(Trends Wide) — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office identified human remains that were found nearly 50 years ago with the help of genealogy evidence.
During a news conference Thursday, Detective Bill Springer announced that remains found in June 1974 belong to 15-year-old Susan Gale Poole, who disappeared in Broward County just before Christmas 1972.
Poole’s remains were identified following genealogical tests conducted by Othram Labs, a private forensic laboratory that uses genome sequencing to build DNA profiles, according to Springer.
Late last year, Othram Labs contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to conduct genealogy testing on cold cases.
“The sheriff’s office and my supervisors decided that we would send the unknown remains of the girl from 1974,” said Springer. “Thanks to Othram, they were able to identify her and create a profile.”
Scientists used that DNA profile to identify Poole’s mother and siblings. Poole’s mother is alive and is 90 years old.
Poole was born on February 12, 1957. At the time of his disappearance, Poole was living with his family in a Fort Lauderdale trailer park, according to the PBSO. Poole was also staying at a friend’s apartment in Wilton Manors at the time.
Springer says Poole’s skeletal remains were found tied up in mangrove swamps in an area formerly known as “Burnt Bridges” along A1A in Palm Beach County.
Detectives believe Poole may be the victim of Gerard Schaefer, who was convicted in 1973 of two counts of first-degree murder following the deaths of two Florida teenagers.
At the time of Poole’s disappearance, Schaefer was an officer with the Wilton Manors Police Department, Springer says. Schaefer was also employed by the Martin County Sheriff’s office for less than a month in 1972, according to department records.
“In 1974, [la policía] placed a search warrant on his home in Broward County,” Springer said. “They obtained driver’s licenses, jewelry and other items belonging to various victims.”
Springer says he is now working with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in hopes of locating any items found in the Schaefer home that may have belonged to Poole.
Schaefer died in prison in 1995, says Springer. At this time, there is no physical evidence, only circumstantial evidence, linking Schaefer to Poole’s murder, according to Springer.
