More than half a century after human bones were found in a wooded stretch of southwestern Oregon, investigators say they have finally identified the murder victim.
The remains belonged to Armes Henry Lahti of Astoria, Oregon, a U.S. Navy veteran who served during World War II, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office said. Coos County is home to the forested area where Lahti’s skeletal remains were discovered in 1972 by a teenager who was stripping chittum bark from a nearby tree.
Investigators at the time determined that Lahti had been shot twice in the head and ruled his death a homicide. But the case quickly stalled. Aside from pieces of clothing and denture plates marked with a set of numbers that could not be fully read, detectives had little evidence to work with and no clear path toward identifying the victim.
The sheriff’s office estimated that Lahti had been killed nearly 10 years before his remains were found. His name would remain unknown for more than another 50 years.
Coos County Sheriff’s Office/Othram Inc.
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In 2025, authorities took a fresh look at the long-unsolved cold case. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office sent evidence to a laboratory specializing in investigative genetic genealogy, a method that pairs DNA profiling with family-tree research to identify unknown crime victims. Though costly, the technique has become an increasingly important tool in solving decades-old homicides and missing persons cases.
Scientists were able to recover enough DNA from evidence preserved from the original investigation. The analysis ultimately pointed law enforcement to members of Lahti’s family, according to the laboratory that conducted the testing.
Lahti, who was born in 1909, was remembered by relatives as a devoted fisherman and a big but gentle man who carried the ironic nickname “Mousy.” Family members described him as someone who “loved the sea and was proud of his service to his country,” the sheriff’s office said.
Although investigators have now restored Lahti’s name, key questions remain unanswered, including how exactly he died and who killed him. The sheriff’s office said investigators have learned that Lahti “had a dispute at a bar” shortly before he vanished and then “walked away with a rifle.” Authorities believe that incident likely happened in 1965.
“While the case is as old as 60 years ago, we would like to bring justice to Armes and his family,” the office said. They’ve asked anyone with information, “no matter how seemingly small,” to contact them.
