Om episode
April 1977, an unidentified body is pulled out of a septic tank and given the name, "Septic Tank Sam". The body had been burned before being wrapped in a yellow bed sheet and tied up with a nylon rope. Today, Joseph Scott Morgan explains how it was possible that over four decades passed before "Sam" got his real name back. Attempts were made to find out the name of the man they called "Septic Tank Sam," but it wasn't until the scientists at Othram Labs got involved in the case that an answer was found. Using genetic genealogy, Othram Labs was able to change the name of "Septic Tank Sam" and provide answers for the community that wondered, "whatever happened to Gordie?" "Septic Tank Sam" was actually Gordon "Gordie" Sanderson. Please check out Othram: A Revolution in Cold Case Resolution. Transcript Highlights00:00:05.95. Introduction - waste00:04:14.33 The story of Septic Tank Sam00:07:23.77 A couple looking in a septic tank finds a body00:12:40.12 The body is protected00:17:17.25 Environment helped preserve body00:21:43.62 Discussion of desiccation00:24:29.47 Body misidentified as caucasian00:30:01.26 Cause of death, gunshot wound 00:35:04.01 Defining prone and supine00:40:00.92 Identification of bodies00:45:40.95 Identifies body as indigenous00:47:11.38 Conclusion, Othram providing answersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.