28 Years in the Dark: DNA Project Solves Atlanta Cold Case

For nearly three decades, Atlanta police held the remains of a young man whose identity remained a mystery. A victim of a fatal burning, he existed in the criminal justice system only as an unidentified body—a case file without a face, a family left without closure.

That silence ended when the DNA Doe Project, a leading organization specializing in genetic genealogy, partnered with the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office to tackle some of Atlanta's oldest and most intractable cold cases. Using advanced DNA analysis techniques, investigators matched genetic material to family members, finally giving the victim a name and providing the answers his loved ones had waited decades to receive.

The DNA Doe Project has emerged as a pivotal force in modern criminal investigation. Operating across the United States, the organization applies cutting-edge genetic genealogy—a method that traces family trees through DNA to identify remains—to cases where traditional investigative methods have stalled. Their work spans decades-old murders, hit-and-runs, and other violent crimes where victims remain nameless.

"DNA Doe-detektiver," as the organization describes its practitioners, work methodically through genetic databases, building family connections and narrowing possibilities until a victim's identity becomes certain. In Atlanta's case, this persistence paid off where 28 years of conventional investigation had not.

The breakthrough in Atlanta's burn case underscores a broader transformation in cold case investigation. Advanced "touch" DNA testing—technology that can extract genetic material from surfaces and objects previously thought untestable—has reopened possibilities in cases long considered dead ends. This advancement recently exonerated Sonny Bharadia, who had spent nearly 22 years in prison for a 2003 arson attack. Touch DNA analysis of batting gloves worn by the actual attacker proved Bharadia's innocence, revealing that Sterling Flint, not Bharadia, had committed the crime. The Georgia Innocence Project and Bharadia's legal team secured his exoneration on May 16, 2025, when all charges were dismissed as "not viable."