37 years later, DNA technology identifies man killed by train in Arizona

Current identification technology, along with a new DNA sample, helped identify a victim on Friday who was struck by a train in Arizona 37 years ago.

Timothy Lee Benally, who was 32 years old when he died, had remained unidentified since the October 1989 incident in Flagstaff.

How did police identify Timothy Lee Benally?

The Navajo Nation Police Department submitted a new DNA sample, which was collected during a “follow-up with the family of a long-term missing relative,” for forensic genetic testing, according to the Flagstaff Police Department.

The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office let Flagstaff police know of the possible DNA match. Flagstaff’s detective division re-examined partial fingerprints from the original investigation and carefully reviewed other historical case materials to confirm a match with the individual associated with the new DNA, Lee Benally.

The identification closed a 37-year-old case and was a collective effort by the Navajo Nation Police Department, Flagstaff Police Department and Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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