Mikolai Celesz

📍 Location

📝 Description

Skeletal remains found on September 14, 1991, during the draining of a swamp off Woods Road in the Town of Greenville, Orange County, New York, have been conclusively identified as Mikolai Celesz, who disappeared from the Port Jervis area in 1976 at age 76. After decades of inconclusive attempts to identify the remains, forensic genetic genealogy using DNA from Celesz’s relatives, paired with FBI analysis of recovered personal items and investigative leads, led to the identification in 2025. The investigation continues to determine the circumstances surrounding Celesz’s disappearance, and his cause of death remains unreleased.

🔍 Circumstances

Mikolai Celesz disappeared from the Port Jervis area in 1976 at age 76. In 1991, a skull and other skeletal remains were found in a drained swamp off Woods Road, Greenville, NY, with personal effects present but not yielding identity due to degradation. In 2024, familial DNA and forensic genealogy were used to build a DNA profile; FBI analysis of recovered items provided a lead toward Port Jervis. In 2025, interviews with surviving relatives and DNA from family members yielded a positive identification of the remains as Celesz; the investigation continues to determine the disappearance circumstances.

👤 Physical Description

Remains consisted of a skull and skeletal remains within a seven-foot radius, with portions buried under about one foot of earth; items found near the remains degraded from years underwater, providing limited physical detail at the time of discovery. The identification linked to Mikolai Celesz is supported by DNA (forensic genealogy) and corroborating records.

ℹ️ Additional Details

Identification was achieved through a multi-agency effort including New York State Police Troop F, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and Port Jervis Police. A blotter entry dated October 1, 1976, in Port Jervis documented a missing person report for Mikolai Celesz. The cause of death has not been released publicly, and authorities continue to review disappearance circumstances.

🔗 Sources (6)

👥 Community Contributions

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