FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A man who remained unidentified for nearly 37 years after being struck and killed by a train in Flagstaff has now been identified, according to the Flagstaff Police Department.
Police announced that the man has been identified as Timothy Lee Benally, who was 32 years old at the time of his death.
Benally was killed on Oct. 20, 1989, after being struck by a train in Flagstaff. For decades, his identity remained unknown.
In September 2026, the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office notified Flagstaff Police of a possible DNA match connected to the unidentified remains. The lead came after the Navajo Nation Police Department followed up with the family of a long-term missing person within its jurisdiction and collected DNA from a family member for forensic testing.
Flagstaff Police detectives then began working to confirm the potential identification.
As part of that investigation, detectives learned that partial fingerprints from the original 1989 case were still on file with the Arizona Department of Public Safety Northern Regional Crime Lab. Those fingerprints were re-examined using current identification technology and were confirmed to match the individual associated with the DNA lead provided by Navajo Nation Police.
The combined DNA and fingerprint evidence allowed investigators to formally identify Benally and close the decades-old unidentified-person case.
Flagstaff Police credited the Navajo Nation Police Department, the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office and advances in forensic technology with helping investigators finally determine Benally’s identity.
“Most importantly, we hope this brings closure to Mr. Benally’s family who has waited decades for answers,” the department said.
