Chief Medical Examiner seeks help identifying skeletal remains

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner today unveiled models and photographs showing the approximate facial appearance of four individuals found deceased in western Virginia in separate locations between 1986 and 2012, but whose identities are unknown. Currently, the medical examiner’s office has 220 sets of remains for unidentified individuals who died in Virginia. Some remains date back to the 1970s.

“We hope that by presenting the facial approximations to the public someone will recognize one of these individuals as his or her long lost loved one,” said Chief Medical Examiner Leah Bush, MS, MD. “We’re working with sheriff’s offices in Alleghany, Carroll, Lee and Pittsylvania counties to help identify these remains, and we encourage anyone with any information on these individuals to contact us.”

The cases and relevant details are as follows:

·         The remains of a 26- to 35-year-old Caucasian or Asian male of Hispanic descent who was approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall. Deputies discovered the remains on December 26, 2005 in a wooded area by a farm in the 200 block of Kendayl Rd. in Blairs. (Case # W810-05 120606004.)

·         The remains of a mid-20s- to mid 30s-year-old male of mixed ethnicity (possibly Hispanic) who was approximately 5 feet, 7 inches tall. Deputies discovered the remains on April 1, 2012 in a wooded area near 300 block of Timber Rd. in Cana. (Case # W203-12 120606002.)

·         The remains of a Caucasian male approximately 17- to 24-years-old and 5 feet, 8 inches tall. The remains were found March 3, 1986 near Jackson Street Ball Park by fishermen on the Jackson River in Covington. (Case # W650-01 120501004.)

·         The remains of a 28- to 38-year-old Hispanic male, possibly from Guatemala, who was approximately 5 feet, 2 inches to 5 feet, 6 inches tall. Deputies discovered the remains on November 26, 2011 in a wooded area near the Heavenly Hill Trailer Park on State Route 612 in Lee County. (Case # W827-11 120606003.)

Forensic anthropologists and artists with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Forensic Anthropology Services and Forensic Imaging Unit constructed the facial approximations. Photographs of the facial approximations have been entered into the case files of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems, a web-based computer search engine for matching missing and unidentified persons.

Photographs of the facial approximations also are available online at www.vdh.virginia.gov/medexam/missingperson.htm. Anyone with information or questions about these individuals should call the Western District Office of the Chief Medical Examiner at 540-561-6615.