A skull discovered by two teens playing in a rockpile 55 years ago has now been identified as a veteran of two wars, California authorities reported.
DNA testing showed the unidentified remains belonged to William Melvin Toller, who was born in 1927 and served in two wars, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The results led investigators to his daughter, Anona, in Louisiana, officials said.
Toller joined the U.S. Marine Corps while underage at 15 years old to fight in World War II, investigators learned. He was wounded in combat in the South Pacific.
After the war, he obtained a degree in psychology at the University of Idaho, then reenlisted and fought in the Korean War, authorities said.
His daughter told investigators that her mother said Toller was a “different man” after returning from Korea.
Officials speculated he may have had post-traumatic stress disorder from his wartime experiences.
Her parents divorced in the 1950s, and the family lost touch with Toller when Anona was 8 years old, she told investigators
After the discovery of his remains, Toller was buried in Humboldt County in 1968, officials said. In 2010, his remains were exhumed and a DNA sample retrieved for testing.
In December 2022, the DNA was sent to Othram, a commercial company, for further analysis, DNA Solves said in a news release.
The company used forensic genetic genealogy to generate new leads, which pointed investigators to Toller’s daughter. Her DNA sample proved to be a genetic match to Toller’s.
Investigators are still seeking information on Toller’s last known activities and death.
The sheriff’s office asks anyone with information to call Cold Case Investigator Mike Fridley at 707-441-3024.
Humboldt County is about 300 miles northwest of San Francisco near the Oregon border.
___
© 2024 The Charlotte Observer
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
