Walking back the mystery
DELMAR – It’s not just you. Cops are into crime mystery podcasts, too. Their shared obsession over them comes from a more altruistic place. Where one-third of us doomscroll through the gruesome details, an investigator picks through how it was solved.
That’s how Adam Hornick pieced together a 40-year-old puzzle, revealing the name of a faceless man found on Vadney Farm after a winter thaw in 1981. Now the retired Bethlehem Police detective’s efforts to solve the case, advocating for changes to state law to allow law enforcement to use familial DNA, is featured in a new podcast series.
People love a good crime mystery. More than one-third (34%) of U.S. adults who have listened to podcasts in the past year told the Pew Research Center they often tap into true crime podcasts. Younger listeners exhibit a greater interest, with 41% of those aged 18 to 29 tuning in. One such podcast is APB Cold Case.
APB Cold Case entertains internet audiences with its exploration of unsolved missing persons and murder cases across the nation. Host Mark Spawn, drawing upon his career as a former New York law enforcement officer, brings his perspective to each episode, unraveling the intricacies of long-standing mysteries to generate new leads and, ultimately, closure.
Spawn is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and has written extensively for law enforcement publications, including as an editor, author, and publisher. He has served as a detective and law enforcement trainer, including the production of video and audio presentations for first responders. In addition to being a certified fire investigator, he also served as a state fire instructor and participated in the development and delivery of specialized sex offender management training for law enforcement.
Today, he lives in California, from which he produces his podcast. He now takes his listeners inside an investigation, providing firsthand accounts from detectives, victim’s families, and other key figures.
The latest episode of APB Cold Case spotlights the groundbreaking revelation in Bethlehem’s long-standing mystery. After 41 years of speculation, Franklin Feldman’s identity was unveiled, marking a historic milestone in forensic investigation.
“It was eight years of working on it and that had an effect in itself,” Hornick said, adding that he was happy to provide the family closure. “I took the time to track [him] down, where he was buried… even after he was identified. Standing in front of a grave that had no marker and no one even knows who the person is. It kind of set the whole tone for putting everything in perspective.”
The breakthrough in Feldman’s identification in 2022 was made possible through advancements in DNA profiling and the collaboration of forensic experts. Investigative Genetic Genealogy, a technique previously utilized in high-profile cases like the capture of the Golden State Killer, played a crucial role in tracing Feldman’s genetic lineage and ultimately connecting him to his family.
The identification of the Golden State Killer in 2018 marked a watershed moment in criminal investigations, showcasing the power of investigative genetic genealogy. For decades, the elusive serial killer responsible for a string of murders and rapes during the 1970s and 1980s had evaded capture. However, by leveraging DNA evidence collected from crime scenes and comparing it to genetic profiles in public genealogy databases, investigators were able to trace the perpetrator’s familial connections and ultimately narrow down the suspect pool.
The process led to the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, who was charged and later pleaded guilty to 13 counts of murder and numerous other crimes associated with the case. The successful use of investigative genetic genealogy demonstrated the potential of combining forensic DNA analysis with genealogical research to solve cold cases and bring perpetrators to justice. While hailed as a groundbreaking development in law enforcement, it also sparked debates about privacy concerns and the ethical implications of using genetic data in criminal investigations.
Bethlehem’s John Doe
Hornick had led the investigation since its revival in 2013 when he was handed just two sheets of notes by the agency’s administrative sergeant. Evidence from the 1981 site had been suspected lost after a flood in the town hall’s basement in the 1990s.
During the initial investigation, Bethlehem police entrusted a jawbone to a Saratoga County dentist, to identify Feldman. However, the mandible was not returned, remaining missing until its rediscovery in 2017 during a review of case notes.
The recovered jawbone facilitated further progress. Bethlehem police collaborated with a New York State Police forensic odontologist to confirm a match to the dental chart from the case’s records. Subsequently, the bone was sent for DNA profiling in cooperation with the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification.
Upon obtaining a DNA profile, Bethlehem police obtained approval from the Albany County District Attorney’s office to conduct a familial search against national and state databases. Notably, investigative genetic genealogy was previously restricted in New York state. Hornick lobbied to change New York State law that prevented its use in missing person cases. He proceeded with a media push in 2019, attempting to pressure for its use. In a 40-year-old case, he said he was afraid opportunity would disappear.
“When we made the media push a couple of years ago, we referenced to the fact that if the case isn’t solved in the next few years, the likelihood of it being solved is low,” Hornick said. “We can stand here and say that is definitively true.”
Once restrictions were lifted, Feldman’s DNA profile was submitted to an FBI office in Melville in 2020, leading Othram Inc., a Texas-based forensic genealogy corporation, to develop a genealogical profile. This revealed potential family members: a first cousin unfamiliar with Feldman and an elderly aunt in declining health.
In life, Feldman was described as estranged from the rest of his family. He would contact them sporadically while living in various places throughout the state — sometimes homeless. The police commander described him as being in and out of hospitals, suffering through “mental concerns.” He was found with a CDTA bus ticket, copies of two local weekly newspapers, and a notebook listing addresses of local churches and soup kitchens. He wore a fur-lined coat with moccasin-style loafers. The date on each of the newspapers was Jan. 1, 1981. Police suspected he died soon after. No cause of death was determined, and police said there was no evidence suggesting foul play.
The case remains open. Anyone with information can call the Bethlehem Police Department at 518-439-9973.
The APB Cold Case episode featuring Hornick’s interview “Dead Man’s Cove: The Anatomy of a John Doe Case” can be heard by visiting https://apbcoldcase.com/.
