CANAL POINT, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — The remains were found on a quiet stretch of trail in western Palm Beach County, and for years they did not have a name.
On June 12, 2021, a couple walking the scenic trail inside the Canal Point Recreation Area along the eastern shoreline of Lake Okeechobee discovered skeletal remains, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Division responded to investigate. The Palm Beach County Office of the Medical Examiner also responded and collected the unidentified human remains.
Investigators said there were no immediate leads that explained how the person died. The cause and manner of death were not determined at the time, and the case stalled without a confirmed identity.
That changed years later when the Sheriff’s Office began using forensic investigative genetic genealogy to push the case forward.
In 2025, PBSO said it began working with Othram, a private laboratory that specializes in complex forensic DNA testing and genealogy-based identification. The effort was aimed at identifying the person whose remains were recovered in Canal Point.
PBSO said that in a short period of time, Othram provided investigative leads generated through genealogy research. Those leads, detectives said, gave the agency a new direction after the case had remained unresolved.
In September 2025, PBSO Cold Case Unit detectives traveled within the United States to follow up on the genealogy leads and collect additional samples from people believed to be relatives of the decedent, PBSO said.
Less than two months later, the remains were identified.
On Oct. 27, 2025, PBSO said the decedent was identified as William Wolfgang McKinnis of Boston, Massachusetts. McKinnis was a veteran of the United States military.
PBSO credited the identification to a collaboration between PBSO Senior Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogist Stacey Baker, Othram, the Palm Beach County Office of the Medical Examiner, and detectives assigned to the PBSO Cold Case Unit.
With a name now attached to the case, PBSO is asking the public for help filling in what happened between 2019 and 2021.
According to PBSO, McKinnis lived what investigators described as a transient lifestyle and was estranged from family members prior to his death. Records reviewed by investigators indicate he traveled between Cocoa and Hollywood during the summer of 2019, PBSO said.
Detectives are now seeking information from anyone who may have known McKinnis or encountered him between 2019 and 2021, and who may have information that could explain what led to his death.
The case also highlights how forensic genetic genealogy is increasingly being used to identify unknown remains and reopen stalled investigations—especially when traditional leads are limited or nonexistent.
PBSO urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at **TIPS or 1-800-458-TIPS. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by downloading the “PBSO” app for Apple or Android and using the “See Something” feature through pbsoapp.com.
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