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Posted on 05/13/2026 9:37:49 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
In 1995, a human skull emerged from the Atlantic Ocean and landed on a beach in Longport, New Jersey. More bones followed over the next 18 years, surfacing across three different Jersey Shore towns. For three decades, investigators called the unidentified remains "Scattered Man John Doe." Now, genetic genealogy researchers have given him back his name: Captain Henry Goodsell, a 29-year-old schooner commander who died in a winter storm 181 years ago.
The identification, confirmed in April 2025 and announced by the Ramapo College of New Jersey's Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in May, marks one of the oldest cold cases ever resolved through forensic DNA analysis. Goodsell spent more years as an unnamed set of bones than he ever did as a living man...
"A death certificate was issued for Goodsell more than 180 years after he died," the IGG Center noted in its case resolution announcement on May 21, 2025. The family, located through DNA matching, declined to take possession of the remains. They will stay in a state repository indefinitely.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailygalaxy.com ...
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Undergraduate students at the Ramapo College of New Jersey were able to link the three bones to the same person – Captain Henry Goodsell.Image credit: Ramapo College of New Jersey
Thanks for the link!
If a death certificate wasn’t issued, was he still registered to vote in NJ?
😂
“The family, located through DNA matching, declined to take possession of the remains. They will stay in a state repository indefinitely.”
The family probably didn’t want to have to pay for cremation or burial. I wonder if for some legal reason the state needs to hold on to them - or can they just give them a pauper’s burial?
Probably be in a museum collection but not on display. It’s not unlikely that the family had never heard of the man and at age 29 he had no children, so, a collateral line at best. And some people just have no interest in genealogy.
Perhaps just hold onto them for studying. I’m sure they realized early on that these were very old bones, and the DNA stuff was just something to do and experiment with, rather than trying to solve a crime or cause some benefit.
The story mentions Goodsell was married and had three children. Presuming they lived until adulthood, he probably does have some direct descendants out there. They just don't care about him. If it was my ancestor, even if I never knew or heard of the guy, I'd do all I could to ensure he had a decent burial no matter how humble. I would hope my descendants would do the same for me in a similar situation.
I am with you.
Surprising outcome.
😁 Now that he’s been identified, yes!
Good catch — looks like he had a page on Findagrave before this identification:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/283203608/henry-goodsell
His wife remarried 1850, had another child.
Very cool. Looks like someone will have to update that ‘Find A Grave’ entry.
The widow’s page has this new information on it. I hope someone bothers to update the genealogical links for the Captain, those CT counties of his roots are familiar.
There you go, interpreting other times and older cultural mores through a modern lens!
In 1845, a 29-year-old schooner commander would probably have already sired multiple children - while a modern 29-year-old might still be living in his parents' basement!
Regards,
As fidelis pointed out, he did indeed have three children, there’s a nice subthread above.
It was the notion that, in 1845, a 29-year-old schooner commander would "probably" be childless (a prime example of "presentism") that I was criticizing.
Regards,
I found an old photo of me running a field crew - I was about 25 at the time. My 28 year-old daughter lamented “And what am I doing?” I told her times have changed. “Heck, Alexander the Great was probably 25 and creating his empire.”
I have no idea, but I know he was young by modern standards.
Regards,
With the death certificate, he’s still registered to vote
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