Skeletal remains discovered on a Georgia property have been identified as a man who vanished more than 10 years ago, authorities said.
The remains were first found in September 2021 by a landowner in a rural area of Dallas, Georgia, according to a news release from Othram, a forensic laboratory that specializes in identifying people from degraded or limited DNA samples.
During the initial investigation, officials located a zip tie near the remains that appeared to have been used in some way, as well as two abandoned vehicles about 100 yards away, Othram said. One of the vehicles was ruled out as unrelated, while the other was registered to a known gang member, leading investigators to suspect that the remains might be connected to that vehicle.
Early forensic work indicated the remains were those of a White man estimated to be between 24 and 60 years old. With few clues and no confirmed identity, however, the investigation eventually went cold.
In 2023, the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) submitted forensic evidence from the remains to Othram. The lab developed a DNA profile that generated new investigative leads for law enforcement.
Those leads directed investigators toward possible relatives of the unidentified man. Samples from one relative were then compared to the DNA profile from the remains.
Ultimately, authorities confirmed the remains belonged to Thomas Joe Kratzer, who had been reported missing in February 2014.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), Kratzer was last seen months earlier, on Oct. 17, 2013. When deputies conducted a welfare check at his last known address on Seals Road in Dallas, the home was empty and appeared to have been cleared of valuables, NamUs records state.
Sheriff Ashley Henson said the long-awaited identification offers crucial answers to Kratzer’s loved ones, according to FOX affiliate WAGA-TV and ABC affiliate WSB-TV. Henson added that the development underscores the persistence of the agency’s Cold Case Unit and its commitment to using every available resource and new technology to provide closure to families and justice for victims.
The PCSO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Othram said the investigation into Kratzer’s death remains active. His case marks the 27th time in Georgia that an individual has been publicly identified using technology developed by the company.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to contact the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office at 770-443-3010 and reference case 2021-09220092, or NamUs ID UP89733.
