GREENVILLE, N.Y. — Human remains discovered more than 30 years ago in a drained swamp in this Orange County town have been identified as those of a man who went missing nearly 50 years ago, according to state police.
In a press release on Wednesday, state police said the remains were identified as Mikolai Celesz, who disappeared from the area in 1976. The remains, including a skull and additional skeletal remains, were discovered in 1991 off Woods Road.
The remains were found with several personal items that revealed at the time that Celesz may have gone missing in the 1970s. However police said, “due to the passage of time and exposure to the elements of being underwater for years, these items did not yield any useful information regarding the individual’s identity at the time.”
Celesz was 76 at the time of his disappearance, police said.
Police said Celesz was identified through years of investigation, including interviews, media releases, regional checks for missing persons, multiple DNA submissions, and the use of the Combined DNA System and NaMus, a national information clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases nationwide. In 2024, through a partnership with Homeland Security Investigations, a familial DNA sample was obtained from the remains, indicating Celesz had roots in Eastern Europe.
Also in 2024, personal property recovered from the remains was submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Questioned Documents Unit in Quantico, Virginia. Analysis determined that the victim may have resided in the city of Port Jervis, according to authorities.
Information learned last year allowed investigators to conduct new interviews and research in the Port Jervis area, finding a hard-copy blotter entry from the Port Jervis Police Department dated Oct. 1, 1976, documenting a missing person report for Celesz.
This year, the release said, state police went to Florida to interview Celesz’s surviving relatives, who provided both background information and DNA samples. The DNA samples resulted in a positive identification.
“The New York State Police is grateful to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the City of Port Jervis Police Department for their invaluable assistance,” the release said. “Their partnership and dedication helped bring long-awaited answers to Mikolai’s family — more than forty-eight years after he disappeared.”
Police said anyone with information regarding Celesz’s disappearance should call Troop F Communications at (845) 344-5300. The reference case number is 3021756.