BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) - In November of 2019, a citizen began communicating with the Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) regarding a 1969 missing person case. The citizen had received information from the Doe Network about the missing person case. The Doe Network is a 100% volunteer organization devoted to assisting investigating agencies in bringing closure to national and international cold cases concerning Missing & Unidentified Persons. Detectives researched the 1969 case and determined an unidentified male died in Butte County in 1969 as the result of an accident involving a train. Detectives were not able to identify the male in 1969.

Detectives conducted research and determined there was a high probability the male was Marvin Price McMullen, of Florida. Mr. McMullen was born in 1931 and was believed to have been traveling in California in 1969. Detectives began communicating with Mr. McMullen’s family and ultimately obtained DNA samples from a relative of Mr. McMullen.

On April 22, 2020, BCSO received a permit from Butte County Public Health to exhume the body of the unidentified male. On Saturday, May 2, 2020, BCSO detectives, Chico State Forensic Anthropology Professors and Butte County Public Works personnel exhumed the body. The body was transported to a local funeral home where DNA samples were collected for testing and comparison, in an attempt to confirm the identity of the male.

BCSO transported DNA from Mr. McMullen’s family members and DNA from the unidentified male to the California Department of Justice DNA lab in Richmond for processing. In July of 2020, BCSO obtained the results of the DOJ DNA analysis. Based on the DOJ DNA analysis, BCSO positively identified the male as Marvin Price McMullen. Mr. McMullen’s remains have been released to his family. The Butte County Public Guardian’s Office assisted Mr. McMullen’s family members with burial expenses.