East Haddam, CT John Doe is now identified as Brian Canfield
From DNASolves.com: "In October [9,] 2006, a human skull was recovered along the Connecticut River near the Salmon River Boat Launch in East Haddam, Connecticut. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. At the time, the remains could not be identified and there was no way to determine the person's identity.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the person could not be identified. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP8907."
"In 2022, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the person. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence" to build a DNA profile for the person. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new leads that were returned to law enforcement.
Investigators used the leads to locate potential relatives. A DNA test submitted by the brother of the man led to the identification of the remains as belonging to 37 year old Brian Canfield of Vermont, who had disappeared in a boating accident at Sumner Falls in April 2001 and was presumed drowned. (A friend, Terry Brinegar, who had been on the boat also died; his body was found a couple of weeks later.)
Note: The subheadings of the DNASolves article spells his name as "Cranfield," but the body of the article spells his name as Canfield. Articles from 2001 spell his name as Canfield.
Connecticut State Police informed the Vermont State Police of the identification, and the case is now considered closed.
RIP Brian.
**Links**
Archived NamUs: https://web.archive.org/web/20260501235050/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/8907?nav
Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=3002umct
Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Brian\_Canfield
WCAX: https://www.wcax.com/2026/05/06/dna-testing-closes-25-year-old-vermont-missing-person-case/
NBC-5, Burlington VT: https://www.mynbc5.com/article/hartland-vermont-human-remains-cranfield/71232318
CT Insider: https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/ct-cold-case-ct-river-haddam-remains-vermont-22244765.php
2001 articles about the accident: https://www.newspapers.com/image/906493200/?article=5919d3c1-408d-4ed7-8873-e86f41d89e1a
https://www.newspapers.com/image/906492925/?article=10702132-d00e-4cbc-82fb-ef5b6ed48691