Human remains discovered near college campus in Dallas identified as missing businessman Alan White

A body found in a wooded area behind the Paul Quinn College campus in Dallas, Texas last week has been identified as James Alan White, a 55-year-old Dallas businessman who has been missing since October 2020, Dallas Police announced Friday.

On Thursday, a survey crew working for the college found the remains around 12:30 p.m. and called 911. The next day, those remains were positively identified by the Dallas County Medical Examiner as Alan White. The cause of death has not been released.

“As we had hoped Alan was still alive, the finding of his remains obviously will now help our family with some closure,” Alan’s brother Tim White told Dateline on Sunday. “Finding his remains will also help the Dallas PD with the ongoing investigation as to what happened to him.”

Dateline NBC also spoke to Tim back in November when his brother was featured in the online series, “Missing in America.” As families gathered for the Thanksgiving holiday that week, Alan’s loved ones were doing everything they could to locate him.

Alan’s husband, Rusty Jenkins, told NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth that they both left home around 4:40 a.m. on October 22, 2020, to head to their respective gyms as part of their morning routines. Alan was last seen leaving the parking lot of the L.A. Fitness CityPlace on Haskell, around 6 a.m. He was driving a black Porsche SUV.

Shortly after Alan left the gym, security video captured him at the RaceTrac gas station at Inwood Road and Maple Avenue where he was seen filling the tank of his car and driving out of the parking lot.

Just days later, Alan’s Porsche SUV was found in the area of Simpson Stuart and Bonnie View roads, which is the opposite direction of Alan’s house from the gas station. But there was no sign of Alan.

Alan’s brother Tim told Dateline at the time that their family doesn’t know who would want to harm Alan, but also had no reason to believe Alan would willingly disappear. The successful businessman had just started a new job in February as a Managing Director in an advisory role at KPMG.

On the day Alan disappeared, he had a scheduled conference call at 7 a.m. that he uncharacteristically missed. His husband Rusty Jenkins previously told NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth the closer it got to the time of his meeting, the more worried he became. So Rusty went looking for Alan, driving the route between their house and the gym thinking he had been in a car accident.

Within a few hours, he was joined by Alan’s brother Tim, and the search began. For months, Alan’s loved ones have held onto hope that he’d be found alive. Now, they’re hoping for justice.

“My brother was a good man, with no known enemies; this is why this is so baffling to us,” Alan’s brother told Dateline on Sunday. “But alas, someone decided to take Alan off the Earth, and we ask for anyone that knows anything about the murder and dumping of his body to contact DPD.”

The investigation remains active and ongoing, and the Homicide Unit is asking for anyone with information regarding Alan’s case to contact Detective Eric Barnes at (214) 283-4818 or eric.barnes@dallascityhall.com. Please reference case number 188623-2020.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest, while a private fund is offering an additional $10,000. Call Crime Stoppers at (214)373-TIPS.