Identified! UT - Juab Co., Child's skull found at lake, Nov'96 - Rene Romero

[ebonydarkness]

Not trying to hate, but it kind of surprises me that this UID wasn't identified a lot sooner. JMO

I'm too shy to call in any potential matches.

 

[Merry]

I'm too shy to call in any potential matches.

Totally understandable. I am just surprised LE never figured it out. JMO

 

[ebonydarkness]

Agreed. At least it's good that all these missing and unidentified cases are viewable to the public.

 

[bessie]

Well, this is interesting. According to this thread, Rene's remains were identified in 2013. Then today:

Skull Found at Utah Lake in 1996 Is That of Slain Reno Boy
Posted: Oct 01, 2015 7:32 AM CST -Updated: Oct 01, 2015 1:15 PM CST
By Mike Rogers

Authorities in Juab County, Utah say a skull found there nearly two decades ago is that of a Reno boy killed by his parents in 1994.

The DNA has been linked to the then 4-year-old boy, Rene Romero. The Juab County Sheriff's Office says the boys remains were found back in 1996 but they were listed as an unidentified missing person until Wednesday.

DNA shows Utah skull was Reno boy
Associated Press 4:33 p.m. PDT October 1, 2015

[...]
The Juab County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that cold case investigators confirmed that the remains found in 1996 are that of Rene Romero, who died about two years before his bones and hair were found.

The remains had been listed as an unidentified missing person.

His mother Ana and stepfather Alvaro Ortiz were convicted in the child’s death even though the body was never found. The mother was released and is currently on parole. Ortiz remains in prison serving a life sentence.

---

Okay, here's the explanation. Now it's official.

Two Utah cold case murder victims identified through DNA
By Larry D. Curtis Thursday, October 1st 2015

[...]
When his skull was discovered in 1996, hair and bones were also recovered. All the remains were taken to the state medical examiner's office and the case was treated as a homicide. It was also listed with National Unidentified Persons Data System, or NAMUS.

Lt. Craig Ryan, with Juab County, arranged to have the evidence released to him from the state examiner's office and in November 2013, a bone was sent to the University of North Texas Health Science Center hoping to generate a DNA profile. In January 2014, Ryan received confirmation from UNT of a DNA match identifying Romero. The match was positive from a family reference from his mother, Ana Romero.

 

[cvaldez1975]

^ that is odd? i have read the story of this boy and knew he was ID'd prior. i think i read about it last year?

 

[bessie]

He was identified in January 2014. I read all three articles about ten times each before I could make heads or tails of it. This is what I *think* happened.

The parents killed the little boy in Reno, Nevada, in 1994. Shortly afterward, they moved to Los Angeles. Reno LE eventually caught up with them, and they were arrested and convicted.

In 1996, Rene's body was found in Juab County, Utah. The authorities there listed him as an unidentified missing child.

Naturally, the Reno detectives had no way to know that the unidentified little boy, whose remains were with the Utah state medical examiner, was Rene. Snipped from the Charley Project listing copied in Post #6.

Police believe Rene's body was dumped in a remote area, possibly outside the state of Nevada. His remains have never been found.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Reno Police Department

Meanwhile, Utah entered the information on the remains into Namus, and treated the case as a homicide.

In November 2013, a Juab County cold case detective, Lt. Craig Ryan, arranged to have the remains sent to the University of North Texas "hoping to generate a DNA profile". In January 2014, Detective Ryan received word from UNT that the UID child was a match to Rene Ryan.

Here's where it gets sketchy. Apparently, Juab County did not release the information until this week.

"The Juab County Sheriff's Office released information about the two cold cases Wednesday of bodies found and now identified through DNA evidence. "

Until Wednesday, the Reno detectives, and apparently Rene's brother, weren't informed -- at least not "officially".

The Juab County Sheriff's Office say investigators were able to link the DNA to the boy from recent samples. Deputies say the match was positive from a family reference match from his mother.

Until Wednesday though, investigators were led to believe the young boy's body was never found.

So why was the case declared "resolved" by the CP in February 2014?

Snipped from a CP blog post, dated February 5, 2014. Check out the comments. Seems to me that someone let the cat out of the bag before Juab County was ready to close their case. But I could be wrong.

Well, I just got word from authorities at the Utah Missing Persons Clearinghouse: a body they found in that state in 1996 has been identified as little Rene.

The person who sent me the notice didn’t include any more details, and I have replied asking if there was anything else she could tell me about the UID — just out of curiosity.

https://charleyross.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/rene-albero-romero-identified/#comments

And finally on Wednesday, from one of the articles published Wednesday.

Police hope the family of Rene can give a proper goodbye now that his remains have been brought back to Reno.

We're in the process currently in the last year at least, working with the brother of Rene who is an adult now. Trying to get those remains back to him," said Rulla.