WINNEBAGO COUNTY (NBC 26) — The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that it has identified the remains of a man that were discovered in 2015.
The Sheriff's Office said the remains belong to Roland D. Klug of Oshkosh, who was born in 1949. The Sheriff's Office said Klug's remains were found near where a set of railroad tracks cross County Road GG in the Town of Vinland.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Klug was a veteran who served in the Vietnam War and was originally from the Waupun, Wisconsin area.
The Sheriff's Office did not say how Klug died, but authorities did explain how they identified his remains.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the identification was made in large part with the assistance of Othram Inc. of Texas. The Sheriff's Office said Othram Inc. is a private DNA laboratory that utilizes a proprietary method called Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to process forensic evidence. They were instrumental in the recent identification of "Escatawpa Jane Doe" who was believed to be one of the earlier victims of the serial killer Samuel Little.
The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office sent biological material from Klug to Othram Inc. in order to generate a comprehensive genealogical profile. The Sheriff's Office hoped that this profile would help identify the man or a close family member.
Once a potential genealogy link was uncovered, the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office contacted the family and acquired familial DNA Standards for comparison and eventually, confirmed Klug's identity.
"The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the Winnebago County Coroner's Office, Othram Inc., and Dr. Jordan Karsten at UW Oshkosh, for their help in identifying Mr. Klug," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
The Sheriff's Office didn't release any other information.
