1845 Franklin expedition member identified using DNA A new report has identified crewman of the previously unknown remains found on Nunavut s King William Island in 1993 This skull, known as Cranium 80, was formally documented on the western coast of Nunavut s King William Island in 1993, and was believed to belong to a member of the ill-fated Franklin expedition. Recent DNA testing definitively linked it to crewman John Gregory. (Photo: Andrew Gregg) May 3, 2021 For the first time in more than 170 years, it has finally proven possible to identify the remains of one of the men who sailed with Sir John Franklin to the Arctic in 1845. The work that made this possible has been long in the making; rarely have patience and perseverance been more fittingly rewarded.