Remains found in blackberry bushes identified as man missing since 2017, WA cops say
Skeletal remains found in blackberry bushes at a dock in Washington in 2020 were just identified as a man missing for several years, authorities said.
DNA testing helped identify them as 22-year-old Jade David Feigert, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office said.
Feigert was last seen in February 2017 when his mom dropped him off in Kelso, Washington, deputies said in a Feb. 2 Facebook post.
Then he disappeared.
In 2020, a longshoreman reported finding remains, and detectives found a “nearly complete skeleton” in thick blackberry bushes at the Weyerhaeuser dock in Longview, deputies said.
The remains were sent to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The medical examiner found no signs of trauma, but the cause of death was unknown.
Then a dental record was created from the remains by a forensic odontologist and sent to the National Missing Person’s Database, deputies said. From their analysis, it was determined the remains belonged to an “adult Caucasian or Hispanic male.”
Investigators sent the remains to Othram, a private DNA lab.
Potential family members were determined by using “Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing and genetic genealogy.”
Investigators then had Feigert’s mother submit a DNA profile to the lab, deputies said. The lab confirmed it was a mother and son match.
A forensic odontologist with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System also looked at dental records and confirmed they matched Feigert.
“There is no indication that Jade Feigert died as a result of a crime and the investigation will be closed,” the sheriff’s department said.
Feigert’s remains will be given to his family, deputies said.
Longview is about 50 miles north of Portland. Kelso is about 2 miles northeast of Longview.
This story was originally published February 2, 2023 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Remains found in blackberry bushes identified as man missing since 2017, WA cops say."
