A human skull discovered by children in Clear Creek County in 2018 has been identified, sheriff’s officials announced Wednesday.
After a six-year search involving forensic anthropologists, DNA extraction and genetic testing, Colorado investigators identified the skull as David Michael Crady, who was born on Oct. 10, 1955, according to a news release from the Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s officials said Crady’s death investigation remains open and there are no leads regarding the circumstances of his death or how his skull ended up in Clear Creek County.
Crady’s skull — along with a nearby tooth fragment — was found lying next to a power pole near Silver Lakes Drive in Clear Creek County’s Lawson community on May 11, 2018, according to the news release. The skull was missing its lower jaw but otherwise appeared undamaged.
Later that month, an examination of the skull revealed Crady had been dead for at least four months, though more likely for one or more years, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators then sent the skull to the University of North Texas for DNA extraction. According to Wednesday’s release, they entered the DNA results into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
In 2023, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation took over the case and — by using “advanced genealogy techniques” — successfully found a DNA match for the skull, the release stated.
When CBI reached out to the match, investigators discovered family members had lost contact with a sibling “several years prior” and asked them to submit a DNA sample, sheriff’s officials said. In early May, CBI confirmed the identity with a 99.99% accuracy match.
“We deeply appreciate the efforts and collaboration of the University of North Texas, CBI, and our forensic experts,” Clear Creek County Sheriff Matthew Harris stated in the news release. “This identification will hopefully provide some closure for Mr. Crady’s family.”
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office at 303-679-2393.
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