A new breakthrough has prompted a renewed call from police to help identify human remains found in the Northern Territory more than a decade ago.
The skeletal remains were discovered near the Charlotte River, just off Fog Bay, about 36km south of Darwin on April 1, 2012. After years of knowing very little about the remains, forensic investigational techniques provided by the Australian Federal Police have now helped with identifying the remains.
Using radiocarbon dating and DNA testing, it has been established the remains are an Aboriginal male, who died between 1971 and 1982 when he was aged in his early 30s. Tests were also able to determine the man’s diet was mostly marine, which is indicative of him residing in the northern Top End or adjacent islands.
Now, Cold Case Taskforce and Missing Persons Unit detectives hope the new information will encourage people to come forward and provide any information, relevant items or records that may assist in helping to provide a name for the unknown man.
“No one should have their remains sit unidentified and no family should have to suffer the pain of not knowing what happened to their loved ones,” Detective Acting Sergeant Glen Chatto said. “A DNA profile has been obtained from the remains so there is real potential for an identification to be made.”
The Northern Territory currently has 64 unidentified human remains, with Chatto highlighting the importance of advancements in DNA matches in helping to identify lost loved ones.
“(We) strongly encourage families of missing persons to attend their local police station and provide DNA,” he said. “This DNA will then be compared with unidentified human remains from all over Australia and may provide the information needed to solve these cases.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the police.
