It took more than a decade, but remains found near Whatcom waters finally identified
More than a decade after a man’s remains were found in the Salish Sea eight miles west of Whatcom County, the body has been identified as a Canadian man who went missing in 2009.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office, working in partnership with the British Columbia Service Special Identifications Unit, used DNA to positively identify the remains as belonging to 55-year-old James Neufeld from Penticton, B.C., according to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police release Monday, Nov. 30.
“The BC Coroners Special Investigations Unit, in working with our partners, both in B.C. and south of the border, is pleased to have been able to help bring closure to the family, helping them get answers to questions they have been seeking for more than a decade,” Director of the Special Investigations Unit of the BC Coroners Service Eric Petit said in the release.
Neufeld was last seen Jan. 21, 2009, when he left his Penticton home in his 1997 Plymouth Voyager, according to the release. His van was located under the Alexandria Bridge near the Frasier River on Feb. 3, 2009, by Hope RCMP, and it was examined by forensic specialists.
Though they weren’t identified for more than 11 years, Neufeld’s remains were recovered May 23, 2009 from the Salish Sea near Parker Reef, located approximately a half mile north of Orcas Island and eight miles west of the western edge of Lummi Island, the release states.
The San Juan County coroner took the remains to the Snohomish County medical examiner for anthropic and forensic analysis, the release states, but the body could not be identified, despite efforts to trace a number on a metal plate found in the body to medical records, use the body’s DNA profile to find a match or develop a sketch of what the body may have looked like for identification.
“At first I was confident we would find his identity and family right away,” San Juan County Coroner Randall Gaylord said in the release, adding that his office was frustrated when the case went cold.
Gaylord credited Jane Jorgensen at the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office for recognizing “that DNA record keeping has improved and it would be worthwhile to renew our search in Canada.”
“This case highlights not only the international, multi-agency cooperation that takes place between Canadian and U.S. officials daily for cross border matters, but showcases the sheer dedication of our investigators in bringing answers to James Neufeld’s loved ones,” B.C. RCMP Southeast District Executive Assistant District Officer Supt. Ray Carfantan said in the release.
