# 38-Year-Old Birmingham Cold Case Solved After DNA Testing

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/forensic-files-unsealed-6989771/38-year-old-birmingham-cold-case-solved-after-dna-testing
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/forensic-files-unsealed-6989771/38-year-old-birmingham-cold-case-solved-after-dna-testing.md
Podcast: [Forensic Files Unsealed](https://stenobird.com/podcast/forensic-files-unsealed-6989771)
Published: 2026-09-10T17:12:16+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/38-year-old-birmingham-cold-case-solved-after-dna-testing--75053484
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/75053484/bryant_bates_identified_after_38_years.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/forensic-files-unsealed-6989771/episodes/38-year-old-birmingham-cold-case-solved-after-dna-testing
Duration seconds: 1594

## Resource

Authorities in Alabama have successfully identified the remains of Bryant Keith Bates, a young man who vanished from Birmingham in 1988. Although his skeleton was discovered by an exterminator in a residential crawl space back in 2004, the case remained cold for decades due to a lack of DNA matches. Investigators eventually utilized forensic genetic genealogy to locate the victim's living relatives and confirm his identity. An autopsy determined that the 21-year-old had been murdered by a gunshot to the head. This breakthrough marks the second time the local coroner's office has used this advanced DNA testing to solve a long-standing mystery. The resolution of this nearly four-decade-old case provides answers to a family that had long suspected foul play. This episode includes AI-generated content.

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## Transcript

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