Our Dean and Tina Linn Clouse Memorial Fund and FHD Forensics are collaborating with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida to identify this young boy we call Johnny Doe. He was found murdered in 1972 near Indian Lake Road, west of Daytona Beach, Florida, just a few miles from where Dean and Tina Clouse both grew up in the 1970’s.

This Volusia County John Doe, “Johnny” to our team, has been a puzzle for decades. The condition of his body when it was found after a period of time in a marshy area made it hard to determine much. He was dressed in mismatched men’s clothing and was assumed to be an adult in his 20s. All the newspaper articles at the time called him a “man.” Upon exhumation in 2013 it was discovered he was actually 11 to 13 years of age at the time of his murder.

His DNA is just as mystifying. After 5 failed attempts to extract his DNA from bones, teeth, and hair there is a determined group of people that simply will not give up on him. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, FHD Forensics, and our lab allies at Astrea Forensics are willing to go the extra mile to get his DNA profile.

“FHD Forensics’ enthusiasm and determination to bring light to this forgotten case by employing untried methods is refreshing,” said Detective William Weaver, Volusia Sheriff’s Office. “And Genealogy For Justice’s willingness to devote resources is equally admirable.”

Johnny’s case is very close to our hearts and inspired a three case collaboration in Volusia County.

Help solve this case with a tax-deductible donation to his case fund.