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1991 Swamp Remains Identified as Man Missing Since 1976 After DNA Genealogy Breakthrough

06:25 AM, 12/02/2025
1991 Swamp Remains Identified as Man Missing Since 1976 After DNA Genealogy Breakthrough

The New York State Police announced that skeletal remains recovered when a swamp in Greenville, Orange County, was drained on Sept. 14, 1991, have been identified as Mikolai Celesz, who vanished in 1976 at age 76. Forensic DNA developed by Othram in 2024, combined with genetic genealogy and family DNA comparisons in 2025, produced a conclusive match. FBI document analysis linked the case to Port Jervis, where a 1976 missing-person blotter entry for Celesz was found. Investigations into the circumstances of his disappearance remain ongoing.

Human skeletal remains recovered when a swamp off Woods Road in the Town of Greenville, Orange County, New York, was drained on Sept. 14, 1991, have been conclusively identified as Mikolai Celesz, a man who disappeared in 1976 at age 76, state investigators said.

At the original scene, officers located a skull and additional skeletal material concentrated within a seven-foot radius, with portions of the remains buried beneath roughly one foot of earth. A number of personal items were also recovered, but long exposure to the elements and prolonged submersion rendered them unhelpful for identification at the time.

How the identification was achieved

After decades with no definitive leads, new forensic work in 2024 and 2025 produced a breakthrough:

  • In 2024, the New York State Police submitted the skeletal remains to Othram, a laboratory that specializes in building DNA profiles from degraded or limited human samples. Othram generated a comprehensive DNA profile.
  • That profile was used to perform forensic genetic genealogy searches, and personal property recovered at the scene was sent to the FBI’s Questioned Documents Unit in Quantico. The FBI analysis suggested the individual may have been a resident of Port Jervis, New York.
  • Port Jervis police located a hard-copy blotter entry dated Oct. 1, 1976, which included a missing-person report for Mikolai Celesz. In 2025, investigators conducted historical research and obtained DNA samples from family members; comparison confirmed the match.

Authorities say the identification marks the 17th public case in New York in which officials have used technology developed by Othram to name an individual. Details surrounding Celesz’s disappearance remain under active investigation.

Request for information

Anyone with information about Celesz’s disappearance is asked to contact NYSP Troop F Communications at (845) 344-5300 and reference case number 3021756. The New York State Police expressed gratitude to the FBI, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the City of Port Jervis Police Department for their assistance.

Note: This account removes organizational news credits to present the findings as a standalone report and preserves the names of investigating agencies and forensic laboratories involved.

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