An identification has been made in a case where on December 24 of 1995 metal detector enthusiasts found a human skull near the Roanoke River in Garysburg.
Lieutenant Alan B. Roye of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office said the identity of the person is Edward Evans, who according to the medical examiner was between 60- to 70-years when the human remains were examined.
Roye said the opinion of the medical examiner is that Evans died of natural causes and had died probably two to three years before his remains were found.
For Roye, the eventual identification of Evans holds promise for similar cases. “I have never had anything like this before,” he said. “It’s phenomenal technology has advanced so much. All it took was his grandson submitting his DNA to a database. I think we’ll start seeing more of these identified around the world. It’s one of the most spectacular things I’ve been involved in. It gives me hope that more cases will have the same results.”
Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith said in a statement, “We pray and hope this will bring closure for Mr. Evans’ family. The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office will always do everything it can in similar cases.”
Background
On December 24, 1995, metal detectorists were enjoying their hobby near the Roanoke River in the Garysburg area when they came upon what they thought was a large smooth stone.
After picking it up, they discovered that it was a human skull.
They called the Northampton County Sheriff's Office. Officers responded and upon a closer examination of the area found an intact skeleton.
The skeleton was covered with a thin layer of soil and leaves. It was clothed in a pair of brown pants and a dark coat.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assisted the sheriff's office with exhuming the remains, which were then transported to the North Carolina State Medical Examiner's Office in Raleigh where an examination was performed.
The medical examiner determined that the deceased was an approximately 60- to 70-year-old black male who stood 5-feet 9-inches tall and would have weighed approximately 150 to 170 pounds.
It was determined that the person had been deceased two to three years.
All possible missing persons in the area were ruled out.
2013 DNA extraction
In 2013, a DNA extraction was performed and the information was loaded into the NamUS database with no matching results found.
In December of 2018 Roye took over the case and in September of 2019, portions of the skeletal remains were sent to Othram Inc. in The Woodlands, Texas for further advanced technological DNA processing, which was funded by the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office. With the advanced DNA in place, Othram Inc. conducted genealogical research funded by the National Center for the Missing and Endangered in Jackson.
Match found
On February 11 a match was found in a genealogical database.
The match was Orlando Harper of Pittsburgh.
Roye contacted Harper who told him that he had submitted his DNA because he was doing research to find out more about his family. He stated that the deceased is possibly his grandfather Edward Evans, who was estranged from the family and had not been seen in over 30 years and was never reported missing.
He was last seen by his grandson Victor Harper — Orlando’s brother — in 1982 at their home in Salisbury, Maryland.
A DNA swab was obtained from Gladys Evans Harper of Salisbury who is Orlando's mother. This DNA sample was submitted for comparison and the SBI compiled a family tree based on this information.
The DNA of the deceased matched that of Gladys Evans Harper.
The deceased is officially identified as Edward Evans the father of Gladys Evans Harper and grandfather of Orlando Harper.
According to World War II draft records found, Edward Evans was born on March 16, 1906 in Northampton County and was then living in Franklin, Virginia.
Roye is still trying to locate other information about Edward Evans such as family in Northampton County.
Further comments by the sheriff
Smith thanked the National Center for the Missing and Endangered for their assistance and what he described as a generous donation. “They are a local organization and are very much appreciated.”
Said Smith: “The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation have worked closely together for years on this case and their assistance is paramount in cases such as this.”
He said he was also thankful for the state medical examiner’s office for its assistance.
“A special big thanks goes to Othram Inc. for their amazing work in advanced DNA research. Without them, this person would not have been identified.”
Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Roye at 252-534-2611 ext. 7414 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
