Skeletal remains of Vietnam veteran found in Arizona identified after nearly 50 years

After nearly five decades, the skeletal remains discovered in Arizona have been identified as those of a Vietnam veteran from Minnesota, bringing closure to a long-standing mystery.

The remains of Gerald Francis Long were found 40 miles east of Flagstaff off Meteor City Road on April 19, 1975, by farmers in pursuit of a runaway pig. Despite numerous leads, the victim, known as Munsingwear Doe due to the brand jacket found with the remains, remained unidentified for over 49 years.

Forensic Breakthrough

In August 2023, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office turned to forensic genetic genealogy, working with Intermountain Forensics of Salt Lake City, Utah. By developing a genetic genealogy DNA profile of the victim and comparing it with existing profiles available in genealogy databases, investigators made a significant breakthrough.

Forensic investigators identified a potential family line and, by February, found Long to be a possible match for the remains. Contact was made with one of Long’s surviving family members, revealing his service in the U.S. Army during Vietnam. It was uncovered that Long enlisted in January 1969 and deployed later that year.

Unraveling the Mystery

In a poignant turn of events, the FBI Laboratory’s Latent Print Unit compared partial fingerprints collected from the remains in 1975 to known fingerprint records belonging to Long, resulting in a positive match. Additionally, DNA collected from Long’s family was compared with that from the remains, ultimately proving to be a match.

Unknown Circumstances

Long's cause of death, which was not determined in 1975, remains unknown to this day. His family disclosed that Long returned to Minnesota in February 1972 and was discharged from the Army a month later. His last contact with them was in October 1972 when he expressed his intention to leave Minnesota for the West Coast. Sadly, that was the last time his family saw or heard from him.