'Beaver Creek John Doe' identified over a decade after his death
YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. - A man found dead in the Beaver Creek area in Yavapai County in 2011 has finally been identified thanks to investigative work from a group of college students in New Jersey.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office says the body of a man was found in a popular hiking area in 2011. An autopsy revealed the man died from natural causes due to heart complications. The man had no identification on him.
"Many years passed while hoping for a match through NamUs or the Cogent Automated Fingerprint Identification System," the sheriff's office said.
Last year, the sheriff's office was approached by Ramapo College in New Jersey to assist with forensics cases.
"There were 10 students in the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Certificate Program at Ramapo College, and they worked with tenacity, and they came up with an investigative lead," said Cairenn Binder of Ramapo College. "In this case, they came up with the candidate, David Emil Jacobsen, as a candidate, and they were able to match details from David's life, to details in the case."
The Yavapai County Medical Examiner was able to confirm Jacobsen's identity with a DNA sample from one of his siblings.
"The Jacobsen family is very grateful to everyone for their efforts to bring closure to this 13-year painful experience," the sheriff's office said.
David Emil Jacobsen (Jacobsen Family)