DNA links this 1982 Ohio murder victim to South Carolina. Do you recognize him?
Police found the body of an unidentified man 38 years ago in Ohio. Now, Twinsburg, Ohio investigators say that man may have a connection to Upstate South Carolina.
DNA and forensic genealogy research linked the man to South Carolina. “The victim, or one or more of his close ancestors, is likely from Laurens County,” police said.
Police found the body on February 18, 1982, according to the DNA Doe Project, which uses new forensic genealogy techniques to try to identify cold case victims.
Workers found the man’s remains behind a store in Twinsburg, Ohio, near Cleveland, police said
“They initially found a skull, but later, about 40 to 50 feet away, a garbage bag of bones. The deceased’s body, which showed evidence of stabbing, blunt force trauma, and postmortem fire, had been dismembered before being stuffed into the garbage bag,” according to DNA Doe.
“A forensic anthropologist estimated the man was small in stature, about 5’ 6”, and was between 20 and 35 years old. The deceased may have had a noticeably humped back or slouched posture due to Kyphosis (a forward curvature of the spine),” according to the researchers.
Investigators say there was a Chrysler stamping slant in the Cleveland suburb at the time of the murder, adding that the victim or the killer could have a connection to the plant.
Police say the man was 20 to 35 years old when he died, meaning he would have been born between 1942 and 1961. They estimated he was killed between 1977 and 1981.
Anyone who may have information about the man should contact Twinsburg Police Department Detective Hendershott at 330-405-5679.
“If you have completed a DNA test, you can help by uploading your DNA to GED Match or FTDNA and opting in for law enforcement matching,” police said.
