Resolved FL - Key Largo, Monroe County - Male, Black - 30 - 3021UMFL - Unique horseshoe shape diamond ring - May 4, 1988 - *NamUs removed 2026*

[PatLaurel]

Date of Discovery: May 4, 1988
Location of Discovery: Key Largo, Monroe County, Florida
Estimated Date of Death: 1988
State of Remains: Partial skeletal
Cause of Death: Undetermined, suspected homicide

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 30 years old
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 155 lbs.
Hair Color: Black hair, short and curled tightly.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available. X-rays are available. Two gold teeth - On the upper middle incisors, the left one has a Playboy Bunny inlay and the other is plain.
Fingerprints: Not available
DNA: Not available

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Short green/aqua pants, boxer type underwear and a pull over shirt.
Jewelry: Unique gold ring in the shape of a horseshoe with diamonds estimated to be worth $2,000.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery​

The victim's remains were discovered wrapped in three sheets by two boys playing in the woods. He was located on a gravel road north of power pole 212 (SR 905)

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Judy Olsen
Agency Phone Number: 305-743-9011
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 88-0092

NCIC Case Number: U300811792
NamUs Case Number: 6212
Former Hot Case Number: 1973

​

 

[PatLaurel]

UP6212

0 Missing Person Exclusions

 

[PatLaurel]

UP6212 - Newspapers.com

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping

 

[PayrollNerd]

When researching a horseshoe ring with diamonds, Google popped up with a link stating Elvis wore a horseshoe ring. This was during his Aloha from Hawaii concert in 1973. Today is Elvis's birthday (Jan 8th).

Makes me wonder if there is a connection to this mans ring, why was a horseshoe important to him? Did he work at a ranch? An Elvis fan? His name is Elvis?

 

[iulia]

His NamUs page is down at the moment.

 

[iulia]

Some interesting comments here.

 

[PatLaurel]

3021UMFL discovered on May 4, 1988 in Key Largo, FL has been identified per NamUs. No further information is available.

Located & Identified Persons

 

[PatLaurel]

Identified as Alfonso James Spikes.

https://www.facebook.com/floridakeyssheriff/posts/1404033851753694

 

[dotr]

April 17, 2026

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/southeast/florida-1988-cold-case-alfonso-spikes-identified/

''MONROE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Human remains connected to an unsolved case from 1988 were identified on Thursday, nearly four decades after their discovery in Florida.

On May 4, 1988, the body of an unidentified man was found in North Key Largo.

Using advanced genetic and DNA methods, the man has now been confirmed to be 61-year-old Alfonso James Spikes of Miami, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.''

 

[PatLaurel]

Using advanced genetic and DNA methods, the man has now been confirmed to be 61-year-old Alfonso James Spikes of Miami, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

BBM
So, 23 when he died… way too young. I hope the detectives can figure out what happened and give his family some closure. Poor kid! May he RIP!

 

[MagicCityMan]

It is so odd that all media I have seen refers to him as 61 year old Alfonso James Spikes. He was apparently born in 1965 making him around 23 at the time of his death. Very misleading.

 

[dotr]

After 37 Years, Monroe County John Doe (1988) is Identified

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Team Leverage Othram's Technology to Identify a 1988 John Doe

dnasolves.com

'On May 4, 1988, human remains were found off County Road 905 in north Key Largo, Florida. The man had been wrapped in three sheets and covered with trash. The man's remains were partially skeletonized. The man could not be identified and details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP6212. His identity was a mystery for nearly four decades.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) working with local law enforcement worked to submit forensic evidence to Othram in hopes that the man could be identified using identity inference, a process that enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against.

In May 2025, forensic evidence arrived at Othram's laboratory headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists successfully extracted DNA from the provided evidence which was used in Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the man. This SNP profile powered a forensic search led by FDLE's forensic genetic genealogy team.

A follow-up investigation led investigators to identify the John Doe as 61-year-old Alfonso James Spikes of Miami. Investigators believe that Spikes was last seen in April 1988 in Miami after leaving his residence to meet an unknown individual. The circumstances surrounding how Spikes ultimately ended up in Monroe County are not known.'

 

[MagicCityMan]

Sure as heck doesn't look like a 61 year old man in that picture.

 

[PatLaurel]

Sure as heck doesn't look like a 61 year old man in that picture.

He’s not 61 in that photo.

Not sure if I should post this here, but a while back I saw a comment from someone who said they thought it might be their cousin. I looked into it and built out the family tree on Ancestry. Alfonso was 23 at the time of the photo (tragic event) and would be 61 now. MOO JMO

 

[MagicCityMan]

He’s not 61 in that photo.

Not sure if I should post this here, but a while back I saw a comment from someone who said they thought it might be their cousin. I looked into it and built out the family tree on Ancestry. Alfonso was 23 at the time of the photo (tragic event) and would be 61 now. MOO JMO

Yes, I was just stating the obvious .
It's just weird that in all the solves I have seen this is the first time I remember an identified person's age given as the current age. Just an oversight...no big deal.
Really awesome that you have been helping out his family! You are doing a wonderful thing.

 

[PatLaurel]

Yes, I was just stating the obvious .
It's just weird that in all the solves I have seen this is the first time I remember an identified person's age given as the current age. Just an oversight...no big deal.
Really awesome that you have been helping out his family! You are doing a wonderful thing.

BBM
I didn’t assist the family with Alfonso’s identification.
I’m just kind of overly curious and like to fall down rabbit holes, so when his NamUs was removed, I worked with the "alleged" cousin’s name and built a family tree to see if anyone in the family had been reported missing around the time the body was found. It was guesswork, but I was on the right track.

I hope LE can find answers regarding Alfonso’s homicide. His mother and family deserve that closure, and he deserves justice. MOO JMO