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4mo ago

19th-Century Shipwreck Captain Identified from Decades-Old Skeletal Remains Found on New Jersey Beaches

Modern genetic genealogy and historical research confirm the remains as Henry Goodsell, captain of the schooner Oriental, solving a 30-year-old cold case.

The ocean horizon is clear on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Long Beach Township, N.J. Eight Jersey Shore towns, including Long Beach, are trying to convince New Jersey utility regulators that wind turbines planned for less than 9 miles off the town’s coast will scare away visitors, costing the area jobs and economic development. The wind power industry rejects those claims, and says turbines can coexist with tourism and fishing. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
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A newspaper clip (inset) from the York Democratic Press on Dec. 20, 1844, referencing the shipwreck. (Shutterstock)

Overview

  • Skeletal remains found on South Jersey beaches between 1995 and 2013 were identified as Henry Goodsell, a 29-year-old captain who died in the 1844 sinking of the schooner Oriental.
  • The New Jersey State Police partnered with Ramapo College's Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in 2023 to leverage DNA databases and genealogical research for the identification.
  • Bone samples were sent to Intermountain Forensics, and ancestry research traced Goodsell's lineage to Connecticut, where family descendants provided a DNA reference sample in March 2025.
  • Historical newspaper articles revealed the Oriental sank near Brigantine Shoal during a storm while transporting marble to Philadelphia, killing all five crew members aboard.
  • The case represents one of the oldest cold case resolutions using investigative genetic genealogy, highlighting advancements in forensic science and collaborative efforts between law enforcement and academia.