COOS COUNTY, Ore. — More than five decades after skeletal remains were discovered near Highway 101 in Coos County, investigators have identified the victim through advances in forensic genetic genealogy, providing a breakthrough in a homicide case that has remained unsolved since 1972.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office Human Identification Program announced Tuesday that, in partnership with the Coos County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit, the remains have been identified as Armes Henry Lahti, who was born in 1909.
The remains were discovered on Aug. 26, 1972, in a brush-covered area off Highway 101 north of the Highway 42 junction. Investigators at the time believed the remains belonged to an older man. The victim was found with upper and lower denture plates and several articles of clothing, but none of the items provided clues to his identity. Based on evidence at the scene, authorities classified the case as a homicide.
Over the decades, investigators pursued numerous avenues in an effort to identify the victim.
In 2014, DNA was extracted from the remains and sequenced by the University of North Texas Human Identification Center for entry into the Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS). Despite the effort, no matches were found.
Using grant funding from the National Institute of Justice, investigators later attempted Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) profiling and forensic genetic genealogy through several laboratories. Those efforts were unsuccessful because the remains did not initially yield enough DNA for analysis.
The investigation took a significant turn in 2025 when the Coos County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit submitted additional evidence to Othram Inc., a forensic laboratory specializing in genetic genealogy. Scientists successfully extracted and sequenced an SNP profile, which indicated the unidentified man had 100% Finnish ancestry.
The genetic profile was then provided to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which developed a likely identity for the victim. Subsequent family reference DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to Armes Henry Lahti.
“This long-awaited identification reflects years of dedicated work, collaborative science, and advances in modern genetic genealogy,” said State Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Hailey Collord-Stalder. “This outcome would not be possible without the ongoing cooperation among multiple law enforcement agencies, private scientific partners, and volunteers committed to resolving cold cases.”
Although the victim has now been identified, investigators continue to pursue the homicide investigation.
The Coos County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit is asking anyone with information related to the case to contact investigators at 541-396-7800.
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