After nearly five decades of mystery, skeletal remains found in Arizona have been identified as Gerald Francis Long, a Vietnam veteran from Minnesota, thanks to forensic genetic genealogy and partial fingerprints.
**Arizona, USA -** The remains of Gerald Francis Long, a Vietnam veteran who had been missing for nearly 50 years, have finally been identified in Arizona. Skeletal remains, discovered in 1975, were recently identified as those of Long through a combination of forensic genetic genealogy and partial fingerprint analysis.
The remains were first found on April 19, 1975, by farmers chasing a runaway pig, approximately 40 miles east of Flagstaff off Meteor City Road. Despite extensive investigations, authorities were unable to determine the victim's identity or the cause of death. The remains became known as "Munsingwear Doe" due to the jacket of that brand found near the body.
Over the following years, detectives developed numerous leads but were unable to put a name to the victim. In August 2023, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office collaborated with Intermountain Forensics to utilize forensic genetic genealogy, comparing the victim's DNA with profiles in genealogy databases.
Forensic investigators identified a potential family line and, in February 2023, discovered that Long was a possible match. They contacted a surviving family member and confirmed that Long had served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
Long enlisted in January 1969 and was deployed to Vietnam later that year. He returned to Minnesota in February 1972 and was discharged from the Army a month later. The last contact with Long was in October 1972, when he informed his family of his plans to travel to the West Coast.
The FBI Laboratory's Latent Print Unit compared partial fingerprints collected from the remains in 1975 to known fingerprint records belonging to Long, confirming the match. Additionally, DNA collected from Long's family was compared to DNA from the remains, providing further confirmation of his identity.
Despite the identification, the cause of Long's death remains undetermined. The sheriff's office expressed its deepest condolences to Long's family and respected their request for privacy during this difficult time.
The Coconino County Sheriff's Office acknowledged the invaluable contributions of various agencies, including the FBI Laboratory, Intermountain Forensics, and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), in identifying Munsingwear Doe.
The identification of Gerald Francis Long after nearly five decades is a testament to the persistence and advancements in forensic science, offering closure to his family and contributing to the ongoing efforts to identify unidentified remains.
