Worker found body in Washington landfill 34 years ago. Remains ID’d as missing veteran
A worker uncovered human remains in a Washington landfill 34 years ago, officials said.
Those remains have just been identified as then-45-year-old Clifford Wayne Bippes, the Spokane County Medical Examiner said in an Oct. 30 news release.
The landfill worker was on a bulldozer clearing garbage when they came across the unidentified body on July 2, 1989, officials said.
Officials said the man was found in blue slacks, a blue jacket and a light-colored shirt with multiple injuries, including skin tears and broken bones.
His death was deemed suspicious. An autopsy determined his injuries occurred when a bulldozer struck him in the landfill, officials said. A cause and manner of death were not determined, though.
The man had several tattoos and was estimated to be between 40 and 60 years old and about 5 feet, 4 inches tall to 5 feet, 6 inches tall.
Fingerprints were taken but didn’t match anyone in the FBI database. His dental records also didn’t match any reported missing people, officials said. He was then buried.
The medical examiner and police followed multiple leads to identify the man’s remains for years, but nothing ever turned up.
Forensic genetic genealogy helps ID remains
In July, the medical examiner sent a tissue sample to Othram, a lab in The Woodlands, Texas, that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy. Othram uses Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to help identify remains.
Officials discovered a son had submitted his DNA into a genetic genealogy database after being adopted at birth.
The medical examiner’s officer also found a sister and reference tested her DNA. They confirmed the two were siblings and officially identified the man as Bippes on Oct. 3.
Bippes was last seen by his sister about six months before he died, officials said. After not hearing from him for months, she reported him as a missing person in January 1990. She then made a headstone for his death in April 1991.
Bippes was born Sept. 25, 1943, in Tekoa, Washington. He was the oldest of three siblings, and he served in the U.S. Army.
This story was originally published November 3, 2023 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Worker found body in Washington landfill 34 years ago. Remains ID’d as missing veteran."
