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In 1995, a human skull washed up on the beach in Longport, New Jersey. Over the next two decades, additional bone fragments were discovered in 1999 and 2013. Investigators were unable to identify the remains, which were eventually nicknamed “Scattered Man” due to their fragmented condition and widespread discovery.

But in the fall of 2023, a breakthrough came. The New Jersey State Police partnered with the Ramapo College IGG Center to apply modern forensic genealogy techniques to the case.

DNA and Genealogy Reveal the Truth

With help from Intermountain Forensics, the sample was uploaded to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA in February of 2024. From there, undergraduate students at Ramapo College began the meticulous process of triangulating family connections and examining historical documents.

Incredibly, they identified the remains as belonging to Henry Goodsell, a young captain of the merchant vessel Oriental, who died along with his crew in a storm off Brigantine Shoal in the winter of 1844.

“Goodsell was only 29 years old when he died, meaning that he spent more years as ‘the skull that washed up on the beach’ than he ever did as a living, breathing man,” the college noted in a press release.

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A Tragic Voyage: The Shipwreck of the Oriental

Historical research revealed that the Oriental left Connecticut bound for Philadelphia, transporting 60 tons of marble. The ship likely sprang a leak and sank less than a mile from shore. All five crew members, including Captain Goodsell, perished in the storm.

Two 1844 newspaper articles led the students to focus on Goodsell. By March 2025, a DNA sample was obtained from one of Goodsell’s great-grandsons. A positive match was confirmed on April 8, 2025, solving the mystery at last.

Law Enforcement and Scientific Commitment

“Identifying human remains is one of the most solemn and challenging responsibilities law enforcement is charged with,” said Chief of County Detectives Patrick Snyder of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. “Behind every case is a promise: that no one will be forgotten.”

Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, emphasized the importance of scientific advances:

“Using modern genealogy testing to identify bone fragments from the 19th century is a powerful reminder of our unwavering commitment to resolving cases no matter how old.”

Scattered Man Died in 1944

Thanks to the combined efforts of dedicated students, forensic experts, and state law enforcement, the man once known only as “Scattered Man” has been returned to history with his name restored: Henry Goodsell, captain of the Oriental, lost at sea in 1844, now remembered.