Unmasking the Identity: DNA Testing Reveals the Name Behind Bones 17
After years of being known only as Bones 17, human remains discovered near Seattle in 1985 have finally been identified through DNA testing These remains are confirmed to belong to a victim of the notorious Green River Killer, bringing a long-awaited resolution to this decades-old mystery
After almost four decades, human remains found near Seattle in 1985 were initially identified as Bones 17. It took 17 years for authorities to link the remains to a victim of the notorious "Green River Killer" - yet the victim's identity remained a mystery.
That changed this week.
King County authorities announced on Tuesday that they have positively identified the remains as those of Lori Anne Razpotnik. In 1982, Razpotnik ran away from her family's home in Lewis County, located south of Seattle, and was last seen alive by her family. Her remains were discovered in December 1985 near another set of remains, known as Bones 16, in the city of Auburn. This discovery was made after police were called to investigate a car over an embankment, according to the King County Sheriff's Office.
The Green River Task Force was called in to oversee the investigation, but the remains were not identified, the release said.
(KSP) detectives have confirmed the identity of human remains discovered nearly 25 years ago in a lake, wrapped in heavy tire chains, as Roger Dale Parham, according to a press release.
A man accused of rape disappeared, but a disturbing discovery was made at a lake. Now, 25 years later, a new mystery has emerged. It wasn't until November 2001 that there was a breakthrough in the case, with the arrest of Gary Ridgway after DNA evidence connected him to some of the initial victims in a series of unsolved murders in the Seattle area.
In 2002, Ridgway led investigators to the location where Bones 16 and Bones 17 were found, and admitted to placing the victims there, according to the sheriff's office. The remains of both victims have not been identified and were part of the 48 counts of aggravated murder to which Ridgway pleaded guilty in 2003, solidifying his position as one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. He later pleaded guilty to a 49th murder charge in 2011.
Bones 16 was positively identified as the remains of Sandra Majors in 2012 through DNA testing. Recently, authorities confirmed the positive identification of Razpotnik, with the help of advanced DNA testing conducted by Virginia-based Parabon Nanolabs. This new DNA profile was used to initiate the forensic genetic genealogy process, which involves combining DNA data with traditional genealogy techniques.
The sheriff's office announced that after thorough research, they determined that the victim was Lori Anne Razpotnik. The University of North Texas lab then conducted DNA comparison testing using a saliva sample provided by Razpotnik's mother, and confirmed the match, according to the sheriff's office.
The King County Sheriff's Office expressed their deep gratitude for the collaborative efforts of Parabon Nanolabs, the University of North Texas, numerous members of the King County Sheriff's Office, the King County Prosecutor's Office, the King County Medical Examiner's Office, and others who contributed to the identification of Lori Anne Razpotnik, previously known as Bones-17, according to a statement to CNN.
King County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Eric White confirmed that Ridgway is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary in Washington. Ridgway earned the moniker "Green River Killer" from the river south of Seattle where he began dumping his victims in 1982.
All but two of his victims bodies were found near Seattle. The others were found in Oregon.
