Sometimes when a body is discovered there simply isn't enough evidence available to be able to take a case any further.
And in the case of Roger Parham things were even worse, as investigators couldn't even identify him for nearly 25 years.
On May 6 1999 two fishermen found human remains in Lake Barkley in Lyon County, Kentucky.
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The unfortunate individual had been wrapped in heavy tire chains and then anchored with a hydraulic jack.
Investigative techniques available at the time were not able to even identify the remains, and they were laid to rest.
17 years passed, and in 2016 the remains were exhumed in the hope that more advanced DNA testing might be able to shed light onto the body's identity.
But despite extensive investigation including dental examinations and forensic pathology, the remains still could not be identified.
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They were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Person System as case UP#75, where they remained until 2023.
Then, in 2023 Kentucky State Police engaged private forensic lab Othram Inc.
This allowed for a new form of genetic testing on the remains which looked into their genealogy.
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Finally, some 24 years after the initial discovery, a new lead opened up on the remains.
The genealogy testing revealed that a relative of the deceased person could be identified and located.
From there, investigators were able to confirm the remains as those of 52-year-old Roger Dale Parham.
With an identification finally in place, investigators could then piece together the remaining elements of Parham's identity.
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They were able to find that Parham had been living in Fort Smith in Arkansas in 1999, and had been awaiting trial for a number of criminal charges.
In late 1998 Parham was arrested on a charge of rape involving a minor.
But in March 1999 Parham went missing. At the time it was believed that Parham had fled in an attempt to escape his trial.
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The FBI was able to obtain more charges for Parham, and an investigation was opened into his disappearance.
Until this year Parham's whereabouts were unknown, with an FBI wanted posted even suggesting he may have 'travelled to Mexico'.
But what actually happened to him?
Well, we still don't know. A cause of death for Parham has not been determined, and the time which has elapsed since the discovery of his remains' makes that more difficult.
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Given the circumstances in which the body was found and the nature of the charge Parham was facing, the case is being investigated as a homicide.
Presumably Parham didn't wrap himself in tire chains, jump into a lake, and anchor himself to the bottom.
Kit Roberts