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DNA identifies boy found in 1982 as Mitchell John Pauli

Modern DNA genealogy solved a decades-old case, identifying remains found in the Arizona desert in 1982 as 14-year-old Mitchell John Pauli of Buckeye.

Published Oct 13, 2026, 2:04 PM EDT | LehighValleyLive

For more than 44 years, a boy found in the Arizona desert had no name. Now, thanks to modern DNA research, investigators have finally identified him as Mitchell John Pauli, a teenager believed to have disappeared in the late 1970s.