicide victim whose remains were found in a wooded area in Monroe County in 1986.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said Thursday the victim was identified as Shaun Daniel Brauner, a Detroit man who was last seen by his family in June 1986. Brauner's remains were found on Oct. 17, 1986, after a resident reported finding possible skeletal remains in a wooded lot on Lewis Avenue in Ida, Michigan.
At the time of the discovery, investigators could only identify the remains as belonging to a white man between the ages of 35 and 45 years old.
Medical examiners ruled Brauner's death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and ruled the death a homicide.
After exhausting all leads during their investigation, the sheriff's office sent samples of Brauner's remains to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for DNA analysis in the fall of 2017. In March 2018, the center was able to extract a DNA sample and submitted the sample to the Combined DNA Index System, also known as CODIS.
In the fall of 2019, the case was reassigned to Detective Jeff Hooper, who worked with the Wayne County Medical Examiners Office in an attempt to identify the remains.
In 2021, the detective was notified by the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification that the National DNA Index System had made a possible association with a "family reference sample," which belonged to Brauner's sister. Hooper met a family member of Brauner, who told him that her brother had gone missing in June 1986.
In November 2024, Monroe County sheriff's detectives sent forensic evidence to Othram labs in The Woodlands, Texas. Scientists were able to produce a DNA extract from the skeletal remains and created a DNA profile using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing. The profile confirmed the relationship between Brauner and his family.
Brauner's remains were returned to his family.
As a result of the case being criminally adjudicated in 1990, Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough has closed his department's homicide investigation.
"The Brauner family wishes to express their deep gratitude to Detective Hooper for his relentless commitment to finding answers, to Detective Rozum for his early involvement, and to the team at Othram Laboratories for their technological expertise," the family said in a statement.
"Shaun was 29 years old at the time of his death—a beloved son, brother, uncle, and fiancé. After 38 years, the family is grateful to finally be able to bring Shaun home, lay him to rest with dignity, and find the closure they have long sought.
