Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Darrell Moneyham had been living in Toledo, Ohio, for several years before the summer of 1999. That July, he returned to his hometown to visit with family members in the Wenonah community. On July 6, 1999, the 38-year-old told his relatives he was making a quick trip to the store but never came back. His family grew concerned, and his wife reported him missing to the authorities on July 22.
Less than two months before he vanished, Moneyham had pleaded guilty to a cocaine trafficking charge and received a sentence of one year of probation. The days turned into weeks, and then years, with no sign of Darrell or any information regarding his whereabouts, leaving his family with unanswered questions.
In March 2002, a worker conducting an environmental survey made a grim discovery in a thicket off a paved alley in Birmingham. Skeletal human remains were found wrapped in bedsheets. The individual was clothed in Levi's 550 Relaxed Fit jeans, a silk shirt with an aqua and maroon geometric design, Arizona Jean Company underwear, and white socks. A reddish-colored thin leather belt with a silver buckle was also present, but there were no shoes. Investigators noted that the man was missing several teeth and wore a partial dental plate. A coin dated 1999 found in a pocket indicated the death had not occurred before that year. Despite these clues, traditional identification methods at the time were unsuccessful, and the man's identity remained a mystery for over two decades. The case went cold, and the remains were listed as a John Doe.
The passage of time did not erase the hope for answers. In 2022, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office decided to take a new approach, partnering with Othram, a private laboratory specializing in advanced forensic DNA testing. Scientists were able to build a comprehensive DNA profile from the skeletal remains using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing. Through the use of forensic genetic genealogy, potential relatives of the unknown man were identified. A DNA sample from a family member confirmed the match, and in February 2025, more than twenty years after his remains were found, the John Doe was officially identified as Darrell Moneyham. It was determined that he had tragically been the victim of a homicide, having died from a gunshot wound to the head. The identification brought a name to the long-unidentified victim and brought a difficult truth to his waiting family. The case, which began as a missing person report in 1999 and became a John Doe discovery in 2002, is now an active homicide investigation.Last Seen: Jul 6, 1999
