UPDATE: Josephine County John Doe 1978 identified as Mark Smith

The NamUs profile of Josephine County John Doe 1978 was removed on March 6, 2026, indicating that he had been identified. On March 24, 2026 it was announced that John Doe has officially been identified as Mark Smith, who had been missing since 1974.

Close-up of Mark Smith from a photo taken at his sister's wedding in September 1973. Image from the Unidentified wiki and other sources.

Mark was born on October 4, 1954. Sometime before his birthday in 1974, when he was 19 years old, Mark left his home in the city of Billings, Yellowstone County, Montana, having told his family that he intended to travel. He was never seen or heard from again. It seems that he had never been reported missing.

DNA research began on Josephine County John Doe 1978 in 2020, with investigative genetic genealogy being used starting in 2023. In 2025, researchers were able to identify a specific family line in John Doe's tree, for which one of the siblings, "appeared to have disappeared from records after the mid‑1970s." When contacted, the family confirmed that their brother, Mark Smith, had not been heard from in over 50 years. This was further confirmed through a DNA match between John Doe and Mark's siblings. 

Mark's remains were identified on February 25, 2026, and his name was publicly announced just yesterday, March 24, 2026. 

While law enforcement found no signs of foul play, the investigation into the circumstances of Mark's death is still open and ongoing. If you believe you have information about Mark, his disappearance, or his death, please reach out to the Josephine County Sheriff's Office at (541) 474-5123 or jocosheriff@co.josephine.or.us, or the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office at (971) 673-8200 or Medical.Examiner@osp.oregon.gov.

May Mark rest in peace.

Sources

KDRV

KOIN 6 

Doe Network 

Unidentified wiki