Allegheny County’s longest cold case solved using DNA
Alan Keener’s identity was found using forensic technology from the genetic genealogy company Othram.
By MEGAN TROTTER
TribLive
Allegheny County’s longest cold case for an unidentified victim has been solved using DNA technology.
On Wednesday, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office announced the body of an unknown homicide victim discovered over 30 years ago— described as a 5-foot-10 white male, weighing 175 pounds — was identified as Allan Keener.
Keener’s identity was found using forensic technology from the genetic genealogy company Othram, which used DNA from the victim to build a DNA profile and narrow down possible matching individuals.
Investigators were then able to use the DNA profile to contact potential family members and obtain a DNA sample from a living relative.
Pittsburgh Police officers and River Rescue recovered Keener’s body between the 9th and 6th Street Bridges on the Allegheny River after receiving a 911 call from a witness to an assault in 1992.
“Homicide Detective George Satler pinpointed this cold case as one that could benefit from the application of genetic genealogy to determine the identity of a man who was nameless for far too long,” Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando said in a statement.
The medical examiner’s office determined there were signs of blunt force trauma to Keener’s head, but that his cause of death was ultimately drowning.
Keener was born Feb. 5, 1940, and was originally from Kentucky. The county’s new release said that he had no known address and was believed to be traveling around Pittsburgh and the region.
Police arrested Arthur Wiley, who was convicted of third-degree murder in connection with Keener’s death in 1993.
Wiley has since served his sentence.
The medical examiner’s office has had a partnership with Othram since 2024, as part of a $100,000 grant provided by the state.
“As long as there is DNA, it doesn’t matter how old a case is, or whether it seemed hopeless in the past, there is technology here today that works and is able to bring answers to families,” said Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer for Othram.
