1980 Algonquin Park Human Remains Identified as Cleveland Man

Human remains discovered in 1980 near the Hardwood Lookout Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, have been identified as Eric (Ricky) Singer from Cleveland, Ohio, through investigative genetic genealogy. The remains were initially found by a hiker and examined by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Office of the Chief Coroner, and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, determining the deceased was a white male aged 18 to 21, with no foul play suspected. Additional remains were found in 1995 and a clay facial reconstruction in 2017 generated tips but did not confirm the identity. After submitting DNA to the DNA Doe Project in 2022, authorities confirmed Singer's identity in 2023 and notified his family, who visited the site in Algonquin Park. Singer was last seen in 1973 at his parents' home in Berea, Ohio, and the estimated time of death was narrowed to about two years before the remains were found. This resolution brings closure to a decades-old mystery and highlights the role of modern genetic genealogy in forensic investigations.