Bucks County cold case nonprofit helps Bensalem police ID body as Burlington County NJ man

Jo Ciavaglia, Bucks County Courier Times
·3 min read

The body of a man found on the banks of the Delaware River in Bensalem 20 years ago was a missing Burlington County New Jersey man.

Bensalem police announced on Monday that genetic profiling confirmed the unidentified man was Edward Nece, a Riverside resident whose family last saw him in the fall of 2003.

The case also marked a first success for Cold Case Initiative, which funded the advanced forensic investigation effort that identified Nece.

The Bucks County nonprofit founded in 2021 raises money to offset the cost of advanced technology for U.S. law enforcement agencies.

The remains of an unidentified man found in the Delaware River in Bensalem in 2003 were finally identified as Edward Nece of Burlington County New Jersey in October, 2023
The remains of an unidentified man found in the Delaware River in Bensalem in 2003 were finally identified as Edward Nece of Burlington County New Jersey in October, 2023

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Advanced profiling methods are a game-changing investigative tool for violent and unsolved crimes. But they are also time-consuming and expensive, costing $10,000 or more, said Christopher McMullin, a retired Bensalem police detective who founded the Cold Case Initiative.

The group is currently working with law enforcement agencies in Ohio and Arizona on cases, said McMullin, an experienced cold case investigator.

McMullin knew the 2003 John Doe was one of several open unidentified body cases in Bensalem, so he reached out to his old department to see if they'd like to reopen it.

“I wanted it solved, and I felt it was solvable,” McMullin said.

Christopher McMullin, left, and Tom McAndrew pose for a portrait at Doylestown Cemetery near the grave of an unknown man whose remains were found in the Neshaminy Creek in Bensalem in 2003 on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022.
Christopher McMullin, left, and Tom McAndrew pose for a portrait at Doylestown Cemetery near the grave of an unknown man whose remains were found in the Neshaminy Creek in Bensalem in 2003 on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022.

It was on Oct. 19, 2003 when two fishermen discovered the body of a man in a drainage area on the Yellow Freight property in the 2600 block of State Road near the Pennsylvania Yacht Club.

He was described as between 30 and 40 years old, a little under 6 feet tall and about 230 pounds. He was wearing a short gray T-shirt in a size 2X. No identification was found on him. An autopsy determined the cause of death was drowning.

At the time, no missing persons report description matched the man. Partial fingerprints were obtained but didn't match any fingerprints in the national database. DNA samples for comparison were taken.

The man was buried at the Doylestown Cemetery where his grave has a small marker that reads: “John Doe, Found in 2003.”

A new cold case nonprofit is hoping DNA can provide a name to this unidentified man found in the Delaware River in 2003.
A new cold case nonprofit is hoping DNA can provide a name to this unidentified man found in the Delaware River in 2003.

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Before he was buried, the coroner’s office took hair and fingernail clippings, which two decades later were turned over to a private lab where a DNA profile was developed.

But the fingernail clippings didn’t provide enough genetic material, so the lab had to test the hair, which is more expensive and takes longer for results, McMullin said.

Once completed, the profile was turned over to Jennifer Moore, founder and CEO of Innovative Forensic Investigations, a private forensic lab in Virginia.

Moore began to build a family tree for John Doe by analyzing and comparing the profile with millions of other DNA profiles uploaded to private, public and law enforcement databases.

On the day marking the 20th anniversary of the day John Doe was found, Bensalem police contacted the parents of Edward Nece, who said their son had been missing for 20 years.

Direct comparison DNA testing with Nece's father confirmed his missing son was the 2003 John Doe.

With the identification of Nece, there are now six unidentified remains found in Bucks County since 1986 including three in Bensalem, according to NamUs.  Montgomery County has three active unidentified body cases.

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: New Jersey man identified as John Doe found in Bensalem 20 years ago