Human remains discovered in 2006 east of Sweet Home have been identified as those of an Aumsville man, Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan announced Friday, May 19.
According to a LCSO news release, Jesus Ruiz had last been seen by his family in 2005. He was not reported missing, as it was assumed he was in Mexico.
Linn County Sheriff’s Office personnel initially found the remains Oct. 23, 2006, in the area of the Big Springs Snow Park on Highway 22. Evidence at the scene indicated that the remains had been in the location for about a year.
Detectives continued to work with the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, police said, and DNA was extracted from the remains. However, its profile did not exist in any database, so samples were sent to Parabon Nanolabs of Reston, Virginia, a private company, for additional analysis.
The firm found a possible identity by tracing the DNA through ancestry-related databases following potential family trees. This resulted in the discovery of Jesus Ruiz. Detectives then confirmed this by contacting and receiving DNA comparisons from the man’s family.
The investigation into Ruiz’s death is continuing.