UP10065

FA95-016: Yuma County John Doe, Found December 1995

Last generated March 25, 2026

Skeletal remains later designated NamUs case UP10065 were recovered in Yuma County, Arizona, on December 5, 1995.[1] The decedent was an adult White male, estimated to be between 30 and 45 years old and approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall.[2] More than three decades after discovery, the individual remains unidentified.

Discovery

On December 5, 1995, partial skeletal remains were found at an undisclosed location in Yuma County, Arizona.[1] The Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) took investigative jurisdiction. The remains were catalogued by the medical examiner under case number FA95-016.[2]

The condition of the remains was described as partial skeletal parts only; one or more limbs and one or both hands were not recovered.[1][2] The medical examiner estimated the postmortem interval at "months," indicating the remains had been exposed in the desert environment for a significant period before they were found. The estimated year of death ranges from 1994 to 1995.

Description

The decedent was an adult White male estimated to be between 30 and 45 years of age at the time of death, born approximately between 1949 and 1965.[1] His estimated height was 5 feet 8 inches (68 inches); weight could not be estimated from the remains.[2] No hair or eye color data were recoverable.[1]

Clothing and Personal Effects

Several items of clothing and other personal effects were recovered near the remains.[1] The decedent was wearing or found with the following:[2]

  • A white and gray striped fatigue sweater with a paisley pattern in the white stripes
  • A white or off-white long-sleeved undershirt
  • Black/gray "Timbercreek" brand pants or shorts
  • A red bandana
  • Black leather sneakers
  • A rope or cord and a red cord (possibly used as a belt)
  • A bed sheet or sheet-like item

Photographs of all recovered clothing and items are available on the NamUs case page.[1]

Investigation

The Yuma County Sheriff's Office holds investigative responsibility for the case. As of the most recent NamUs update in January 2025, the case remains open and the decedent unidentified.[1]

In May 2022, YCSO joined the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Rapid DNA Law Enforcement Program, becoming the first agency outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas to deploy a RapidHIT ID instrument. The system generates a forensic DNA profile from a reference sample in approximately 90 minutes for comparison against a standalone Arizona DPS database of convicted offenders and arrestees. Prior to that program, the agency relied entirely on the Arizona DPS State Crime Lab for DNA analysis, with turnaround times of several weeks to several months. The RapidHIT system is designed for reference sample comparison and is not a platform for forensic genetic genealogy. No public sources indicate that UP10065's remains have been submitted for forensic genetic genealogy analysis.[3]

How to Help

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Yuma County Sheriff's Office at (928) 783-4427.[2] The case is listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as UP10065; the medical examiner's case number is FA95-016.[1][2]

References

  1. "NamUs Case UP10065." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
  2. "ME/C Case FA95-016 — UP10065." Medical Examiner/Coroner Facebook Post. facebook.com
  3. "YCSO Joins Arizona Rapid DNA Law Enforcement Program." Yuma County Sheriff's Office, May 18, 2022. facebook.com
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