After nearly six decades, the identity of Geneseo John Doe has been revealed. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office announced that the remains found in Henry County in 1966 belong to Ronald Joe Cole, who vanished from California in 1965 at just 19 years old. Recent advances in DNA technology played a crucial role in solving this cold case. Investigators report that Cole’s half-brother remains the primary suspect in his disappearance and death. Authorities hope this breakthrough will bring long-awaited answers to Cole’s family and renew efforts to seek justice in this tragic, decades-old mystery. “We are very grateful for the relatives who chose to upload their DNA results to GEDmatch,” said team leader Gwen Knapp. “Unusually, our team had good matches on both the father’s side and the mother’s side to work with.”
A cold case spanning sixty years has seen an extraordinary breakthrough thanks to Detective Sergeant Haars and the DNA Doe Project. Through advanced genetic genealogy, the remains of Ronald J. Cole have been identified, bringing long-awaited answers to his family. Authorities are investigating his death as a homicide and continuing efforts in partnership with Ventura County, California, to resolve the case fully. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office expresses deep appreciation to all experts and organizations involved. Anyone with additional information is urged to come forward as the pursuit of justice for Mr. Cole and his loved ones continues.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office said, “The Henry County Sheriff’s Office, feeling both pride and grief, announce the positive identification of previously unknown human skeletal remains discovered in rural Geneseo in October 1966. These remains have been conclusively identified as those of Ronald J. Cole, a resident of Ventura County, California, who had been missing since 1965 at the age of nineteen.”
Questions continue to surround the cold cases linked to David LaFever after chilling details came to light during his and his wife Margaret’s 1983 arrest on unrelated charges. LaFever had reportedly confessed to killing his half-brother, Ronald Joe Cole, who was last seen living with him. In a shocking twist, authorities later found the body of LaFever’s brother-in-law in a shallow grave, years after his 1977 disappearance. Both deaths remain unsolved, despite LaFever being named the prime suspect.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office thanks the Henry County State’s Attorney Catherine Runty, the Henry County Coroner Melissa Watkins, Geneseo Family Dentistry, Dr. Jennifer Mack, the University of Iowa bioarchaeologist, and the “incredible, dedicated team at DNA Doe Project, whose expertise and commitment were instrumental in bringing closure to this matter.”
On October 27, 1966, a local Geneseo mail carrier and trapper was walking along a ditch on the Robert Stahl farm when he found a human skull, which started a decades-long search to find the man’s identity. In 1966, Interstate 80 was not completed between Bureau County and the Quad Cities area. The main thoroughfare was Highway 6 at the time, and the remains were found about a mile off Highway 6. Initially, a human skull was found near Cat Creek, southeast of Geneseo. The skull was sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Quantico. A further search of the area recovered additional skeletal remains. The FBI determined the cause of death was a bullet to the back of the head. A search in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) produced no persons reported missing in our area during the estimated time of death. The man is estimated to have died one to five years earlier, or approximately 1961 to 1965. They did not recover all the remains of Geneso John Doe 1966, so they estimate his height to be 5’5″ to 5’10” and between 16 and 30 years old. Based on the color of the bones, some of the bones were submerged in water at one time. This cold case recently gained new momentum in 2024 when the Henry County Sheriff’s Office enlisted the nonprofit DNA Doe Project. Their team crafted a detailed DNA profile and uploaded it to GEDmatch, yielding several promising familial matches.
The DNA Doe Project requires a DNA sample to compile its own DNA profile. Dr. Trevor Craig from Geneseo Family Dental offered his services at no cost to remove two teeth from the skull for DNA sequencing by the lab at the DNA Doe Project. The DNA Doe Project used reports from the FBI and the University of Iowa to determine how to best acquire a viable DNA sample from the human remains recovered. Dr. Trevor Craig extracted two teeth, and those teeth were sent to the DNA Doe Project. Once the DNA Doe Project lab develops a DNA sample, they will start building a family tree.
“The DNA Doe Project is grateful to the groups and individuals who helped solve this case: the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, who entrusted the case to the DNA Doe Project; Astrea Forensics for DNA extraction; Azenta Life Sciences for sequencing; Kevin Lord for bioinformatics; GEDmatch Pro for providing their database; our generous donors who joined our mission and contributed to this case; and the DNA Doe Project’s dedicated teams of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who work tirelessly to bring all our John and Jane Does home.”
The DNA Doe Project, a volunteer-powered nonprofit, continues its mission to restore names and dignity to unidentified individuals. Using investigative genetic genealogy, the organization collaborates with law enforcement at no cost, while relying on public donations to cover laboratory and operational expenses. With over 150 previously unidentified cases resolved, the project brings closure to families and communities awaiting answers. Their efforts underscore the importance of community support for their crucial work. To learn more about their ongoing cases or to support their mission, listeners can visit the DNA Doe Project’s website at dnadoeproject.org.
Ventura County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and criminal complaint of the person or persons responsible for the crime. Tipsters may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
