Dissapearance Of Battle Creek Man Resolved After 30 Years

Charles Cornell Was Identified By DNA Evidence [Photo Provided by Michigan State Police][/caption]A Battle Creek family is getting closure in a missing person case that’s three decades old.

The Michigan State Police says that their Missing Person Coordination Unit obtained DNA samples of Charles Cornell of Battle Creek from his family. Cornell disappeared at the age of 30 in 1986. With the DNA samples, the MSP was able to search a national database of unidentified remains, and tie Cornell to a John Doe case out of Arkansas in 1989.

The incident, which occurred almost 900 miles from Battle Creek, involved Cornell walking along a highway, when he was fatally struck by a semi-truck. dental records and photos were available for Cornell, but without the DNA evidence to link Cornell's disappearance to his death, the case remained a mystery.

D/Sgt. Sarah Krebs of the Missing Person Coordination Unit says that this case shows the importance of DNA evidence in missing person cases, and encourages the families of missing person to submit DNA samples.