Overview
- The DNA Doe Project, working with Astrea Forensics, generated a profile from degraded bones and used GEDmatch to locate second- and third-cousin matches.
- Henry County, Illinois, confirmed the identification on Jan. 10, 2026 and now leads an active homicide investigation.
- A postman found the skull near a creek southeast of Geneseo on Oct. 27, 1966, and the FBI determined a bullet hole at the base of the skull was the cause of death.
- Ventura County opened a missing-person case in 1984 for Cole, who vanished in 1965, and previously named his half-brother David LaFever a prime suspect; LaFever died in 2007 without being charged.
- Investigators are coordinating across Illinois and California as Cole’s family prepares for burial, with questions remaining about how his remains were found in Illinois.