Human remains discovered in a remote section of Washington state’s Olympic National Park have been identified as Joseph Louis Serrao Jr., a Hawaii native whose family last had contact with him in 1998.

Case Solved After 26 Years

National Park Service (NPS) officials announced that the remains found in the Sol Duc River drainage area of Olympic National Park belong to Serrao. The case dates back to July 2000, when a researcher discovered skeletal remains inside a sleeping bag in a tent.

Investigators also recovered several personal belongings from the campsite, including binoculars, a backpack, a shoulder bag, a folding saw, a blanket, and winter clothing. A medical examiner determined the remains likely belonged to a man between the ages of 30 and 50, but authorities were unable to determine his identity.

The breakthrough came decades later when investigators used advanced DNA testing to search for possible relatives. That effort eventually led authorities to Serrao’s family, who confirmed they had not heard from him since 1998. Investigators later matched DNA samples from family members to the remains, according to NPS.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.