Remains from 2001 case identified as 1950s wrestler and actor

CUBA — Remains unearthed from a clandestine grave in the Santa Fe National Forest in Sandoval County in 2001 have been identified.

The former John Doe was identified as Hawaiian Keeble Wofford Sr., also known as Kimo Mahi, a wrestler and actor from the 1950s, according to Othram, a DNA lab in Texas.

“People should know that it doesn’t matter how old a case is or whether it was hopeless in the past; there is technology here today that is able to bring answers to families like in this case,” said Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer for Othram, the company that analyzed the DNA.

In May 2001, hikers discovered human remains unearthed by animals from a clandestine grave in the Santa Fe National Forest, near Cuba.

The bones were excavated with an anthropologist who determined the skeletal remains had been buried in a shallow grave, according to a release by the DNA lab.

“Initially, investigators believed it may have been the remains of more than one person, but later evidence showed it was one adult male. Despite years of investigative efforts, the identity of this individual remained a mystery, and he became known as Sandoval County John Doe. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System,” the release says.

It added that in 2021, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Department and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator submitted forensic evidence to Othram, located in The Woodlands, Texas, in hopes that advanced DNA testing could assist in the identification of the John Doe.

Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract. A comprehensive DNA profile was then built using forensic grade genome sequencing. The profile was then delivered to investigators with the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team.

Investigators built a family tree for the John Doe, which led to likely relatives of the man, including a possible daughter. The daughter submitted a DNA sample, which was compared to the unidentified man’s DNA profile using KinSNP Rapid Relationship Testing, leading to Mahi’s identification.

A death certificate was issued by New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, and Wofford Sr.’s daughter will be receiving his cremated remains.

Mahi was in several films and TV shows in the 1950s, including the Rock Hudson film “Twilight for the Gods.” He was also in “Sea Hunt,” “Hawaiian Eye” and “Flight.” During his wrestling career, he earned the title Red Eagle, Black Hawk and other similar aliases. Records show he wrestled in more than 130 matches.

The circumstances of Mahi’s death are still being investigated. The belief is he traveled from Pueblo, Colorado, to Albuquerque in September 1992 for a business meeting and was never heard from again.

This is the fourth case in the state of New Mexico where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram, according to the lab.

“This was a well-known man who just disappeared more than 20 years ago, and now he has his name again,” Mittleman said.

The Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office did not yet respond to request for comment on the DNA discovery.