Sandoval County Sheriff's Office: 83% of unidentified human remains identified in past 18 months; three cases detailed

At a news briefing, an official with the Sandoval County Sheriff's Office said investigators have identified "83 percent of unidentified human remains" in the past 18 months and described three cases that were solved or clarified using forensic science and genetic genealogy.

County Manager Wayne Johnson, joined by representatives from the Albuquerque and Corrales police departments, emphasized interagency collaboration. "Teamwork is what this is all about," Johnson said, noting the sheriff hired an experienced investigator two years ago to focus on cold cases.

Detective Donald Schooning, who introduced himself as a detective for the Sandoval County Sheriff's Office, gave a case-by-case account. He said traditional investigative methods had been exhausted in many cold files and credited advances in forensic science, specialized labs and dedicated detective time for recent…