Human remains found in sleeping bag in national park identified after 26 years
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- Forensic tests have identified remains found in 2000 in Washington's Olympic National Park as Joseph Louis Serrao Jr., who went missing in 1998.
- Serrao, originally from Hawaii, was discovered in a sleeping bag inside a tent along with various hiking and winter gear near the Sol Duc River.
- Initial investigations were hindered by the lack of usable fingerprints and concrete evidence, leaving the identity unknown for nearly 30 years.
- A breakthrough came in 2024 when DNA samples were submitted to Othram, a forensic genealogy lab, which matched Serrao's DNA to living relatives by 2025.
- Authorities expressed pride in the persistence and collaboration that solved the case, hoping it brings closure to Serrao's family after decades of uncertainty.