Cold Case Identity Revealed, 1991 Swamp Remains Linked to Missing Man
New York State Police announced investigators identified skeletal remains found in a drained swamp off Woods Road in Greenville in 1991 as Mikolai Celesz, a man reported missing from the Port Jervis area in 1976. The identification closes a decades long mystery for surviving relatives and highlights how forensic genetic genealogy and old case records can revive stalled investigations.
New York State Police confirmed this week that skeletal remains recovered on September 14, 1991 from a drained swamp off Woods Road in Greenville have been identified as Mikolai Celesz, who was reported missing from the Port Jervis area in 1976. Investigators said personal items had been recovered at the original scene but those artifacts did not yield a conclusive identification at the time, leaving the case unsolved for decades.
The breakthrough began when police obtained DNA from the remains in 2024. This year, forensic genetic genealogy work combined with DNA samples supplied by surviving family members produced a conclusive identification. Investigators also re examined a 1976 police blotter entry and conducted targeted interviews after following a lead from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Questioned Documents Unit, which helped focus the inquiry on Port Jervis and surrounding communities.
Officials noted the cause of death remains unknown. State Police have asked anyone with information to contact Troop F and reference case number 3021756. If you have memories, records, photographs, or other material from the mid 1970s in the Port Jervis area, now is the moment to come forward. Even small details can help clarify circumstances and provide context that DNA evidence alone cannot supply.
For family members and neighbors this identification can provide long sought closure. For the broader community it is a reminder that preservation of records and cooperation with investigators can be decisive years later. The case also demonstrates the growing role of forensic genetic genealogy in cold cases, and the value of revisiting old files with new technology and fresh leads.
If you have information, contact Troop F and reference case number 3021756. Preserve any physical evidence if you believe it is connected to the case, and document dates and names before contacting police. New leads can reopen avenues of inquiry that bring answers to families and help law enforcement pursue unresolved questions about how and why a life was lost.
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