Missing Person Mystery Solved: Indiana Man’s Skeletal Remains ID’d After 25 Years

An Indiana man who went missing in 1997 has been recognized as the individual whose skeletal remains were discovered near a highway overpass in western Indiana more than a quarter of a century ago, according to the authorities who announced on Wednesday.

Mitchell Preston, a man from Anderson who was 47 years old when he was last seen in that city in central Indiana in August 1997 when he was traveling on foot to California, is the individual whose remains have been discovered, according to the Indiana State Police.

The skeletal remains were discovered in January 1998 by a state highway worker in Vigo County, close to the Illinois border, beneath an overpass on Interstate 70. This location is approximately 120 miles (193 kilometers) southwest of Anderson State University. Over the subsequent years, everyone who attempted to identify them was unsuccessful.

On the other hand, bone remains were sent to Othram, a business that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy, by the state police, the Vigo County Coroner’s Office, and the University of Indianapolis in the previous year.

Based on those remains, Othram produced a DNA profile, and detectives from the state police began making contact with possible relatives of the individual who had not yet been recognized.

Sgt. Matt Ames of the Indiana State Police stated that the DNA that was provided by some of Preston’s family assisted the detectives in confirming that the bones had been identified as belonging to Preston WISHTV.

Even though the agency has stated that it is “pleased to bring some closure” to Preston’s family, it has also stated that the investigation into his death is still “open.”

Private investigators with the state police are requesting that members of the general public get in touch with them if they “may have seen Mr. Preston or have any knowledge of what might have happened to him.” If you have any information, please call 1-800-225-8576.