Man Finally Identified 23 Years After Body Found Near Denver River

DENVER, CO – Nearly 23 years after the body of an unknown man was found near the South Platte River by National Western Dr., the case has been solved, according to the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.

The man, finally named as 52-year-old Preston Christensen, of Minnesota, first went missing in December 1999, the department wrote in a statement.

Officials explained that a clay model of his face was made in an attempt to identify him at the time.

More than two decades later, thanks to advances in DNA testing, investigators were able to use his DNA to identify a family member of Christensen’s who came into the office to submit a DNA sample, according to the statement. The sample matched.

“Thank you for your hard work in solving these difficult cases and giving families some closure,” the department wrote.

According to the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner, the agency has averaged around one unidentified person per year since 1980. A list of open unidentified persons cases can be found on www.DenverGov.org.