Body found in Atlantic Ocean was unidentified for 22 years — until now, officials say
The case of a man’s body found in the Atlantic Ocean miles off the coast of Maine became a mystery as attempts to identify him over 22 years remained unsuccessful — until now.
His “partially skeletonized” remains were found July 24, 2000, according to state officials who said investigators were able to take his fingerprints and record his DNA at the time.
Now those fingerprints have recently matched a man’s records, identifying the body as Philip Kahn, who was reported missing in Las Vegas in 2000, Maine’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced in a Jan. 11 news release.
In July 2000, Kahn flew from Las Vegas to New York City before his body was recovered, the release said.
How he died and ended up 27 miles off shore in Maine is still a mystery, according to officials.
When his body was found, his fingerprints were submitted to the FBI, but there were no leads, the release said.
Years later, the state medical examiner’s office worked with the Virginia-based company Parabon Nanolabs in 2019 to take a closer look at his DNA and genealogy in an effort to find more clues, officials said. The company’s analysis revealed he was Ashkenazi Jewish but didn’t provide any further information leading to an identification.
In March, the medical examiner’s office said it revisited the case and met with the FBI to see if it had any updated technology that could identify the body.
As a result, the man’s previously recorded fingerprints were submitted to the agency’s Deceased Persons Identification Services Division and were linked to Kahn’s records, according to the release.
Officials said Kahn’s family has been notified that his body was identified.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 10:38 AM with the headline "Body found in Atlantic Ocean was unidentified for 22 years — until now, officials say."
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