US EditionArkansas State Police Identifies Remains Found in Lee County 48 Years Ago
Advanced DNA analysis and forensic genealogy identified 48-year-old remains as Charles Howard Wallace, providing closure to his family and renewing investigation efforts.
- On Tuesday, September 2, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division Cold Case Unit confirmed the skeletal remains found January 13, 1977, near U.S. Highway 79 in Lee County, Arkansas, are those of Charles Howard Wallace.
- The ASP Cold Case Unit reexamined the file and sent material to Othram Labs in March 2024, leading to a tentative June 6, 2025 identification tracing two possible relatives in Tennessee.
- The testing showed Charles Howard Wallace would have been about 21 at time of recovery, and initial attempts to identify the remains and determine cause of death were unsuccessful.
- The identification provided long-overdue answers for the family, Colonel Mike Hagar said, and Arkansas State Police urge anyone with information about Charles Howard Wallace's death to contact ColdCase@asp.arkansas.gov, as the case remains under investigation.
- Advances in DNA and forensic genetic genealogy mean developments increase solving decades-old cases, with the national registry of exonerations noting over 600 exonerations since 1989 and fresh testing in Arkansas involving the West Memphis Three and Bode Technology.
11 Articles
11 Articles
DNA used to identify human remains found in Lee County in 1977
Nearly 50 years after authorities located human remains in a field west of Marianna, the Arkansas State Police's Cold Case Unit determined they belong to a man last seen in Memphis a few years before the discovery, a news release states, although the circumstances of his death are still a mystery.
Arkansas State Police identifies remains found in Lee County 48 years ago
MARIANNA, Ark. – Investigators with the Arkansas State Police said they have identified remains found in Lee County nearly 50 years ago. ASP officials identified the remains as Charles Howard Wallace. Image of Charles Howard Wallace provided by the Arkansas State Police Special agents said Wallace's remains were found on January 13, 1977, in a farm field near Highway 79 west of Marianna. Authorities said the remains were submitted to the Arkansa…
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