Family members hadn't seen the man in over 20 years when they found his body in the woods.
In May 2020, they found Gerald J. Forsman's body in Tennessee.
A man who had not been seen by his family in more than twenty years has been identified as the remains of a person found in a wooded area five years ago.
According to a news release from the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, the remains were found in a wooded area near a house on Overbrook Drive in Knoxville on May 20, 2020.
After the discovery, the remains were taken to the Regional Forensic Center so that a forensic pathologist could look at them.
At first, it was thought that the remains belonged to a man between the ages of 55 and 70, but it was not clear how he died or what caused it. The forensic center said, "All standard methods of forensic identification failed to reveal the man's identity."
In 2023, a sample of DNA from the remains was sent to Othram, a private lab in Texas that is known for using forensic genetic genealogical DNA testing to find out who the remains belong to.
The forensic center said in August 2025 that Othram scientists told them they had "developed information about possible relatives connected to the man in Michigan."
Family members gave DNA samples for comparison, and Othram scientists were able to figure out that the man was Gerald J. Forsman, who was born in Livonia, Mich.
One person who was talked to by death investigators said they hadn't
Forsman was born on February 27, 1958, so he was probably 45 years old when he went missing.
Othram says that public records show Forsman lived in Knoxville when he went missing, but they don't know why.
"The Knox County Regional Forensic Center would like to thank all the agencies listed for their help in identifying Mr. Forsman," the center said in a statement.
According to the forensic center, the forensic genetic genealogical testing in this case was possible because U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett asked the Bureau of Justice Assistance for money for a community project in 2024.
They also said that this is the eighth cold case solved through this program.
According to Othram, this is the 26th case in Tennessee where officials have publicly named someone using technology made by the company.