KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knox County Regional Forensics Center has identified a man after his remains were found on I-275 at the Woodland Avenue entrance ramp for more than two decades.
The remains were identified as Brian A. Sanderson, a white male estimated to be between 5 feet and 5 feet 2 inches and between the ages of 40 and 60 years old. The cause of Sanderson's death remains unsolved.
A passerby discovered the remains on Nov. 30, 2003, on I-275 near the railroad track. Recovery and examination of the corpse was led by the Knoxville Police Department and an anthropology team from the University of Tennessee.
After a DNA sample was submitted in 2008 to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the forensic center took possession of the remains in 2017. In 2022 the remains were matched by Othram, a company specializing in cold cases through DNA analysis and genealogy.
“We work diligently every day to try to identify every decedent and connect them with their next of kin, regardless of how long they’ve been here,” Chris Thomas, the Center’s Chief Administrative Officer, said. “We want the families to have closure.”