Identified! CA - Long Beach - WhtMale 15-19 - 1392UMCA - 'Paid' stamp on hand- Jun'78 - Kenneth Nevada Williams

[chaddylex]

Thank you again @othram for all you do. You have given so many of my pet cases their names back.
RIP Kenneth.

 

[othram]

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Teen boy found dead 44 years ago in Long Beach identified as runaway from La Puente

 

[familymem]

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I just think that the LE and Othram deserve a lot of credit for working so hard on a case even after 44 years. Maybe drum up some financial support for the program.

 

[othram]

I just think that the LE and Othram deserve a lot of credit for working so hard on a case even after 44 years. Maybe drum up some financial support for the program.

We are grateful for the support we get from Websleuths folks and our advocates at DNASolves.com!

 

[Feme98]

We are grateful for the support we get from Websleuths folks and our advocates at DNASolves.com!

Your work is simply amazing!
Thank you for helping our UID get their names back.

 

[musicaljoke]

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It would indeed have been nice to hear more from the family. But I think that many folks can read between the lines and sense how amazed and touched the family is even when the news is so very sad.

 

[Green_Turtle]

Does anyone know why Randy Kraft was eliminated as a suspect in Kenneth's murder? Kraft lived in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach, where this young man was found. Numerous Kraft victims were killed and/or dumped in the Long Beach area, as you all know. What evidence could law enforcement possibly have that would eliminate Kraft as a suspect?

 

[familymem]

Does anyone know why Randy Kraft was eliminated as a suspect in Kenneth's murder? Kraft lived in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach, where this young man was found. Numerous Kraft victims were killed and/or dumped in the Long Beach area, as you all know. What evidence could law enforcement possibly have that would eliminate Kraft as a suspect?

I am curious too. Doesn't seem like something they would want to share with anyone. Might hinder their investigation. To your last question, I can think of a couple of things. Could be they have some physical evidence like partial prints or dna of the killer that they know doesn't match Kraft. Another possibility is they know where Kraft was at the time and know it couldn't have been him. These agencies have been working on this case (off and on) for 4 decades. I am sure it is more than just not fully matching his MO

 

[Springrain]

Especially with the possible Ripples connection which Kraft was allegedly known to frequent...

 

[Springrain]

His NamUs is still up, do they need to be alerted?

 

[othram]

His NamUs is still up, do they need to be alerted?

There is a formal process and it sometimes doesn't time perfectly with the announcement but it is undoubtedly in progress.

 

[Alleykins]

His NamUs is still up, do they need to be alerted?

That surprises me. Usually cases are taken down right around the time of the identified announcement.

 

[familymem]

Their brother was missing for 44 years, then FBI and Long Beach police knocked on the door

Family members of Kenneth Nevada Williams had searched social media and, at one point, hired a detective to try to find him.

www.presstelegram.com

 

[Bit of hope]

Excited to share that we were able to assist Long Beach Police Department and the FBI in identifying 15-year old Kenneth Nevada Williams, formerly known as Long Beach John Doe.
After 44 Years, Long Beach John Doe is Identified

After 44 Years, Long Beach John Doe is Identified

After more than four decades, Long Beach John Doe is now known to be Kenneth Nevada Williams, a 15-year-old who had run away from his home in the City of La Puente in 1978

dnasolves.com

Badly degraded and chemically damaged skeletal evidence was sent to Othram's lab in The Woodlands, Texas. This skeletal evidence had failed prior attempts, but Othram was able to develop a suitable DNA extract for testing. Othram then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile from the skeletal remains and this DNA profile was returned to FBI investigators that then used the profile in a genealogical search.

Amazing job @othram! Who could ever dreamed back then that this would ever be possible. Even degraded and the smallest amount of DNA can be used to give people their name back. A great achievement. I'm so happy and grateful this young man is identified. Here is hope that the perp, who cut his life short, can be apprehended.

Rest easy now Kenneth Nevada Williams. Condolences to his loved ones.

 

[Springrain]

That surprises me. Usually cases are taken down right around the time of the identified announcement.

Yeah, that's why I was so surprised! Still not quite sure how long the formal process will take but I assume not much longer.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Their brother was missing for 44 years, then FBI and Long Beach police knocked on the door

Family members of Kenneth Nevada Williams had searched social media and, at one point, hired a detective to try to find him.

www.presstelegram.com

maybe spec only he didnt want to come out. it was a different time then

 

[Myrrh]

It's been nearly 3 months and his NamUs page is still up; has there ever been a delay this long?

 

[AkitasAreLovely]

It's been nearly 3 months and his NamUs page is still up; has there ever been a delay this long?

Yeah, Karen Knippers' NamUs was up for months after she was announced to have been identified.

 

[Susikatze]

Not that uncommon. It depends on how quickly LE can formally close the case and also on the individual agency that is in touch with NamUs. It is quite a process sometimes.

 

[carbuff]

I'm just glad to see he's been identified after all these years.