Human remains, found in 1973, finally identified as missing teen | FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
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Human remains, found in 1973, finally identified as missing teen

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Published  April 9, 2025 2:32pm CDT
Missing Persons
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Jimmy Dollison (Kansas Bureau of Investigation)

The Brief

    • A family finally has some answers more than 50 years after a 16-year-old went missing in Kansas. 
    • According to investigators, advanced DNA testing helped to identify the remains of Jimmy Dollison. 
    • Dollison went missing in late 1972. His body was found about six months later in April 1973. 

Investigators in Kansas have identified human remains more than 50 years after they were found. 

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, a family finally has answers thanks to new DNA tests in 2025.

Jimmy Dollison disappearance

The backstory:

According to KBI, the decomposing remains of an unidentified male were found on April 18, 1973, three miles southeast of Garnett, Kansas. The coroner ruled the death a homicide due to signs of trauma. 

He was found wearing a brown corduroy jacket, a green long-sleeved buttoned shirt, jeans, a black leather belt with a large belt buckle, brown hiking boots and a navy stocking cap. He was also wearing two gold rings with crosses, a ring with the number "78" and a silver chain with a large cross.

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At the time, investigators believed the man was about 20 years old with brown hair and a slender build. Despite several attempts, investigators hadn’t identified the remains or discovered what happened to him. 

In 2024, investigators took DNA samples from the remains, creating a DNA profile for genealogy testing to identify living relatives. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System paid for the testing. 

Investigators said early this year, the testing revealed relatives of the unidentified man. Eventually, they were able to piece together enough information to identify the remains as Jimmy Allen Dollison. 

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Dollison, a Kansas City, Kansas, resident, was 16 years old when he went missing in October or November 1972. His parents reported him missing, but they never got any answers about his disappearance. 

What's next:

The KBI and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office are continuing their investigation into Dollison’s death. Anyone with information is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or report tips online at https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

The Source: This report includes information from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. 

Missing PersonsKansas