Mysterious bones that washed up on Jersey Shore finally identified 180 years after tragedy

Mysterious bones that washed up on Jersey Shore finally identified 180 years after tragedy

Discovery may be oldest case ever solved using investigative genetic genealogy

Experts recently identified bones that washed ashore on several New Jersey beaches over the past three decades. (Getty Images; New Jersey State Police)

Henry Goodsell's remains were known as Scattered Man John Doe until the recent discovery. (New Jersey State Police)

Students were able to learn about Goodsell's life and his "untimely fate" from various 19th-century newspapers. (Ramapo College of New Jersey)

Archival documents helped point Ramapo College students in the right direction during their research. (Ramapo College of New Jersey)