Executive Summary
- Nashville police identified Philip Sydnor, Yadezia Jones, and Marcus Rutledge using forensic genetic genealogy.
- Philip Sydnor’s remains, discovered in 1991, were initially misidentified as female before advanced DNA testing corrected the findings.
- The investigations involved collaboration with Othram Lab, with some funding provided by public donations.
- Law enforcement officials stress the critical need for families of missing persons to submit DNA samples to aid identification efforts.
Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officials have confirmed the identification of Philip Sydnor, Yadezia Jones, and Marcus Rutledge, leveraging forensic genetic genealogy to resolve missing persons cases that had remained cold for years. The announcement marks a significant breakthrough in investigations involving human remains discovered decades ago, utilizing advanced DNA sequencing to provide answers to long-standing questions regarding the individuals’ disappearances.
According to Detective Andrew Davis of the Metro Police Cold Case Unit, the technology was pivotal in identifying a human skull originally discovered in an Antioch neighborhood in 1991. Detective Davis noted that an initial anthropological report had incorrectly classified the skull as female. However, modern forensic analysis confirmed the remains belonged to Philip Sydnor, who was 40 years old at the time of his death. MNPD reports indicate that Sydnor was not on law enforcement’s radar as a missing person, as his family had assumed he was deceased and had not filed a report.
The identification process involved a collaboration between MNPD and Othram Lab in Texas, a private facility specializing in forensic genetic genealogy. Officials explained that the process is meticulous and costly, often exceeding $7,500 per case. Scientists extract DNA to construct a profile, which law enforcement then uses to trace potential relatives. Othram Lab stated that for both the Sydnor case and the investigation involving Yadezia Jones—previously known as “Vandy Jane Doe”—testing costs were partially covered by public donations through the DNASolves platform.
Detective Davis emphasized the necessity of family participation in solving these cases, noting that the department possesses numerous unidentified remains waiting for a match. “Unless we have a family member who has put their DNA forward, they will remain unsolved,” Davis stated. Police continue to urge anyone with information regarding the Sydnor case or other missing persons to contact the Cold Case Unit.
Investigative Outlook
The successful identification of these individuals highlights the increasing reliance of municipal law enforcement on specialized private forensic laboratories to address backlogs of unidentified remains. While forensic genetic genealogy serves as a powerful instrument for resolving historical cases, the high costs and reliance on crowdfunding platforms underscore the resource challenges facing cold case units. The resolution of these files validates the efficacy of integrating advanced biotechnology with traditional police work, though investigators stress that the technology’s success remains heavily dependent on the public’s willingness to provide familial DNA samples for comparison.
