US EditionBones that Washed up on New Jersey Beaches Are Identified as the Captain of a 19th-Century Ship Traveling to Philly
- Between 1995 and 2013, skeletal remains washed ashore on South Jersey beaches, later identified as Henry Goodsell, a 19th-century ship captain.
- For many years, the identity of the remains remained a mystery until DNA technology was employed in 2023 through a collaboration between the New Jersey State Police and the genealogy team at Ramapo College.
- Students used investigative genetic genealogy, submitting DNA samples to forensic databases, and linked Goodsell to the shipwreck of the schooner Oriental in 1844 off Brigantine.
- Goodsell was captain of the Oriental, which sank near shore with a 60-ton marble shipment destined for Philadelphia’s Girard College; all five crew members died, with no survivors.
- This case marks one of the oldest cold cases solved by genetic genealogy and demonstrates the power of combining modern DNA techniques with traditional detective work to resolve decades-old mysteries.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The Lawton Constitution
Bones that washed up on New Jersey beaches are identified as the captain of a 19th-century ship traveling to Philly
PHILADELPHIA — Skeletal remains that washed up on several South Jersey beaches starting in 1995 have been identified as a 19th-century ship captain who was commanding a schooner bound for Philadelphia at the time of his death, bringing an end…
Human bones found on Jersey Shore beaches ID'd as captain from 19th century shipwreck
Human bones found on several Jersey Shore beaches over decades are the remains of Henry Goodsell, captain of the schooner Oriental that shipwrecked near Brigantine in December 1844. The vessel was hauling marble from Connecticut to Philadelphia for the construction of Girarde College.
Cold case solved: College students help ID the remains of a 19th century sea captain
Remains of the "Scattered Man John Doe" began washing ashore in New Jersey in 1995 and went unidentified for the next three decades. Students at Ramapo College set about to solve the mystery.
Cold case solved: College students help ID the remains of a 19th century sea captain - TPR: The Public's Radio
Remains of the "Scattered Man John Doe" began washing ashore in New Jersey in 1995 and went unidentified for the next three decades. Students at Ramapo College set about to solve the mystery. The post Cold case solved: College students help ID the remains of a 19th century sea captain appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.
Skeletal Remains Discovered on New Jersey Shores Belong to 19th Century Ship Captain - Gazette Review
Skeletal remains discovered in New Jersey decades ago have been identified as those of a 19th century captain. The doomed ship Oriental sank in 1844 while carrying a load of marble from Connecticut to Philadelphia, which was intended for the construction of Girard College. According to a news release, the vessel likely developed a leak, causing it to sink off the coast of Brigantine Shoal. The captain and all four crew members aboard the vessel …
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