Identified: Thomas Aquinas Cooney, Highway 33 John Doe 1981
For Immediate Release
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Redgrave Research Forensic Services announce Development in Case of Highway 33 John Doe Ojai CA 1981
Orange, Massachusetts, November 11 2025 – The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Redgrave Research Forensic Services have confirmed the identity of Highway 33 John Doe as Thomas Aquinas Cooney, originally from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
On February 1, 1981, the partial remains of a young man were found near mile marker 43.50 on Highway 33. The decedent was wearing a green army-style jacket and military-issue glasses. The autopsy indicated the remains belonged to a young man, likely in his 20s between 5'7" and 5'8" tall with a slight build and excellent dental work. His cause and manner of death were undetermined.
In August 2025, Araseli Acevedo of the Ventura County SO’s Cold Case Unit enlisted Redgrave Research Forensic Services to attempt to identify these remains using Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG). A cursory analysis of the DNA showed that the decedent’s ancestors were of European descent. A significant number of John Doe’s genetic cousins had Slovak ancestry.
In September 2025, Redgrave Research found a probable sibling group very likely to include the decedent. After one of the members of this sibling group was contacted, they consented to uploading their DNA to GEDMatch to compare with the decedent’s. They also mentioned that one of their brothers had gone missing prior to the discovery of the remains. The family had done extensive searching as well as hired a private investigator in hopes of finding their missing relative, but unfortunately they were unable to find out what happened to him. Direct one-to-one comparison of the sibling’s DNA to the deceased revealed their shared DNA is consistent with that of a sibling relationship, confirming the deceased is their brother, Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient Thomas Aquinas Cooney, born October 5, 1950 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
”Thomas Aquinas Cooney can finally rest with his name restored. My heart goes out to his family, who searched for so long. Thank you to everyone who worked to bring him home." Investigator Araseli Acevedo of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.
“We are honored to assist in giving Tom his name back,” remarked Dr. Anthony Redgrave of Redgrave Research Forensic Services. “Our team extends our deep condolences to his family and friends, and we hope that having an answer as to what happened to him brings them some peace, even if it’s not the answer anyone ever wants.”
Mr. Cooney’s cause of death is still unknown. Anyone who has any information about his whereabouts prior to the discovery of his remains should contact Araseli Acevedo from VCSO at (805) 383-8739 or email coldcase@venturacounty.gov. Please read VCSO's announcement here.
Redgrave Research Forensic Services LLC is a Forensic Genetic Genealogy company based in Orange, Massachusetts. Redgrave Research has been partnering with law enforcement since 2019 to identify unidentified deceased people and perpetrators of violent crimes.
Contact Information:
Dr. Anthony Redgrave, Ed.D.
Redgrave Research Forensic Services LLC
redgraveresearch@gmail.com
www.redgraveresearch.com
Facebook: fb.com/redgraveresearch
Instagram: @redgraveresearch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/redgrave-research-forensic-services-llc
Redgrave Research Forensic Genetic Genealogy Team on this case:
Dr. Anthony Redgrave (Team Lead)
Lee Bingham Redgrave (Team Lead)
Nate Mears (Co-Team-Lead)
Samantha Dunne
Andrea McCarthy
Danielle Perry
Jenna Robertson
Viktor Veltstra
Read more about Thomas Aquinas Cooney
- Remains in decades-old Ojai cold case identified
- John Doe Identified
- Remains found in Southern California in 1981 identified using DNA
- New DNA technology helps identify more than four decade old human remains found in Ventura County
- Skeletal remains discovered near Ojai in 1981 identified as Vietnam veteran Thomas Cooney
