Skeletal remains discovered in New Jersey decades ago have been identified as those of a 19th century captain.
The doomed ship Oriental sank in 1844 while carrying a load of marble from Connecticut to Philadelphia, which was intended for the construction of Girard College.
According to a news release, the vessel likely developed a leak, causing it to sink off the coast of Brigantine Shoal. The captain and all four crew members aboard the vessel perished.
The skeletal remains, including a skull, were discovered between 1993 and 2013 on various New Jersey beaches. The set of remains subsequently became known as “Scattered Man John Doe” after officials were unable to identify them.
In 2023, the New Jersey Police worked with the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College in attempt to identify the remains.
Several bone samples were uploaded to a genetic genealogy company, which submitted it to various DNA matching sites.
At the same time, students at Ramapo College used the DNA profile for their research. By analyzing ancestry matches, they traced the DNA back to the 1600s.
Over the following year, the team continued their investigation, eventually uncovering connections to Connecticut. This led them to explore historical shipwrecks off the coast of New Jersey.
That was when they came across a couple of news articles about the sinking of the 1844 ship. One article listed the crew members who were on board at the time, while another provided details about the wreck itself.
According to the article, there was a “tremendous storm” the night of the sinking, which prevented the ship from receiving any help from the shore.
Officials later found the body of one crew member who had been washed ashore and gave him a “decent burial.” No other remains were recovered at the time.
After reading the articles, the students were convinced that “Scattered Man John Doe” was Henry Goodsell, the ship’s captain.
At the time of his death, Goodsell was 29. He left behind a wife and three children.
In March 2025, New Jersey State Police collected a DNA sample from one of his great grand children.
A month later, results confirmed that “Scattered Man John Doe” was, in fact, Goodsell – making it one of the oldest cold cases ever to be solved using investigative genetic genealogy.
In total, the Investigative Genetic Genealology Center at Ramapo College has consulted on 92 cases. Just a couple of months ago, they helped identify the remains of a woman who vanished in 2014.
Their work also helped solve a decades-old cold case back in November 2024.
