Ozarks Unsolved: New DNA technology gives fresh leads in Pulaski County cold case 13 years later

PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (KY3) -13 years after a child’s skull was found near Highway 28 south of Dixon, Mo., investigators with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office say new forensic technology is giving them fresh leads.

John Dixon Doe’s skull was discovered on Oct. 26, 2013, by high school students who were looking for a spot to take senior photos, according to Pulaski County investigators.

Detective Melinda French with the sheriff’s office picked up the suspended cold case in May of this year and says they still don’t know what led to his death.

“If he was killed and dumped, we don’t know, since we only found the skull, we don’t know if an animal drug it from someplace,” French said. “We don’t know if the family dumped it.”

In November 2014, national agencies searched the woods for clues without luck.

Pulaski County investigators at that time were unaware of Doe’s gender and had facial reconstruction renderings that led investigators to believe Doe was of Hispanic or Native American descent. Older renderings indicated Doe was around 10 to 13 years of age and believed to have died between 1967 and 1970.

Now, through forensic facial reconstruction renderings that the department received in August 2026, investigators have fresh leads.

“Doe was thought of to be Hispanic or Native American ancestry,” French said. “With the testing that have been done recently, Doe is of South Asian ancestry.”

Data also reveals Doe could have been from areas like India, Yemen, or Bangladesh.

“Once we found out that Doe has South Asian ancestry, then it really made us wonder, what is this kid doing here? You know, really, in rural Missouri,” French said.

New findings show Doe was around 8 to 13 years old and likely died in the mid 1960s — nearly 50 years before his skull was found.

“The thing that is concerning is that he was never even considered missing,” she said.

French says she continues to work with the DNA Doe Project and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to trace Doe’s genealogical family history and reunite him with his family.

“He deserves to be identified; he deserves to go home,” French said. “And I would like very much for him to be able to be with his family.”

Investigators ask anyone with tips to call the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.