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Body found 23 years ago near river, CO officials say. DNA just identified the man

Preston Christensen, 52, was found dead near the South Platte River in Denver in 1999, officials said.
Preston Christensen, 52, was found dead near the South Platte River in Denver in 1999, officials said. Denver Department of Public Health and Environment

The body of a 52-year-old man was recently identified after it was found near a river in Colorado in 1999, officials said.

Officials identified the body as Preston Christensen from Minnesota, Denver Public Health and Environment said in a tweet on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

A passerby found Christensen’s body on Dec. 16, 1999, near the South Platte River’s east bank in Denver, according to the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner.

He was believed to be homeless, the medical examiner said.

His DNA was used to identify a family member, helping solve the decades-old case, officials said.

“We hope the family of Preston Christensen ... finally has some closure,” the health agency said.

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This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Body found 23 years ago near river, CO officials say. DNA just identified the man."

Helena Wegner
McClatchy DC
Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.
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