During a press conference on Thursday, Detective Bill Springer announced that the remains found in June 1974 belonged to 15-year-old Susan Gale Poole, who disappeared in Broward County just before Christmas 1972.
Poole’s remains were identified after genealogy testing by Othram Labs, a private forensic lab that uses genome sequencing to create DNA profiles, according to Springer.
Late last year, Othram Labs contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office about conducting cold genealogy testing.
“The sheriff’s office and my supervisors decided we would send the unknown remains of the 1974 girl,” Springer said. “Thanks to Othram, they were able to identify her and build a profile.”
Scientists used this DNA profile to identify Poole’s mother and siblings. Poole’s mother is still 90 years old.
Poole was born on February 12, 1957. At the time of his disappearance, Poole was living with his family in a caravan park in Fort Lauderdale, according to the PBSO. Poole was also staying at a friend’s apartment in Wilton Manors at the time.
Springer says Poole’s skeletal remains were found tied to mangroves in an area formerly known as “Burnt Bridges” along the A1A in Palm Beach County.
Detectives believe Poole may be a victim of Gerard Schaefer, who was convicted in 1973 of two counts of first-degree murder after the deaths of two Florida teens.
At the time of Poole’s disappearance, Schaefer was an officer in the Wilton Manors police department, Springer says. Schaefer was also employed by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office for less than a month in 1972, according to department records.
“In 1974, (police) issued a search warrant at his home in Broward County,” Springer said. “They obtained driver’s licenses, jewelry and other items belonging to various victims.”
Springer says he is now working with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in hopes of locating any items found at Schaefer’s home that may have belonged to Poole.
Schaefer died in prison in 1995, Springer says. At the moment, there is no physical evidence, only circumstantial evidence, linking Schaefer to Poole’s murder, according to Springer.