IDENTIFIED: Chittenden County John Doe (2011)

The Announcement:

In April of 2026, the DNA Doe Project made a huge announcement: the fragmented remains of a John Doe found on the shores of Lake Champlain in 2011 had been identified.

The Investigation:

In January of 2023, Burlington police contacted the DNA Doe Project to assist with identifying the John Doe. A group of volunteers began working on the case, with the team leader Adina Newman saying,

“As a specialist in Jewish genetic genealogy, I was brought on to assist when this case was already underway. It was clear that this case would be an uphill battle as we faced all the challenges that can arise with Jewish genealogy, such as record accessibility, name changes, linguistic barriers, and more.”

The man was found to have Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, with his DNA being traced to a woman who immigrated to the US from Belgium. The woman had a son, Arthur Weiss, who had died several months before the remains were found, leading to the identification.

Arthur Weiss as a young man.

The Victim:

The man was 87-year-old Arthur Weiss, who had died eight months prior to being discovered in New York City. Arthur’s remains were cremated, with a friend scattering them on in Oakledge Park in Burlington, Vermont. This would later be confirmed by Arthur’s daughter.

Sources:

“DNA Doe Project identifies remains found in Vermont in 2011.” The DNA Doe Project, 2026.

WCAX News Team. “Burlington ‘John Doe’ identified 15 years after skull fragment found.” WCAX, 2026.

Cusanelli, Michael. “DNA research helps solve case of ‘Burlington John Doe’ found near Lake Champlain.” WPTZ, 2026.