Kentucky State Police is continuing to investigate the human remains found in Lake Barkley last month with samples sent to a lab for DNA testing.
State Police Post 1 Spokesman Adam Jones said a sample of the remains will undergo rapid DNA testing to attempt to determine the person’s identity. He said it’s one of the first times they have used the rapid DNA process for identification purposes.
While rapid DNA testing has been around since 2010, a 2017 law has given law enforcement the option of using the technology that is admissible in court. Rapid DNA provides a DNA profile within 90 minutes and is used to help solve a backlog of unsolved violent crimes.
Jones said he didn’t know a timetable of when the results would be released. He added investigators are continuing to investigate missing person reports from surrounding states. While he said they have fielded several calls from other police agencies, there have been no firm leads in establishing the identity.
Kentucky State Police were notified by Stewart County, Tennessee officials on June 27 about possible human remains in Lake Barkley, just north of the U.S. 68 bridge.
