MARIANNA, Ark. – The Arkansas State Police (ASP) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Cold Case Unit has identified human remains discovered nearly five decades ago in rural Lee County.
On January 13, 1977, unidentified human remains were located in a farm field near U.S. Highway 79, a few miles west of Marianna.
ASP CID investigated, and the skeletal remains were submitted to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (ASCL) Medical Examiner’s Office. Attempts to identify the remains at the time were unsuccessful, and the cause and manner of death could not be determined.
In March 2024, the ASP Cold Case Unit reexamined the case in an effort to determine the individual’s identity. With assistance from the ASCL, the remains were submitted to Othram Labs, a private Texas-based laboratory specializing in advanced DNA analysis and forensic genetic genealogy.
On June 6, 2025, Othram provided a report that tentatively identified the remains as Charles Howard Wallace and traced two possible relatives living in Tennessee. In July, DNA was collected from one of the relatives. On September 2, Othram confirmed a positive identification of the remains as Wallace, who would have been about 21 when the remains were found.
The last contact Wallace’s family had with him was in the Fall of 1974 in Memphis, Tenn. At the time, Wallace was in his late teens and had been seeking treatment at a halfway house in downtown Memphis.
The circumstances surrounding Wallace’s death remain under investigation.
“This identification provides long-overdue answers for the family and highlights the commitment of Arkansas State Police to ensuring no case is forgotten,” said Colonel Mike Hagar. “We are grateful for the collaboration of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory and Othram Labs in moving this decades-old case forward.”
The ASP Cold Case Unit is asking for anyone with information relating to the death of Charles Howard Wallace to contact [email protected].
To learn more about ASP Cold Cases, please visit the unit’s webpage.
