Two DNA laboratories and advances in science contributed to finding Evelyn Colon’s identity after 45 years.

David Mittelman, Chief Executive Officer of Othram Inc. laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas, said his company was able to build a comprehensive profile to help identify the woman known as Beth Doe for so many years.

The conventional profile has 20 markers to put into the Combined DNA Index System for the FBI’s program of support for criminal justice DNA databases as well as the software used to run these databases, known as CODIS. Those 20 markers were not a match. The mystery remained.

Othram took it a step further.

“Tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of markers were used to build the profile.”

That was loaded into a genealogical database that showed a match to a relative when Colon’s nephew Luis submitted his genealogy.

“One little step generates leads that law enforcement can use,” Mittelman said.

The company specializes in skeletal remains, older evidence and contaminated evidence. Recently the lab was able to build a profile for a woman who died in 1881.

“We love helping law enforcement. Even after a long period of time, there is always someone waiting to find news of a loved one,” Mittelman said. “It’s closure for the family. How do you seek justice when you don’t know who they are?”

Othram works with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which is helping identify remains of more than 700 minors.

“It’s fascinating and exciting that after so many years we reach a conclusion. It’s very much in the realm of today’s technology,” Mittelman said.

Allison Nunes, laboratory director and chief operating officer for DNA Labs International in Deerfield Beach, Florida, also praised new technology for helping them to solve the case. “Through two teeth we were able to develop enough DNA to do additional testing,” Nunes said.

“Teeth have a lot of DNA. They are protected by enamel,” Nunes explained.

By extracting DNA, the lab is able to determine the region where the deceased person lived and pinpoint specific locations to connect to family.

The search also involved 20 to 30 hours of research of weddings, death and funeral notices.

The lab loaded data into a genetic matching public database.

When people submit a DNA sample for genealogy they can check a box to be entered into the system to help law enforcement to identify missing people.

“It’s pretty exciting. The new technology is going to keep getting better and better,” Nunes said.

“You don’t realize how it affects the family forever.”