Homicide victim found in Southern Indiana had no name for 18 years — until this DNA match

Richardson Road winds through a remote area of Indiana 45 blanketed in tall, thick trees near Lake Lemon. In early May 18 years ago, a turkey hunter walking through the wooded territory stumbled across a man's partially decomposed body, later determined to have been there between eight to 15 months. Investigators called to the scene found sparse evidence that painted a harrowing picture.

The victim's skull had two bullet holes, suggesting to investigators he was shot "execution style." He also reportedly had well-healed boxer’s fractures in his right hand and rib fractures that were still healing months before his death.

Previous coverage:A body was found in 2004 in Monroe County. Police still don't know who he was

It was a tough case from the onset for investigators in 2004. All they had was half a skeleton in an isolated ravine. There was no trace of who this man was nor who could have left him there.

Without any concrete leads, the investigation soon went cold. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office collected all of the related case files into a binder and placed it on a shelf. The county’s only unidentified homicide victim may have remained forever unnamed. Enter Detective Alexander Hahn.

Hahn has been investigating this unsolved homicide for some years now, with his quest beginning soon after he transferred into the Monroe County Sheriff Office's investigative unit.

"The binder was sitting there and he took the initiative to take it off the shelf," Sheriff Brad Swain recalled.

While intrigued by the details, Hahn had very little to go on — deteriorated human remains, a vague time frame of how long the body had lain undiscovered and an indication of foul play. There wasn't much evidence at the scene that could lead investigators to a suspect.

"Whoever did it didn't leave any trace (behind)," Hahn told The Herald-Times earlier this year.

How was John Doe identified?

With all other investigatory tools exhausted, Hahn tried a new method, one that he'd read about from a string of recently resolved criminal cases. Think 23andMe, but with a forensic, true crime twist.

Now, thanks to investigators finding a genetic link between Monroe County's "John Doe" and a close relative, Hahn has at least some answers that many have waited nearly a decade to hear.

As of last week, Monroe County's "John Doe" has been confirmed to be Steven Gabbard, a man in his late thirties from Louisville, Kentucky, who was last seen in the Indianapolis area.

With this breakthrough, Monroe County's only unidentified homicide victim within the past 20 years finally has a name. But the investigation is far from finished. Now, police must find his killer.

"It is an ending, but it's also a beginning," Swain said.

Genetic genealogy: new hope for cold cases

Monroe County's Sheriff Office investigators tried everything they could think of to identify Gabbard and locate his family. Over the years, local police commissioned a composite sketch and clay rendering of the man's face, hoping it would spark recognition from his loved ones; neither led to a positive identification.

Investigators also used what little identifying information they had to search through federal databases, such as the U.S. missing person's report. These data sources enabled Hahn to collect a list of potential matches from other cases across the United States. Gabbard was among them, but police could not firm up a stronger connection.

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When conventional methods didn't bring a break in the case, Hahn turned to genetic genealogy, a new investigatory technique that has recently led to breakthroughs in several state and national cold cases.

Genetic genealogy extracts DNA from an unknown individual to determine key ancestral aspects, potentially identifying a biological relationship with a known DNA sample. This can help police locate family members of a missing or deceased person.

Genetic genealogy has made strides in criminal forensics since the process positively identified Joseph James DeAngelo, the so-named "Golden State Killer" and former California police officer who committed serial rapes and murders in the 1970s and '80s. According to Hahn, that prominent case was the first time he heard of this investigatory tool.

The genealogy analysis has been used to identify perpetrators and victims. Margaret Ann Sniegowski Jr. was known as Boone County's "Jane Doe" for nearly 30 years before an analysis led to a positive identification.

In May, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office received special funding from the county to pursue forensic genealogy examination through Othram, a private laboratory that extracts human DNA from trace amounts of degraded or contaminated materials and identifies potential close relatives.

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Othram completed a DNA comparison between the human remains and Gabbard’s living nephew, with the positive identification being made last week, according to the sheriff's office. Gabbard’s nephew and other family members have since been notified.

"The self-initiative in this case has been successful, with his family having closure and progress in hopefully seeking justice for this man," Swain said.

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When he went missing, Gabbard was last seen in Indianapolis. It is still unknown whether his death occurred in Monroe County.

According to Swain, Monroe County investigators have connected with authorities in the Indianapolis area who initially looked into Gabbard's disappearance and also suspected foul play. Swain declined to specify what other agencies are attached to the investigation, due to the sensitive nature of the case.

"In one sense, we’re returning the ball back to another agency, but we're also wanting to work with them to get a resolution for this and see what information they have," Swain said.

The case is active and ongoing. If anyone believes they have information that would aid in the investigation, contact Detective Hahn at 812-349-2822.

Reach Rachel Smith at rksmith@heraldt.com or on Twitter @RachelSmithNews.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Monroe County police identify homicide victim with forensic genealogy