Nearly a year after human remains were found on a property in Devers, DNA results have now identified the name of the deceased as Don Risenhoover, 56, of Baytown.
On June 23, 2022, investigators with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office were called to the 500 block of South Gates Street in Devers, Liberty County, Texas, in reference to human remains found in the area. The body was discovered in a wooded area approximately 100 yards behind a residential area after a homeowner’s dog brought home a human hand.
The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, so confirmation was not possible except through DNA. A handgun found near the body was registered to Risenhoover, but that alone was not enough to guarantee that it was his body.
After investigators processed the scene, the human remains were sent to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy as a “John Doe.”
Investigators were able to locate and obtain DNA samples from family members of the person believed to be the decedent. The DNA was sent to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office to be compared to the deceased male’s DNA.
Upon completion of the DNA comparison, investigators were notified that the DNA profiles matched and that the deceased was Risenhoover. As a result of the investigation and upon completion of the autopsy, Risenhoover’s death was ruled a suicide.
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