Shocking break in Hoover Dam missing man case after three decades
Police in Arizona have identified remains found near historic Hoover Dam as those of a man last seen nearly 30 years ago.
William Herman Hietamaki, of Michigan, was last seen by his siblings in 1995 when he traveled to visit his sister in New Mexico.
According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, Hietamaki was known for leading a nomadic lifestyle and had disappeared from the radar after visiting family.
Then, 14 years later, construction workers pouring cement at the Hoover Dam in 2009 managed to uncover his remains, which have now been officially identified.
Workers had seen what appeared to be a bone on the ground, and after examining the area, they found more bones that they concluded were human.
William Herman Hietamaki, of Michigan, was last seen by his siblings in 1995 when he had traveled to visit his sister in New Mexico
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said the two men contacted local authorities, who proceeded to find more bones.
Officers also found sun-bleached jeans, a damaged white towel, a sun-bleached red T-shirt, a black trainer and a green sleeping bag.
The items were turned over to the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office, with detectives trying to get clues about the mysterious remains without success.
In February 2022, a sheriff’s detective sent a bone sample to the Arizona Department of Public Safety for testing.
Another was also sent to the University of North Texas, which managed to extract a DNA sample.
Despite the positive find, all attempts to identify Hietamaki had negative results.
It wasn’t until April this year that company Othram, a genetics laboratory in Texas, was able to create a DNA profile that was uploaded to a genealogical database.
In October, investigators were told the remains were descendants of ancestors born in the mid-1800s who lived in Michigan.
Officers then began interviewing possible relatives, when they discovered Hietamaki’s siblings who told them their story.
This October 2, 2012 file photo shows the Hoover Dam and Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge from the heliport in Boulder City, Nev.
Subsequent tests on his relatives revealed the remains to be those of Hietamaki.
Due to the condition of his remains, the medical examiner’s office was unable to determine a cause of death. They estimate he died between 2006 and 2008.
Born April 4, 1950, he lived in Trout Creek, Michigan, and began traveling after graduating from mechanic school.
Hietamaki was known to suffer from seizures and also hitchhiked to various locations.
A public records search revealed that he had once lived in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In a statement, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said, “We want Othram Inc. would like to thank them for their work in this case and for obtaining grant funding to make forensic genetic genealogy research possible. Hietamaki’s family is now closed due to their dedication in identifying John and Jane Does.”