Michael Baker is the first success story for the North Carolina Cold Case Initiative, a group that combines anthropology, investigative work and genealogy to match unidentified remains with the missing and the murdered.
CAROLINA'S NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AND LONG CARE FACILITIES. >>> MORE THAN 15 YEARS AGO SOME YOUNG BOYS FOUND A SKELETON INSIDE THIS HOUSE IN HARNETT COUNTY. TONIGHT THOSE REMAINS HAVE A NAME AND A FAMILY HAS ANSWERS BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF A SMALL GROUP OF SCIENTISTS AND INVESTIGATORS. THEY ARE PART OF THE NORTH CAROLINA COLD CASE INITIATIVE WORKING TO MATCH UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS WITH THE MISSING AND MURDERED AND THIS CASE WITH THEIR FIRST BREAKTHROUGH. >> THIS IS THE LIST. 128 CASES OF UNI TENT GUYED RE DEBIT -- UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS. A LOT OF THEM GO UNSOLVED. HARNETT COUNTY HAS TAKEN ONE CASE OFF THIS LIST. >> IT WASN'T EXACTLY HA WHAT A GROUP OF LITTLE BOYS EXPECTED TO FIND WHEN THEY CHASE THIRD DOG BEHIND AN ABANDONED BURNED HOME IN 2005. >> I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A FAKE SKELETON. THEN I GOT TO LOOKING AT IT AND I SAW IT WAS ACTUALLY A REAL SKELETON. WE WENT AND CAN GOT MY MOM. >> FOR 15 YEARS THERE WERE NO LEADS. >> HE DISAPPEARED AND NO SIGNS OF HIM TILL RECENTLY. >> THE AN MAN HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS 24-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL BAKER, A DRIFTER. >> IN THE END IT BRINGS CLOSURE TO A FAMILY. >> THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ANNOUNCED TODAY THEY SOLVED THE CASE THANKS TO THE NORTH CAROLINA COLD CASE INITIATIVE FUNDED BY A STATE GRANT AND SPEAR HEADED BY NC STATE. ITS THE FIRST CASE THEY HAVE SOLVED. >> IT IS JUST THE FIRST STEP SO WE THINK WE ARE SO EXCITED THAT THIS MEANS THAT WE MAKE MORE BREAKS ON THE OTHER 13 CASE WE HAVE. >> ROSS EXAMINES THE BONES, THE REMAINS GO THROUGH HIGH LEVEL DNA TESTING AND RESULTS ARE SENT TO FORENSIC GENEALOGISTS WHO BUILD A FAMILY TREE TRYING TO GET INVESTIGATORS AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO AN IDENTITY. >> WE ARE USING DNA TO TRACE THEIR FAMILY ROOTS, THEIR HISTORY AND THROUGH THEIR RELATIVES COME TO A CONCLUSION. >> NOW I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE WORK OF THE NC COLD CASE INITIATIVE FOR MORE THAN A YEAR FOR A NEW PODCAST THAT WE ARE HOSTING CALLED WHAT REMAINS AS PART OF A CAPITAL BROADCASTING PODCAST NETWORK. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW WHEN IT LAUNCH ES YOU CAN DROP ME AN E-MAIL. BAKER'S FAMILY HAS ASKED FOR PRIVACY BUT TOLD INVESTIGATORS THEY WERE GRATEFUL THEY WERE ABLE TO FINALLY PUT SOME CLOSURE TO THIS CASE.
