A partial skull discovered by loggers in the Sierra Nevada mountains more than 30 years ago has been identified as George Krusely, thanks to advancements in DNA technology and genetic genealogy.
The remains were found on July 7, 1994, near Putt Lake in Nyack, California. Investigators at the time believed the skull had been at the remote campsite for at least a year. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office collected the remains and other evidence, but the case stalled due to a lack of information regarding the man's identity or cause of death.
The unidentified man was eventually listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, with his age estimated between 50 and 60. Krusely, born April 30, 1929, was last known to be in California in 1963.
Cold Case Rekindled
In December 2024, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with the California Department of Justice and Othram Inc., a company specializing in advanced DNA testing. Othram scientists were able to construct a comprehensive DNA profile from the remains. This profile was subsequently sent to Ramapo College’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in January 2025.
Challenging Ancestry
Researchers faced challenges due to the unidentified man's Croatian and Yugoslavian ancestry, which presented difficulties with accessible DNA databases and limited genealogy records for those populations. Cairenn Binder, director of Ramapo’s IGG Center, noted the complexity of such cases.
In December 2025, the Ramapo team identified Krusely as a potential match. Investigators then located a living descendant and, with assistance from the Lordstown Police Department in Ohio, obtained a DNA sample. This sample confirmed the identity of the remains as George Krusely.
Authorities still do not know how long Krusely had been deceased when his remains were discovered by loggers in 1994. The circumstances surrounding his death remain undetermined.