A man who was brutally killed in 1996 when he was doused in kerosene and lit on fire during a suspected robbery in Atlanta has been identified thanks to the work of a nonprofit group.
The DNA Doe Project announced Thursday that its volunteer researchers had identified David Brown as the man who died from severe burns after the attack in southeast Atlanta on April 24, 1996. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office shared a sample of Brown’s DNA with the group earlier this year, and the victim was identified as Brown after researchers pieced together his family tree.
“We are proud to have been able to finally identify him after so many years,” team co-leader Rebecca Somerhalder said. “Most of our cases are very complex, and we are extremely grateful to those who upload their DNA to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA to assist us in our work.”
Credit: NamUS.gov
Credit: NamUS.gov
Brown was found in a vacant lot at the corner of Dorothy and Lansing streets suffering from burns over most of his body when police responded, The Atlanta Constitution reported at the time. Police told the newspaper the man screamed for help and told witnesses he’d been attacked with kerosene by someone trying to rob him. His condition was considered critical when he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
Brown had no form of ID on him and his fingerprints could not be taken at Grady, the Constitution reported. At the time, authorities said the fire-based attack was unusual for a robbery.
“Usually, a person who pours flammable liquid on somebody, they’re trying to send a message — like retaliation,” an Atlanta fire spokesman told the Constitution.
Brown was reported missing by his family around the time of the attack, according to the DNA Doe Project, and the vacant lot was just a few blocks from his home. However, the two cases were not linked until this year.
The group used the DNA sample from the Fulton ME to create a genetic profile of the victim. Then, volunteer genealogists spent months researching and building his family tree.
“The lack of records prior to 1870 makes African American genealogical research very challenging,” genetic genealogist Lance Daly said in a statement. “We discovered an ancestor from the 19th century who was born in Lincoln County, Georgia, but later died in Atlanta. This led us to hypothesize that our John Doe had deep family ties to Atlanta and may have been born there.”
By reverse-engineering Brown’s family tree from distant and long-dead relatives, researchers found more immediate family members and were led to Brown’s missing person case.
