Charred Body's DNA Match Ends Family's Search For Missing Man
FRESNO (CBS SF) – Using DNA from a thigh bone, detectives have identified a body found burning in a Fresno orchard in 2006 as a missing Livermore man, authorities announced Thursday.
The Fresno County Coroner's Office said it has identified the man as 24-year-old Jack Dupree who was last seen alive in late April or May of 2006.
Dupree's body was found badly burned in an orchard near Interstate 5 west of Firebaugh.
At the time, the investigation went cold because DNA from the body did not match any in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) maintained by law enforcement and could not be identified.
In October, a homicide unit sergeant of the Sheriff's Office was reviewing cold case files and came across the John Doe case from 2006.
The sergeant spoke with members of the coroner's office who said they still had a thighbone from the victim. The bone was then submitted to the state Department of Justice lab and it positively matched DNA in CODIS and identified the victim as Jack Dupee.
Family members filed a missing person report in August 2006. After sometime passed and Dupee was not found, his parents submitted DNA to CODIS. Those samples are what helped detectives finally identify the body.
Dupee lived in several locations including South San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Richmond, Tracy, Modesto and Livermore.
Anyone who has had contact with Jack Dupee during their lifetime is asked to please contact Detective Mark Chapman at (559) 600-8209 or Detective Jose Diaz at (559) 600-8206.
You may also call Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (7867). All tips will remain anonymous and you may be eligible for a cash reward.
