DNA Identifies Man Missing Since 2016 After Remains Found in 2020

A California family finally learned what happened to the remains discovered in a remote area of Madera County six years ago: forensic testing identified them as Kent Cross, who had been missing since 2016. Investigators announced the identification October 26, ending a long period in which both a disappearance and an unidentified-remains case remained unresolved.

Cross’s father reported him missing in October 2016. Search efforts failed to locate him. In 2020, human remains were discovered near McLeod Flatt, north of Road 274, but available testing did not establish whose they were.

A discovery that waited years for identification

The remains found in 2020 became the subject of a separate forensic problem. Investigators knew where the bones were recovered but lacked a confirmed identity. Without an identification, the authorities could not provide relatives with a definitive answer about the material they had found.

In July 2026, a Madera County Sheriff’s Office crime specialist submitted the remains to Othram, a Texas forensic laboratory that works with difficult identification cases. The lab developed a DNA profile suitable for forensic genetic genealogy, a technique that can generate leads from genetic relationships.

That work did not by itself become the final identification. The investigative lead was followed by additional testing at the California Department of Justice Bureau of Forensic Science. Officials said the testing confirmed that the remains belonged to Cross.

Family notified after confirmation

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office notified Cross’s family before disclosing his name publicly. Officials said relatives described a long-standing connection between Cross and the location where the remains had been found.

The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association credited the Madera County Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Scene Specialist Daniella Romero with revisiting the unidentified remains and coordinating forensic assistance. The association also acknowledged the roles of Othram and California justice department scientists.

What the new finding does and does not answer

The sheriff’s announcement identified the remains as Kent Cross. Authorities have not announced a cause or manner of death.

The date of disappearance in 2016 and the discovery of remains in 2020 leave an interval that the announcement does not explain. The confirmed DNA identification resolves one essential question while leaving other circumstances unreported.

For the family, the change is nonetheless substantial. After years without a confirmed location for Cross, authorities could connect the remains to his name and return information to relatives who had been waiting since his father filed the missing-person report.

References: California Statewide Law Enforcement Association | People

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