Former Faribault County Commissioner Barb Steier has had some recent experience with this kind of case.
Her 17-year-old cousin, Doug Mueller, went missing in the Phoenix, Ariz., area in 1977.
A ransom note was found and the ransom paid by Steiers uncle and aunt, but the ransom was never picked up.
Over the years the case grew cold. There were sightings of Doug many times, but they never panned out.
Five years ago a human leg bone was found in a remote area of Phoenix called Pinnacle Peak.
Finally this last spring an investigator researched all the many missing persons cases in the Phoenix area (I guess there are many of them) and came across the case of Doug Mueller.
A DNA test, which took quite a while to complete, matched the DNA of the bone to that of other members of the Mueller family. It was, indeed, Doug Muellers leg bone.
Steier says the family has wondered for over 30 years what happened to Doug and now they at least have some closure.
However, the exact details of his death are not known. His death has become a homicide case and is still being investigated.
But the trail is quite cold and may never be solved.
More:
http://www.faribaultcountyregister....DNA-doesn-t-always-give-answers.html?nav=5001