Remains of Georgia man missing since 2013 identified through advanced DNA testing
Paulding County authorities have identified skeletal remains discovered in 2021 as those of a man who vanished more than a decade ago. The identification brings long-awaited answers to a family that spent years searching for him.
Thomas Joe Kratzer, 55, was reported missing by relatives on Feb. 4, 2014, after they hadn't heard from him since October 2013. Deputies entered Kratzer into state and national missing persons databases, but the case went cold with no new leads for years.
That changed on Sept. 22, 2021, when a property owner in rural Dallas, Georgia, preparing land for a new home build, found skeletal remains. Deputies with Paulding County's Uniform Patrol Division secured the area, and detectives, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, conducted a thorough search, recovering a skull and several bones. No identification or signs of trauma were found, and the remains were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as unidentified.
The GBI's anthropology unit later determined the bones belonged to a Caucasian male between 24 and 60 years old, but comparisons to missing persons cases across the region turned up no match.
In 2023, investigators sent the remains to Othram, a Texas-based forensic DNA laboratory recognized for its advanced testing. Federal funding for genetic genealogy was initially denied because there was no evidence that the case involved a homicide. But in 2025, the Paulding County Cold Case Unit, working with the District Attorney's Office, used funds seized from a criminal enterprise to advance the testing process.
Othram's analysis produced a presumptive DNA match to Kratzer, which was later confirmed through a comparison sample provided by his sister.
"This identification brings long-awaited answers to the Kratzer family," Sheriff Ashley Henson said. "It also demonstrates the unwavering dedication of our Cold Case Unit and our commitment to using every available resource and technology to bring closure to families and justice to those who have been lost."
