Jawbone found along river in 2022, officials say. Now it’s identified as missing man

Skeletal remains that were found in Washington have been identified as a man that went missing in 2022, officials said.

In June 2022, remains were found on a beach in Clatskanie, Oregon, about 60 miles northwest of Portland, and were determined to be Barry M. Rezansoff, according to a Feb. 13 news release by the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office.

Then partial remains found in Washington were determined to belong to him too.

In July 2022, a jawbone was found on a beach in Kalama, about 40 miles north of Portland, Oregon, the coroner’s office said.

The limited details of the case were put into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and named “Kalama Tide Water Skeletal Remains,” according to DNA Solves.

In October 2022, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Othram, a company specializing in forensic genetic genealogy, officials said.

The skeletal remains were sent to Othram’s laboratory in Texas where scientists created a DNA profile using DNA from the evidence, officials said.

After Othram came back to detectives with leads, investigators used dental records to identify the remains as Rezansoff, officials said.

Rezansoff, described in his obituary as “intelligent, compassionate, and sensitive,” was reported missing in January 2022 “following an undiagnosed illness and the May 2020 death of his wife,” officials said.

Rezansoff was known to help “those who needed a hand” and will be remembered for his “love of nature, fitness and his musical abilities,” according to his obituary.

Kalama is about 135 miles south of Seattle.

This story was originally published February 14, 2024 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Jawbone found along river in 2022, officials say. Now it’s identified as missing man."