PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities have confirmed that skeletal remains discovered in 2021 belong to a Paulding County man who had been missing for more than a decade.

The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office announced that the remains have been identified as Thomas Joe Kratzer, who was reported missing by his family on February 4, 2014, after they had not heard from him since October 2013.

Kratzer, born in 1959, was entered into state and national missing-person databases at the time, but no significant leads emerged in the years that followed.

The case took a turn on September 22, 2021, when a property owner preparing land for a residential construction project discovered skeletal remains.

Deputies responded and secured the scene, and investigators, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, recovered a skull and several bones.

No identification or evidence of trauma was found, and the remains were entered into the national NAMUS database as unidentified.

An initial analysis by GBI anthropologists concluded the remains belonged to a Caucasian male between 24 and 60 years old, but the identity could not be determined.

In 2023, the remains were sent to Othram, a private forensic DNA laboratory specializing in advanced genetic testing.

Because no signs of homicide were present, federal funding typically used for forensic genealogy could not be obtained.

However, in 2025, the Paulding County Cold Case Unit and the District Attorney’s Office allocated seized criminal-asset funds to move forward with the testing.

Othram’s analysis generated a presumptive match to Kratzer, which was later confirmed through a DNA sample provided by his sister.

“This identification brings long-awaited answers to the Kratzer family,” Sheriff Ashley Henson said. “It also demonstrates the unwavering dedication of our Cold Case Unit and our commitment to using every available resource and technology to bring closure to families and justice to those who have been lost.”

Anyone with information about cold cases in Paulding County is urged to contact the sheriff’s office tip line at 770-443-3047 or submit information through the Paulding Sheriff mobile app.