Cody Wilhite Missing Person Case

Sep 01, 2020

Mar 22, 2024

Cody

Wilhite

35

29

71 inches

200 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the spring of 2020, family and friends of Cody Shane Wilhite became concerned when the 29-year-old man from Knoxville, Tennessee, seemed to vanish. The last contact anyone had with him was on May 10, 2020. At the time of his disappearance, Wilhite was reportedly unhoused and had been staying in the mission area on North Broadway in Knoxville. His mother, Frankie Wilhite, expressed her heartbreak on social media, poignantly stating she would "give just about anything to hear 2 little words right now…'hello momma'". As time passed with no word from Cody, his family officially reported him missing, initiating a search and a period of painful uncertainty. For nearly two years, Cody Wilhite's case remained cold with no significant leads. The painful silence was broken in November 2022, when a tree trimming service in Knoxville made a startling discovery: skeletal remains, which were later confirmed to be a human skull. Investigators arrived at the scene, but a thorough search of the surrounding area was hampered by dense brush and trees. The remains were taken to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, where experts determined they belonged to a male estimated to be between 20 and 35 years old. Despite this development, the identity of the individual remained unknown, and the case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). The breakthrough in the case came in 2023 when the Knox County Regional Forensic Center enlisted the help of Othram, a private lab specializing in advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy. Othram scientists successfully developed a comprehensive DNA profile from the skeletal remains. Using this profile, their forensic genealogy team was able to conduct research that ultimately led them back to the NamUs missing persons records and to the identity of Cody Wilhite. In October of 2024, it was confirmed that the remains found two years prior belonged to the man who had been missing for four years. Due to the limited remains recovered, the cause of his death was listed as undetermined. The case of Cody Wilhite is a somber illustration of a family's prolonged grief and the eventual, heartbreaking answers that can be provided through advancements in forensic science. After years of desperate searching and hoping, the discovery of his remains, while tragic, finally brought a close to his missing person case.

May 10, 2020

Knoxville

Tennessee

Knox County

Knoxville

No

90719

Knoxville Police Department

Knoxville

Tennessee

Knox County

37915

Charles Hardin

investigator

800 Howard Baker Junior Avenue, Tennessee

8652157000

Local

Law Enforcement

http://knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/police_department/

20-028132

2020-07-31

Knoxville Police Department

Brown

Hazel

Hazel

Yes

07/11/2026