DNA Technology Leads to Identification of Remains as Missing Snellville Teen

In a major development in a case that had been unresolved for nearly four years, authorities in DeKalb County, Georgia, have successfully identified the remains of a young man found in Tucker in 2020. Advances in DNA technology have revealed that the deceased is Josiah Campbell, an 18-year-old from Snellville who vanished in September 2020.

The remains were discovered in October 2020 by a lawn maintenance company behind a business parking lot in Tucker. Deputies at the time identified the remains as belonging to a Black male approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 113 pounds, wearing a clear stud earring. Despite these details and a sketch artist’s depiction, the man’s identity remained unknown. The case was added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, but no immediate leads or matches were found.

In 2024, DeKalb County authorities partnered with Othram, a company specializing in forensic DNA analysis, to extract DNA from the remains. This advanced technology led to the positive identification of Josiah Campbell.

Campbell left his home in Snellville on September 25, 2020, with plans to visit a recording studio but never returned.

No further details regarding Campbell’s death have been released, and the investigation is ongoing.