DNA Confirms Bones Found Earlier This Year In Will County Are that of Missing Joliet Man From A Decade Ago

On March 21, 2013 24 year old Marcus Wright was reported missing to the Joliet Police Department. His parents reported that he had not been seen or heard from since March 20, 2013.
Joliet Police opened a missing person investigation. Throughout the subsequent years Joliet Police investigated numerous leads including leads that he had been murdered. They had him entered into the National Crime Information Center and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Database. Police investigators obtained DNA samples from family members that were subsequently profiled and entered into CODIS, a nation DNA database that compares unidentified persons DNA with relatives of missing persons.

Earlier this year Joliet Police Investigators under the supervision of Deputy Chief Matlock developed new leads which resulted in several searches in the area east of McKay Street which included a wooded area belonging to the Will County Forest Preserve. On March 24, 2023 two human bones were located in that area. The bones were placed into the custody of the Will County Coroner’s office in compliance with state law.

They were subsequently evaluated by Forensic Anthropologist Cris Hughes, a professor at the University of Illinois and were found to be consistent with originating from a tall male subject. Marcus Wright is 6’2” tall.

One bone was sent to Othram Inc. located in The Woodlands, Texas, along with a DNA swab from Marcus Wright’s mom. Othram Inc. has partnered with the Will County Coroner Office on several occasions these last two years resulting in the resolution of four other cold cases. Othram Inc. was developed to assist law enforcement specifically with missing and unidentified persons cases.

On June 30 2023, the Will County Coroner office was notified by representatives of Othram Inc. that there is a 100% KinSNP relationship match between the bone and the mother of missing person Marcus Wright.