Kentucky officials have successfully identified a body discovered in Boyd County in 2020 as 26-year-old Zachary Tyler Pearson from St. Albans, West Virginia. According to the Boyd County Coroner’s Office, Pearson, previously referred to as “EastPark John Doe”, was found in a shallow grave at the EastPark industrial development center close to I-64 by two hunters in July 2020. The body, which was “mostly skeletonized”, had lain undiscovered for between two weeks and a month, authorities estimate.
Pearson is believed to have died from a gunshot wound, although it remains unclear whether the crime occurred at the discovery site or elsewhere. Furthermore, a toxicology report indicated the presence of drugs in Pearson’s system at the time of his death.
After initial forensic DNA testing failed to identify Pearson, the case’s evidence was forwarded to the Othram company in Texas. Utilizing a specialized DNA extraction technique, they constructed a DNA profile to facilitate a genealogy search, eventually identifying potential relatives.
Boyd County Coroner Mark Hammond expressed his gratitude to everyone involved, stating that the identification brings them “one step closer” to solving the case. Pearson had no known connections to Kentucky, and the focus of the investigation now shifts to finding the perpetrator(s) of the murder. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact Kentucky State Police Post 14 at 606-928-6421.
