Identified! FL- Vacant lot, Hillsborough County John Doe, #UP207, May 1985, DNA identified as Charles Allen Ray, born '36, Vet. US Navy

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"In May 1985, the remains of an unidentified male were discovered in a vacant lot near Gibsonton, Florida. Gibsonton is located on the Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. It was determined that the man was between the ages of 40 and 60 years at the time of his death. He was likely 5’6” to 5’10” tall. Investigators also found several articles of clothing and other personal items at the scene.''
Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile in a genealogical search to generate new investigative leads.
2a4b29aa-d672-11ee-8f77-0242c0a81003.jpg


Using these new leads, investigators initiated a follow-up investigation which led them to possible relatives of the unknown man who had left no digital footprint for the last forty years. The individual, discovered on May 24, 1985, near Adamsville Avenue, north of Big Bend Road, has now been identified as Mr. Charles Allen Ray, born in 1936 and an honorable veteran of the United States Navy. Investigators determined that Charles Allen Ray was missing since the mid-1980s and a established a possible link to the Ray family through meticulous genealogical research in partnership with Othram.

Grant funding provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the use of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy in UHR cases was awarded to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, allowing this case to be solved.

We would like to thank Senator Jennifer Bradley and her colleagues in the legislature for fighting for dollars for law enforcement agencies to help them solve these important cases.''
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'In 1985, HCSO detectives determined that the individual died as a result of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head'
 
"In May 1985, the remains of an unidentified male were discovered in a vacant lot near Gibsonton, Florida. Gibsonton is located on the Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. It was determined that the man was between the ages of 40 and 60 years at the time of his death. He was likely 5’6” to 5’10” tall. Investigators also found several articles of clothing and other personal items at the scene.''
Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile in a genealogical search to generate new investigative leads.
2a4b29aa-d672-11ee-8f77-0242c0a81003.jpg


Using these new leads, investigators initiated a follow-up investigation which led them to possible relatives of the unknown man who had left no digital footprint for the last forty years. The individual, discovered on May 24, 1985, near Adamsville Avenue, north of Big Bend Road, has now been identified as Mr. Charles Allen Ray, born in 1936 and an honorable veteran of the United States Navy. Investigators determined that Charles Allen Ray was missing since the mid-1980s and a established a possible link to the Ray family through meticulous genealogical research in partnership with Othram.

Grant funding provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the use of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy in UHR cases was awarded to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, allowing this case to be solved.

We would like to thank Senator Jennifer Bradley and her colleagues in the legislature for fighting for dollars for law enforcement agencies to help them solve these important cases.''
View attachment 486839
'In 1985, HCSO detectives determined that the individual died as a result of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head'
I can't get over how good that clay recon was. It's just the same guy, clearly.

It wasn't for want of a good image that this one wasn't solved. Obviously the people who could have recognised him just never saw it.

Great work, @othram . Charles had been waiting a very long time for this day.

MOO
 
I can't get over how good that clay recon was. It's just the same guy, clearly.

It wasn't for want of a good image that this one wasn't solved. Obviously the people who could have recognised him just never saw it.

Great work, @othram . Charles had been waiting a very long time for this day.

MOO
The eyes are absolutely spot on. I’ve rarely seen a better clay reconstruction.
 
I can't get over how good that clay recon was. It's just the same guy, clearly.

It wasn't for want of a good image that this one wasn't solved. Obviously the people who could have recognised him just never saw it.

Great work, @othram . Charles had been waiting a very long time for this day.

MOO
We were very surprised as well.
 
The eyes are absolutely spot on. I’ve rarely seen a better clay reconstruction.
Frank Bender did some absolutely incredible ones, too, but this is the best I've seen that I'm pretty sure was by someone else. (Doesn't look like Frank's style.)

MOO
 

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