DNA Break Leads Ohio Man To Confess To 1998 Dismemberment Of Father
An Ohio man confessed Tuesday to dismembering his 93-year-old father in 1998 and stuffing the remains into suitcases dumped along Interstate 77, police told Fox News.
Authorities said the confession came after a DNA breakthrough using forensic genetic genealogy tied recovered remains to the victim, according to Fox News. The suspect told detectives he dismembered the body over two days with a handsaw, discarded some parts in a workplace dumpster and dumped packed suitcases along Interstate 77 in Tuscarawas County, Fox News reported.
The episode traces back to 1998 when the victim, Lawrence A. Drotleff, died at age 93 in an apartment he shared with his son. The son, identified as Larry Drotleff, feared losing his father's pension and Social Security and did not report the death. He later told acquaintances his father had moved out west and continued collecting benefits while he struggled financially and filed for bankruptcy in 2003.
Ohio law sets a six-year statute of limitations for gross abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony, which would bar prosecution for that offense now. Forensic genetic genealogy, the technique credited with the break, has helped solve more than 1,300 cold cases since its development in 2018. Social Security audits have found payments to deceased beneficiaries in other cases, underscoring how benefits can factor into motives.
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đ Relevant Data
The statute of limitations for gross abuse of a corpse, classified as a fifth-degree felony in Ohio, is six years. ([Ohio Revised Code](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2901.13/6-20-2014)) ([Ohio Revised Code](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2901.13/6-20-2014)) ([Ohio Revised Code](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2901.13/6-20-2014)) ([Ohio Revised Code](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2901.13/6-20-2014))
Section 2901.13 | Statute of limitations for criminal offenses. â Ohio Revised Code
As of 2026, forensic genetic genealogy has helped solve more than 1,300 cold cases since its development in 2018. ([Orlando Weekly](https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/florida-news/uthmeier-deploys-genetic-genealogy-to-tackle-massive-cold-case-backlog)) ([Orlando Weekly](https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/florida-news/uthmeier-deploys-genetic-genealogy-to-tackle-massive-cold-case-backlog)) ([Orlando Weekly](https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/florida-news/uthmeier-deploys-genetic-genealogy-to-tackle-massive-cold-case-backlog)) ([Orlando Weekly](https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/florida-news/uthmeier-deploys-genetic-genealogy-to-tackle-massive-cold-case-backlog))
Uthmeier deploys genetic genealogy to tackle massive cold case backlog â Orlando Weekly
The Social Security Administration issued approximately $37.7 million in payments to 746 deceased beneficiaries, based on a sample audit. ([Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General](https://oig-files.ssa.gov/audits/full/A-06-16-50029.pdf)) ([Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General](https://oig-files.ssa.gov/audits/full/A-06-16-50029.pdf)) ([Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General](https://oig-files.ssa.gov/audits/full/A-06-16-50029.pdf)) ([Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General](https://oig-files.ssa.gov/audits/full/A-06-16-50029.pdf))
Payments to Individuals Listed as Deceased in Department of Veterans Affairs' Records â Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General
đ Key Facts
- In February 1998, two suitcases containing dismembered male remains were found in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, but the victim was not identified.
- Advanced DNA testing in February 2023 linked the remains to 81-year-old Larry Drotleff as a family member, allowing investigators to identify the victim as his father, Lawrence A. Drotleff.
- Sheriff Orvis Campbell says Larry Drotleff confessed to cutting up and disposing of his father's body and is now facing two federal counts for allegedly stealing more than $250,000 in Social Security and pension funds.
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