Donations help police identify remains that washed ashore at Discovery Park in 2017

Remains found in 2017 and 2018 have finally been identified, thanks to crowdfunding support for DNA testing, according to the Seattle Police Foundation.

Crowdfunding efforts raised $15,000 to pay for the DNA testing to help solve the case of the remains that had washed up near Seattle’s Discovery Park.

Initial testing revealed a relative of the victim and a family tree of about 15 other names of other possible relatives.

As detectives worked through the contacts, they reached the Bossart family in Illinois, who confirmed their son, Paul J. Bossart, Jr., 33, owned similar Air Jordans to the ones found with the remains.

Additional DNA testing confirmed a match with the Bossart family.

The family said Bossart, Jr., had left home in November 2017, with plans to relocate to Seattle and was never heard from again.

Detectives said the circumstances of how the man ended up in the water are not known.

Bossart, Jr., is survived by his parents and a younger brother. They provided the following statement:

“For our family this ends many years of wonder and gives us closure. We wish to thank our friends and family that have known, assisted and reached out in comfort, along with Detective Norton in Seattle who has been on this case from the beginning. We are asking that anyone who wishes to do a kindness in memory of Paul we ask that you make a donation to the Seattle Police Foundation in Paul’s name.”

If you are interested in supporting future DNA crowdfunding, donate here.

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