In Phoenix, authorities revealed on Tuesday that a group of forensic genealogy students from a New Jersey college were able to solve a cold case in Arizona. The case involved the identification of a body that was found almost 13 years ago in Yavapai County.

The individual discovered deceased in the Beaver Creek region in August 2011 was identified as David Emil Jacobsen, as reported by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

When his body was found, he had no form of identification. Despite being searched through missing persons and fingerprint databases, no matches were found for several years.

A group of university students from the Ramapo College were able to solve the mystery.

In early 2023, YCSO was contacted by Ramapo College regarding unresolved cases that could potentially be re-examined through the investigative genetic genealogy certificate program offered at the school located in Mahwah, New Jersey.

YCSO chose to feature Arizona John Doe as a case for their college and was able to successfully determine Jacobsen’s identity without incurring any expenses.

Through a comparison of mitochondrial DNA, the Yavapai County Medical Examiner’s Office verified the findings of the students and concluded that Jacobsen passed away due to heart complications, as a result of natural causes.

According to a press release, the YCSO expressed gratitude to the diligent efforts of Ramapo College and its students in this project. The law enforcement agency also mentioned their desire to collaborate with them on future cases.