SPOONER SUMMIT, Nev. – The Carson City Sheriff’s Office recovered unidentified human remains (UHR), specifically a partial human cranium, from the Spooner Summit area in May 1994. Using investigative genetic genealogy, the UHR have since been identified as Alan Don Bishop.

Alan Don Bishop was reported missing by his family in Salt Lake City, Utah in July 1984. Alan experienced mental health concerns and was known to travel by hitchhiking. His family last received contact from him via mail in July 1984 where he advised he was traveling to Oregon by way of
California. Communication with Alan subsequently ceased, and his bank activity became inactive,
which caused his family to report Alan missing.

In May 1994, a logging crew discovered UHR at a work site in the Spooner Summit area. Responding CCSO personnel completed searches of the area but discovered no additional human remains or other evidence. Anthropological analyses determined the UHR likely belonged to an adult male but
were unable to positively identify the subject. The UHR showed no signs of trauma.

More recently, investigative genetic genealogy has shown great success in cold case investigations and UHR identifications. CCSO partnered with the Retired Investigators Guild (RIG) and the Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in an attempt to identify the subject in this 1994 UHR case. Astrea Forensics, a forensic DNA testing laboratory based in Scotts Valley, California, completed the DNA analysis in this case.

Astrea Forensics extracted a viable DNA sample from the UHR from which they developed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profile. The SNP profile was provided to the Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center who identified Alan Don Bishop as the likely candidate. The RIG identified and obtained a DNA sample from a living full-sibling to Alan. Astrea Forensics confirmed the familial relationship between Alan and the living sibling by a match in mitochondrial DNA, and thus positively identified the UHR as Alan Don Bishop.

The Washoe Country Regional Medical Examiner’s Office affirmed the UHR identification of Alan Don Bishop by investigative genetic genealogy and mitochondrial DNA analyses. The Bishop family has since been notified of the positive identification.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective B. Torres with the Carson City Sheriff’s
Office, Criminal Investigations Bureau (775) 283-7858, Carson City Dispatch non-emergency (775)
887-2008, or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900