KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The skull of a man found two years ago by tree trimmers in Knoxville has at last been identified.
The remains of Cody Wilhite, who was born in 1991, were found in November 2022, according to Othram Inc., a Texas-based forensic firm that specializes in identifying remains that once had no hope of being confirmed. It's not known how long his remains had been in the dense brush and trees before discovery.
After the skull was found, experts at the Knox County Regional Forensic Center confirmed it belonged to a male between 20 and 35 years of age. The details were posted on the database of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, also known as NamUs.
The database is a reference resource for all of the hundreds of people missing or unidentified in Tennessee and across the U.S.
Little progress was made on determining the man's name until the Forensic Center sent evidence to Othram for advanced DNA testing.
Othram developed a DNA profile and then conducted genealogy research to try to find blood relatives of the man. Also, authorities got a tip about the man's possible identity.
From there, authorities were able to positively identify Wilhite as the deceased person.
He'd been missing since 2020. Court records show he'd previously had a Jefferson City address.