Forensic DNA Leads to the Identification of Georgia man 10 years after disappearance – Zip Tie Found near Remains Triggers New investigation

The mystery that was being witnessed in Paulding County, Georgia, over the course of a decade has finally been solved with the assistance of sophisticated forensic DNA technology. This breakthrough occurred in collaboration with the forensic genetics laboratory Othram (in conjunction with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Paulding County Sheriff Office) allowed experts to determine the existence of skeletal remains that were discovered in 2021 in relation to a man named Thomas Joe Kratzer who disappeared over a decade ago.

In September 2021, the property owner found the remains in a forested location in Dallas, Georgia. In addition to the bones, investigators had discovered a worn zip tie, clothing pieces, and two abandoned vehicles. The police indicated that one of the vehicles was attached to a known gang member and this of itself created instant suspicion that foul play was involved. But the remains were too corrupted by the environment and time to be identified by traditional means. The first forensic examinations were only sufficient to assert that it was the remains of a White male between the ages of 24-60 years, but there was no additional result. Detectives in 2023 sent preserved bone and tooth fragments to the state-of-the-art lab at Othram in Texas that focuses on extracting DNA on samples that are extremely degraded. With the next-generation sequencing and the forensic genetic genealogy, Othram researchers were able to construct a viable genetic profile. This was cross-referenced with the databases of genealogies, yielding relatives of Kratzer who would have been reported missing last seen alive in October 2013, but would not have been reported again in early 2014.

The identification was confirmed by the Paulding County Sheriff office in November 2025 allowing a long-awaited closure to the family of Kratzer. Nowadays, thanks to modern science and tenacity, we understand what happened to Tom, said the spokesperson of Sheriff, Lt. Ashley Henson. Forensic confirmation does not end the investigation into that crime, as the investigation is still going on. Detectives are examining the zip tie and objects located near the site of the crime to find trace evidence, fingerprints or DNA belonging to possible suspects. Homicide has not been eliminated by the investigators.

The police called on anyone who had a hint about Kratzer disappearance or the cars found at the scene to step forward, noting that forensic technology would have probably resolved the identity, but not yet the mystery of his death.