Humboldt County Solves Two Decades-Old Cold Cases Using Genetic Genealogy

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The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has announced the identification of two previously unidentified human remains cases using advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy. The first case involved the remains of Charles Marrs, who went missing after falling into the Trinity River in 1993. The second case identified the remains of Gregory Hugh Oliver, whose partial skull was found off Fickle Hill Road in Arcata in 1996. Both cases had gone unsolved for decades until the sheriff's office partnered with a forensic genealogy lab to develop new leads.

Why it matters

These cases highlight the power of new DNA technologies to finally provide answers and closure for families of long-missing persons. The use of genetic genealogy has become an increasingly valuable tool for law enforcement to identify unknown remains and solve cold cases, even decades later. This development also underscores the importance of maintaining comprehensive DNA databases to aid in these investigations.

The details

In the Charles Marrs case, emergency responders were unable to recover his body after he fell into the Trinity River in 1993. Years later, skeletal remains of an arm and hand were found in the same river, but could not be identified at the time. Using funding from a community project grant, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office partnered with Othram, a forensic genealogy lab, to analyze the DNA from the remains. This led them to a genetic relative of Marrs, confirming the identity. In the Gregory Hugh Oliver case, a partial skull was found off Fickle Hill Road in Arcata in 1996, but the DNA profile could not be matched to any missing persons at the time. The sheriff's office again worked with Othram, which connected the remains to Oliver, who had been reported missing in Florida in 1983.

• In 1993, Charles Marrs, 63, fell into the Trinity River near Willow Creek and his body was never recovered.
• In 1995, skeletal remains of an arm and hand were discovered in the Trinity River near the Hoopa airstrip.
• In August 1996, a human skull was found off Fickle Hill Road in Arcata.
• In July 2025, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office received a report from Othram indicating the unidentified remains may belong to Charles Marrs.
• In March 2026, the California Department of Justice confirmed the remains belonged to Charles Marrs.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office continues to encourage anyone with information about these or other missing persons or cold cases to contact Investigator Mike Fridley at (707) 441-3024.