Taylor Scott
In January 2023, authorities identified a skull found on the banks of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania as that of Richard Thomas Alt, a man who went missing in New Jersey in 1984 along with his girlfriend, Laurie Suydam. Alt's skull was discovered in Morrisville in 1986, and his disappearance had long been suspected as a homicide. The identification brought closure to Alt's family, ending a 37-year search for answers. This case highlights the power of forensic technology in solving cold cases and providing long-awaited justice for victims and their loved ones.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Richard Thomas Alt |
| Age | 31 |
| Date Last Seen | Christmas Eve, 1984 |
| Date Reported Missing | Early 1985 |
| Date Skull Found | June 1986 |
| Location Skull Found | Banks of the Delaware River, Morrisville, Pennsylvania |
| Homicide Victim | Suspected |
| Girlfriend | Laurie Suydam |
| Girlfriend's Body Found | April 1985, River in Trenton, New Jersey |
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What You'll Learn
Skull identified as Richard Thomas Alt, missing since 1984
In January 2023, authorities identified a skull found on the banks of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania as that of Richard Thomas Alt, a man who had been missing since 1984. Alt, 31, was last seen by his parents on Christmas Eve in 1984 and was reported missing to the Trenton police in early 1985. His case had been classified as a missing person's case.
Alt's skull was discovered by a fisherman in June 1986 on the riverbank in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. It was identified using forensic genome sequencing and forensic genetic genealogy provided by Texas-based Othram Inc. The company utilized a public genealogy database to find a possible match, and the DNA results were shared by a 49-year-old Florida woman, who was Alt's daughter. She was 11 years old when her father went missing.
The identification brought closure to a case that had been open for 37 years. Alt was suspected to have been slain in New Jersey along with his girlfriend, Laurie Suydam. Suydam's body was found in the same river on the New Jersey side in April 1985, but her death remains an unsolved homicide.
The Bucks County District Attorney's Office, led by District Attorney Matt Weintraub, expressed gratitude to Othram Inc. for their technical expertise in helping to identify Alt's remains. The case highlights the value of forensic technology and genetic genealogy in solving cold cases and providing answers to families seeking closure.
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Alt's girlfriend's body found in the river in 1985
In April 1985, the body of Laurie Suydam, the girlfriend of Richard Thomas Alt, was found in the Delaware River in Trenton, New Jersey. Alt and Suydam were last seen by Alt's parents on Christmas Eve in 1984 and reported missing to Trenton police in early 1985. At the time of their disappearance, they were suspected homicide victims. Alt's skull was found on the banks of the same river in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, in June 1986, but it was only recently identified as his through forensic genome sequencing and forensic genetic genealogy.
Laurie Suydam's death is considered an unsolved homicide. Alt's case, on the other hand, was a missing person's case until his remains were identified in 2023. The couple's tragic fate remained a mystery for over three and a half decades.
Richard Thomas Alt, 31, and his girlfriend, Laurie Suydam, were suspected homicide victims in New Jersey in 1984. Alt was last seen by his parents on Christmas Eve that year and reported missing to Trenton police in early 1985. His skull was found on the banks of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania in 1986, but it was only recently that it was identified as his through DNA analysis.
Suydam's body was found in the river on the New Jersey side in April 1985. The case remained unsolved for over three decades, with Alt's fate unknown until his skull was discovered and identified using advanced forensic techniques. The investigation into their deaths has now been closed, bringing some resolution to the long-standing mystery surrounding their fate.
The story of Richard Thomas Alt and Laurie Suydam is a tragic one, shrouded in mystery for many years. Their suspected homicide captivated the community and left many questions unanswered. With the recent identification of Alt's remains, some closure can be found, but the full details of their final moments remain a mystery.
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Alt's skull found on the riverbank in 1986
In June 1986, a fisherman found a human skull on the banks of the Delaware River in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The skull was found near a boat ramp by the Morrisville Boat Ram. The fisherman, who lived in Buckingham, took the skull home before handing it over to the police. The police then transferred the skull to the Bucks County Coroner's Office, which entered it into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database, known as NamUs.
For over three and a half decades, the skull remained unidentified. In September 2022, detectives sent the skull to Othram, a private company based in The Woodlands, Texas, that regularly works with authorities on such cases. Othram used forensic genome sequencing and forensic genetic genealogy to identify the skull. They found a possible match on a public genealogy database where users can upload their DNA profiles.
In January 2023, the skull was finally identified as that of Richard Thomas Alt, a 31-year-old man who had been reported missing to the Trenton police in early 1985. Alt was last seen by his parents on Christmas Eve in 1984. At the time of his disappearance, Alt was suspected to have been a homicide victim, along with his girlfriend, whose body was found in the river in Trenton, New Jersey, in April 1985.
Alt's daughter, a 49-year-old Florida woman, provided the crucial DNA match that confirmed the identification. She agreed to share her DNA results from a genealogy site, and a parent-child relationship was confirmed. With this identification, Alt's family finally received some closure after 37 years of wondering about their lost family member.
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Texas-based Othram Inc. identified the skull
Texas-based Othram Inc. is a private forensic DNA laboratory specializing in forensic genetic genealogy to resolve unsolved murders, disappearances, and the identification of unidentified decedents or murder victims. The company was founded in 2018 and is located in The Woodlands, Texas.
Othram's funding for the case was provided by Audiochuck. The company offers law enforcement agencies tools and programs to infer kinship among individuals, both closely and distantly related, through a combination of short tandem repeat and single nucleotide polymorphism testing, as well as forensic genome sequencing of DNA.
In the case of the skull found on the banks of the Delaware River, Othram used forensic genome sequencing and forensic genetic genealogy to identify the skull as that of Richard Thomas Alt. Alt, a 31-year-old man, was reported missing to the Trenton Police Department in early 1985 and was last seen by his parents on Christmas Eve in 1984.
Othram identified a possible match to the skull on a public genealogy database where users can upload their DNA profiles. The DNA contributor, a 49-year-old Florida woman, told detectives that she was 11 years old when Alt, her father, went missing. She agreed to share her DNA results from the genealogy site with Othram, which confirmed the parent-child relationship match.
The identification of Alt's skull brings closure to his family and showcases the impact of advanced DNA technology in solving cold cases and providing answers to grieving families.
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Alt's daughter provided DNA for identification
Richard Thomas Alt, a 31-year-old man, was last seen by his parents on Christmas Eve in 1984 and was reported missing to Trenton police in early 1985. Alt's girlfriend, Laurie Suydam, was found dead in the river in Trenton, New Jersey, in April 1985. Alt and Suydam were suspected homicide victims, but Alt's body was never found.
In June 1986, a fisherman discovered a human skull on the banks of the Delaware River in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The skull was the only human remains found, and authorities could not determine the identity of the person. The case remained a mystery for over three decades.
In September 2022, after 36 years, Othram Inc., a Texas-based company, used forensic genome sequencing and forensic genetic genealogy to identify the skull. They found a possible match on a public genealogy database. Alt's daughter, a 49-year-old Florida woman, provided her DNA results from the genealogy site, which confirmed the parent-child relationship.
Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub expressed gratitude for Othram's technical expertise and their contribution to solving the cold case. He also acknowledged the pain and uncertainty that Alt's family had endured for 37 years. With the identification of Alt's remains, the investigation could now focus on determining who was responsible for the homicides of Alt and his girlfriend.
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