DNA leads to ID of Dayton man found 23 years ago
The remains of a man found in the Great Miami River north of Hamilton in 1997 have been identified using DNA.
The Butler County Coroner’sOfficeand theDNADoe Project announced the identification of Larry Joe Porter on Monday.
Although the nature of the injurieswere consistent with a person hit by a motor vehicle, the cause and manner of deathare still undetermined, according to Butler County CoronerDr. LisaMannix. Porter was 44 at the time of his deathandaresidentofDayton.
The bodywas found floating in the river south of the HorseshoeDamin the canal onMay 18, 1997. The victim was a white male approximately 5-foot-10 and 130 to 150 pounds. The body was in a severe state of decomposition, according to the coroner’s office.
After attempts to identify the victim did not produce a name, the coroner’s office reached out to the DNA Doe Project in December 2018 for help with the case. University of North Texas Center forHuman Identification sent remaining DNA extract to the sequencing lab HudsonAlpha Discovery. Data was uploaded to GEDmatch andlater toFamilyTreeDNA, wheretheDoeProjectteamof volunteergenealogistsdiscovered a close family member.
Within hours, the team worked out the connections between the DNAmatches.
Team member Megan Street recalls the moment the family tree was finally built out and led to the identification Larry Porter, corroborated by other online clues that seemed to cease in 1996.
“Every hair on the back of my neck stood up,” Street said.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating for years to determine what happened to the man. Identification could help, according to Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer.
“Cases like this always remain open. But the focus hasbeenidentifyinghim. The reality is the probability of actually solving what happen is probably nil,” Dwyer said. “We would obviously work any lead that came in butwe have exhausted most leads back within the first year it was investigated. It may not even be a crime. He may have fallen.”
If anyone has information about Porter they are asked to call Detective Joe Ventre at 513-785-1239.