Volunteers Solve 45-Year Mystery, Reunite Family

After 45 years of questions, a family finally learned what happened to Eddie Devone, thanks to volunteers who donated hundreds of hours to crack a cold case.

Devone was just 24 years old when his body was found along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in 1981. Police checked hospitals, took fingerprints, and searched missing persons reports, but every lead ran cold.

The breakthrough came from an unexpected place. Matthew Waterfield, a volunteer genealogist living in London, England, took the lead through the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that helps identify unknown people using genetic genealogy.

"All of the research we provide is completely pro bono," Waterfield said. "Even if a case takes hundreds or thousands of hours to resolve, we can put in that time because all of the people working on that case are volunteers."

The DNA trail led to North Carolina, far from where Devone was found. Waterfield's team traced the genetic matches to a couple, but couldn't find any connection to the Baltimore-D.C. area or any missing family members.

Then came the surprise discovery. That North Carolina couple had given up a daughter for adoption 100 years ago, and that daughter had moved to Baltimore while staying in touch with some biological family members.

U.S. Park Police traveled to North Carolina to interview relatives, and the family tree eventually led them back to the D.C. region. Detectives tracked down Devone's sister, who learned about her brother's fate decades after he had become estranged from the family.

"That's pretty much why there was no missing person report," said Lt. Daniel Bahamonde of U.S. Park Police. "It was good closure for them, but to be honest, they weren't even aware that they were missing."

The Ripple Effect

The DNA Doe Project has already helped solve other local mysteries, including identifying 59-year-old Darryl Williamson in a 2022 Washington D.C. case. But the impact goes beyond individual families.

Many volunteers joined after taking DNA tests that revealed surprises in their own family trees. They turned personal discoveries into a mission to help others find answers, proving that passion and dedication can match professional expertise.

"They are passionate people who had a career and started getting into genetic genealogy on the side, and then became so good at it that they decided to lend their skills in a different way," Waterfield said.

The work isn't easy or cheap. DNA analysis requires costly laboratory work before volunteers can even begin their research, which is why the nonprofit also helps families apply for grants and solicits donations to cover lab costs.

Every case solved means another family with answers, another name restored, and another volunteer inspired to keep going.