Hennepin County Launches Awareness Push For Unidentified Remains
BY MN CRIME STAFF
Hennepin County officials are asking for the public’s help identifying dozens of people whose deaths have gone unsolved.
The cases are highlighted as part of National Missing Persons Day taking place on Feb. 3.
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National Missing Persons Day recognizes the thousands of people reported missing or found unidentified across the United States each year. Officials say more than 150 cases in Hennepin County remain classified as unidentified, with some dating back decades.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is leading the effort to review those cases using updated investigative tools and forensic technology that were not available when many of the original death investigations were conducted. Officials say advances in genetic genealogy, improved communication platforms and expanded case databases are increasing the chances of identifying people who previously remained unknown.
The effort is supported by a federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and is being directed by Dr. Jessica Campbell, the state’s only board-certified forensic anthropologist. Campbell said identifying the unknown remains a priority for investigators and families searching for answers.
“We’re doing this because everyone deserves a name,” Campbell said. “It may have taken some years to get here, but we have technology and identification techniques now that just weren’t an option when some of the original death investigations began. We want the families who have been waiting for answers to know that we never forgot and we will do everything we can to return your loved ones.”
Officials said the identification work relies heavily on partnerships with agencies that track missing and unidentified people nationwide, including the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, which maintains a national database of unidentified remains and missing persons reports. The county is also working with the Minnesota Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office, which focuses on cases involving Indigenous communities and supports outreach efforts.
“As Indigenous relatives, we are all interconnected,” said Guadalupe Lopez, director of the Minnesota Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. “One missing person can have ripple effects that change our community and our state. Piece by piece, these efforts to bring home the missing rebuild trust and restore visibility to those who have been unseen.”
Investigators said each unidentified case is undergoing a detailed review, with information being cataloged in national databases and updated with current forensic and investigative findings. The Medical Examiner’s Office has released fact sheets for the first five unidentified people and plans to release additional case information as reviews continue.
Officials are asking anyone who may recognize details connected to the cases or who has information that could help identify any of the people to contact the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office at 612-215-6300 or partner agencies which are listed on the case fliers.
