Human remains discovered nearly five decades ago in rural Lee County have been identified as Charles Howard Wallace, the Arkansas State Police said.
The remains were found Jan. 13, 1977, in a farm field near U.S. Highway 79, west of Marianna. At the time, investigators could not determine the individual’s identity or the cause and manner of death.
In March 2024, the ASP Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation. The remains were submitted to Othram Labs, a Texas-based laboratory specializing in advanced DNA analysis and forensic genetic genealogy. On June 6, 2025, Othram provided a tentative identification, tracing two potential relatives in Tennessee. DNA collected from one relative in July confirmed the identification on Sept. 2. Wallace would have been about 21 when the remains were found.
Wallace’s family last had contact with him in the fall of 1974 in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, he was in his late teens and had been seeking treatment at a downtown Memphis halfway house.
The circumstances of 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 Col. Mike Hagar. “We are grateful for the collaboration of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory and Othram Labs in moving this decades-old case forward.”
Anyone with information related to Wallace’s death is asked to contact the ASP Cold Case Unit at ColdCase@asp.arkansas.gov.
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