Sheriff seeks public’s help identifying 1981 John Doe found in Mississippi River
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
NEW COUNTY, Mo., (KBSI) – The New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man whose body was found in the Mississippi River more than four decades ago.
Authorities said the body of an unidentified white man was discovered Sept. 29, 1981, floating about five miles south of New Madrid. The man was described at the time as 25 to 30 years old, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 155 to 160 pounds, with reddish-brown, shoulder-length hair.
He was wearing red plaid underwear and had no visible scars or tattoos. Officials believed the body had been in the water for about a week.
The case was reopened in early 2025 after New Madrid County Coroner George Delisle contacted the sheriff’s office. Investigators worked with Southeast Missouri State University Forensic Anthropology Program, led by Dr. Jennifer Bengston, to develop a plan to exhume the remains for possible identification using DNA.
On July 9, 2025, officials, along with the New Madrid County Coroner’s Office, Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Office, Portageville Police Department and SEMO students, exhumed the remains from an unmarked grave at Portageville Cemetery. After examination and collection of DNA samples, the remains were reinterred.
The samples were sent to Othram Labs for advanced testing. Investigators also began rebuilding the case using available records, including a newspaper report and a death certificate, which helped generate a composite image of the man.
Authorities said recent DNA analysis has produced potential leads. Investigators plan to travel out of state in the coming weeks to collect DNA samples from individuals who may be related.
Officials said the man may have been transient and could have gone missing years before his body was discovered. Missing persons cases from the late 1970s and early 1980s in southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky are of particular interest.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office at 573-748-2516 or email Investigator Jack Hays at jhays@nmcoso.org.
