Forensic files: Mystery Oregon remains identified as those of 19-year-old Montana man who went missing 52 years ago

In 1974, Mark Smith left his Montana home.

The 19-year-old was never seen or heard from again.

On Tuesday, more than 50 years later, the Oregon State Police (OSP) said Smith’s remains had been identified as those found by a logging crew near Williams, Oregon in 1978.

For decades, the mysterious remains were just that — a mystery.

The state police said Smith’s remains — which included a skull and part of a shoulder blade bone — were identified via a years-long process involving DNA and genealogical testing as well as facial reconstruction tools.

The effort involved the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office's Human Identification Program, University of North Texas (UNT), Florida-based DNA Labs International (DLI) and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

According to police, Smith left his home in Billings, Montana “to travel” in 1974 and went missing.

Roughly four years later, a logging crew in rural Josephine County, Oregon (approximately 30 miles from the California border) found a skull, scapula (shoulder blade) fragment as well as remnants of a brown sweater and shirt near the Holcomb Peak mountain.

According to OSP, a forensic pathologist and odontologist initially thought the skull and bone fragment were that of a teenage girl.

In 2020, the State Medical Examiner reopened the cold case, sending the remains to UNT for “DNA extraction and testing,” according to an announcement.

“The analysis confirmed the decedent as male rather than female. The investigation was reinvigorated and missing male profiles were searched for a match. Unfortunately, no matches were made,” OSP said in the announcement.

The Oregon medical examiner also started working with DNA Labs in 2020 on genetic genealogical testing of the remains via a federal grant from the National Institute of Justice.

“Initial attempts to use the available extraction for genealogical analysis were unsuccessful. DLI subsequently agreed to continue working on the case pro bono,” OSP said in a statement.

NCMEC — which helps police find missing kids and identify deceased children and teens — also helped with the identification effort.

“The center commissioned a forensic artist to complete a facial reconstruction of the unidentified individual in hopes of generating leads. Despite these efforts, no new information emerged at the time,” OSP said.

In 2023 and 2024, DLI developed genealogical leads related to the mysterious remains.

“These included an ancestry summary indicating a blend of North Atlantic, Baltic, and Western Mediterranean heritage. Genealogists were able to identify an ancestor born in the early 1800s from whom the unidentified individual descended,” state police said in their announcement.

But the ancestral line stalled after that potential link.

In September 2025, DLI found a recently new, uploaded DNA kit that linked the mystery remains to Smith’s family.

“The family confirmed their brother, Mark Smith, born October 4, 1954, had been missing since 1974,” according to OSP. The remains were officially confirmed as Smith’s on Feb. 25.

“We are grateful that Mark has finally been returned to his family.” said Hailey Collord-Stalder, Oregon state forensic anthropologist. “This identification reflects years of persistence, scientific collaboration, and the evolving power of forensic genetic genealogy.”

Oregon officials said they do not have evidence of foul play related to Smith’s death, but the investigation of the young Montana’s man’s demise more than five decades ago remains open. They also said that Smith's family was not available for media interviews.