MitV Cold Case Files:
Indiana
Mitchell Preston
1998
Vigo County
Skeletal remains were discovered in January 1998 by a state highway employee along Fruitridge Avenue near Interstate 70 in Vigo County. At the time of recovery, the individual could not be identified, and the case remained unsolved for more than two decades. In 2023, the Vigo County Coroner’s Office, working alongside Indiana State Police and the University of Indianapolis, submitted the John Doe’s DNA to Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy company. Through analysis the remains were identified as Mitchell Preston of Anderson, IN. Mitchell was last seen in August of 1997 and was reportedly traveling to California on foot when he disappeared. While the identification brought some closure to Mitchell’s family, the circumstances surrounding his death remain unknown. Investigators have turned to the public for help in this case, and any information should be directed to the Indiana State Police Cold Case Team.
The Indiana State Police Investigators can be contacted at (800) 453-4756 or (765) 778-2121