After nearly five decades, the skeletal remains found in Arizona have been identified as those of a Vietnam veteran from Minnesota, officials announced on Wednesday.
The remains of Gerald Francis Long were initially discovered by farmers chasing a runaway pig, 40 miles east of Flagstaff off Meteor City Road on April 19, 1975, according to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
Despite numerous leads developed over 49 years, investigators were unable to identify the victim, who became known as Munsingwear Doe due to the Munsingwear brand jacket found with the remains.
In August 2023, authorities turned to forensic genetic genealogy in collaboration with Intermountain Forensics of Salt Lake City, Utah. By developing a genetic genealogy DNA profile of the victim and comparing it with existing profiles available in genealogy databases, forensic investigators identified a potential family line. By February, Long was identified as a possible match for the remains.
Further investigation revealed that Long had served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam, enlisting in January 1969 and deploying later that year. He returned to Minnesota in February 1972 and was discharged from the Army a month later. Long was last seen or heard from in October 1972 when he told his family he was leaving Minnesota for the West Coast.
Using partial fingerprints collected from the remains in 1975, the FBI Laboratory’s Latent Print Unit was able to compare them with known fingerprint records belonging to Long, confirming a positive match. Additionally, DNA collected from Long’s family matched with samples from the remains.
While the identity of Munsingwear Doe has been uncovered, the cause of Long’s death, undetermined in 1975, remains unknown.
The sheriff’s office extended its deepest condolences to Long’s family, who have requested privacy during this time.
