Police Exhume 1972 Hitchhiker Remains for DNA Test
Oklahoma Highway Patrol is comparing DNA from a 54-year-old unidentified hitchhiker death with a family that believes the victim may be a missing relative.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Accidents
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol exhumed the remains of an unidentified hitchhiker struck and killed by a vehicle in 1972 to obtain a DNA sample for comparison. A family has come forward believing the victim may be one of their missing relatives and has submitted its own DNA sample.
Why it matters
The case shows how DNA comparison can reopen decades-old unsolved deaths and offer families a possible path to identifying missing loved ones. Oklahoma investigators are relying on genetic matching to resolve a case that has remained unidentified since the mid-1970s.
The victim's remains were exhumed earlier this week to obtain a DNA sample for comparison with the family's submitted sample. If the DNA does not match, investigators plan to submit the sample to a DNA database in hopes of finding another match.
The players
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
The state law enforcement agency leading the exhumation and DNA comparison effort in the unidentified hitchhiker case.
The details
A hitchhiker was struck and killed by a vehicle on June 26, 1972, just east of the State Highway 183 overpass along Interstate 40 near Clinton, Oklahoma. The victim has never been identified, and a family now believes the person may be one of their missing relatives.
Timeline
June 26, 1972: Hitchhiker struck and killed by a vehicle along I-40 near Clinton.
Earlier this week (week of November 2, 2026): Victim's remains exhumed to obtain a DNA sample.
Legal Context
Forensic genetic genealogy and DNA databases have increasingly been used by investigators to identify long-unidentified remains, including cases dating back decades. This Oklahoma case applies that same approach to a 1972 roadside death whose victim has never been named.
Oklahoma residents who may have a missing relative from the early 1970s could contact investigators about providing a DNA sample for comparison. The case also shows that families of long-missing people may be able to pursue identification through DNA submission.
The takeaway
Families with missing relatives from past decades should consider submitting DNA samples to databases, since unidentified remains are sometimes matched years later. Keeping personal records and contacting law enforcement about long-unresolved cases can improve the chances of a match.
Further reading
For more on similar roadway incidents, browse the Accidents section covering Oklahoma crashes and investigations.
