Human bones found near Hoover Dam in 2009 identified as Michigan man

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office identified human bones found near the Hoover Dam back in 2009.

Thanks to DNA testing, investigators found that the bones belonged to William Herman Hietamaki of Michigan.

His remains were found Nov. 11, 2009 when workers were about to pour cement on Highway 93 near the Hoover Dam.

Workers found a bone and continued canvassing. The workers would find more bones, a sun-bleached pair of blue jeans, a damaged white towel, a sun-bleached red t-shirt, a black athletic shoe and a green sleeping bag.

The items were turned over to the Mohave County Medical Examiner‘s Office. Detectives continued their investigation to generate leads, but didn’t get any results.

Hietamaki was considered a “John Doe” until Oct. 2024.

On Feb. 2, 2022, a detective obtained a bones sample of Hietamaki. It would be sent to Arizona DPS for a DNA profile and submission into CODIS in an attempt to identify him. A sample was also provided to the University of Texas to get a DNA sample.

All these attempts came back negative.

In April 2024, investigators notified Othram Inc., a genetic lab in Texas, about a grant they received for this case. Othram was able to create a DNA profile and upload it to a genealogy database.

This month, investigators learned that the John Doe was a descendant of ancestors born in the mid-1800s and residing in Michigan.

Relatives of Hietamaki were located. They confirmed that they have not seen their brother since 1995 since he was traveling in the southwest area of the United States.

Reference testing confirmed Hietamaki‘s identity.

Hietamaki was born on April 4, 1950. He lived in Trout Creek and went by his middle name, Herman. After high school, he started to travel and was known to hitchhike and live a nomadic lifestyle.