Man whose remains were found 20 years ago in Ala. woods identified as escaped inmate
02/12/2025 12:18 pm PST
BLOUNT COUNTY, Ala. (TCN) -- Genetic genealogy technology helped positively identify remains discovered nearly 20 years ago as an escaped inmate from Mississippi.
According to the Blount County District Attorney's Office, hunters came across human remains near U.S. Highway 31 in October 2005. Officials collected evidence at the scene and spoke with people who identified the man as Chad Singleton. Investigators, however, later determined the name Chad Singleton was actually an alias and not his true identity. A forensic anthropologist examined the remains but could not make a positive identification.
District Attorney Pamela Casey reopened the case in 2024 and worked with Moxxy Forensic Investigations to conduct genetic genealogical research. Investigators learned Singleton had two daughters living in Blount County, so one of the daughters provided DNA samples. That information helped detectives find another biological son. Forensic investigators compared the son's DNA with a tooth from the remains, which led to the positive identification of Patrick Grayson Spann.
Officials learned Spann escaped the Hinds County Detention Center in Mississippi and lived in Blountsville, Alabama, after that. He reportedly went missing in October 2004 when he left his house and didn't come back. Law enforcement found his car behind a barn in the area.
AL.com reports investigators found a gun with five spent cartridges near the body, as well as a driver's license. The name Chad Singleton reportedly came from a man who died in 1995.
Spann escaped Hinds County while serving two years for cocaine possession. He and another inmate reportedly ran off during a work assignment.
Spann's cause and manner of death are still under investigation.
Casey said in a statement, "Patrick Grayson Spann's remains have been released to his family in Mississippi for proper burial. But, this does not conclude the investigation into his death. State and local law enforcement will continue to pursue and follow leads until all remaining questions surrounding his death have been resolved."
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