The Mounties say that DNA tests have confirmed remains that on land in the state of Washington almost 17 years ago are those of a teenager who disappeared from Mission, BC, more than a year earlier.
Police say that Jeffrey Sortel, 17, was reported as disappeared by his family on April 29, 2007, and despite the search efforts and several advice of possible sightings, he was not found.
They say that in August 2008, human remains were washed in the Olympic Peninsula of the state of Washington.
The RCMP says that the CLALLAM -investigated County Sheriff’s Office investigated a DNA analysis of the remains and compared it with samples in multiple databases in the United States, but no coincidences were found.
They say that in 2024, the Sheriff’s office raised funds through crowdfunding donations, and sent the DNA to perform tests in a private laboratory in Texas earlier this year.
The Mounties say that Lab used forensic genetics genetics and could link the DNA with an extended family member of Sortel.
Mission RCMP says that the BC Coronant Service has confirmed the result and that survey family was notified last week.
They say that researchers on both sides of the border have confirmed that there are no indications of crime, although the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and death of the adolescent are still unknown.
Insp. Ted Lewko, from the RCMP Mission Detachment, says the police expect the update to bring a closure to the loved ones of Sortel after 18 years of asking what happened. “Your efforts have made a real difference for those who knew and loved Jeffrey.”
“Our sincere thanks to the Sheriff’s Office of the Clallam County for his perseverance when finding answers, and to the laboratory that could help link the DNA to Jeffrey’s family,” says Lewko in a press release.
