CENTRAL VIRGINIA (WFXR) — The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is asking for the public’s help in identifying eight skeletal remains found in the Central Virginia area between 1988 and 2020.
During the examinations, it was revealed that the remains were of men between the ages of 25 to 70.
“Many of these cases have remained unidentified for decades,” said Lara Newell, the long-term Unidentified Coordinator for OCME. “The goal is to get the information and the likenesses out into the public in the hopes that they will be recognized, and eventually identified.”
To help get a view of the skeletal faces, the FBI Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Imaging Unit has created facial approximations for the bodies from CT scans of skills and examinations.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Person Systems (NamUs), which is a web-based computer search engine funded by the National Institute of Justice, information on each of the unidentified men is below:
On July 2, 2020, the skeletal remains of a white man approximately between the ages of 39 to 64 years old were found in an overgrown area near the City of Richmond. Examiners have been able to determine a cause of death, but have confirmed there were healed fractures to the nose, ribs, and shoulders. The man was around five foot seven. NamUs ID: 72826
(Photo courtesy: FBI Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Imaging Unit)
On March 7, 2016, authorities found the remains of a Black man, who is believed to be between the ages of 33 and 49 years old. He was found in the rear yard of a residential area, near the James River, in the City of Richmond. After the result of examinations, it was determined that the man may have been around six foot tall and walked with a limp due to a healed fracture in his right knee. Examiners believe the victim may have also been partially deaf in his left ear. NamUs ID: 14889
(Photo courtesy: FBI Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Imaging Unit)
On Jan. 28, 2014, the skeletal remains of a Hispanic man were found in a wooded area in Highland Springs in Henrico County. His cause of death was ruled as a homicide. Examiners determine the person may have been between 25 to 35 years old and was around five feet. NamUs ID: 12242
(Photo courtesy: FBI Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Imaging Unit)
On September 26, 2000, the skeletal remains of a Black man approximately between the ages of 50 and 70 were found by construction crews in the City of Richmond. Examiners have not determined the cause of death at this time, but say the man had a healed rib and fractures in his lower left leg. NamUs ID: 6148
(Photo courtesy: FBI Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Imaging Unit)
On Oct. 23, 1995, the remains of a Black man were found in a residential area in the City of Richmond. His cause of death has not been determined but examiners have found that his jaw was fractured. He is around six feet tall. NamUs ID: 903
(Photo courtesy: FBI Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Imaging Unit)
On Jan. 1, 1990, the remains of a white man were discovered in the Brunswick County area by a hunter. He was approximately 45 to 65 years old and a cause of death has not been determined at this time. The examination revealed that the man had healed face and abdominal trauma, which may have been from a car accident or another traumatic event that might have occurred 15 years before he died. NamUs ID: 6513
(Photo courtesy: FBI Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Imaging Unit)
On Nov. 10, 1988, the remains of two Hispanic males were found in a wooded area in Ruther Glenn in Caroline County by hunters. Examiners have determined one of the men may have been between 35 to 45 years old around six feet tall. The second man may have been between 17 to 25 years old and around five-foot-six. With the help of a DNA test, it was revealed that the men may have had a parent-and-child relationship. The cause of death was determined by blunt force injury to the head and examiners have ruled the death as a homicide. NamUs IDs: 6507 (older) and 6301 (younger)
(Photo courtesy: FBI Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Imaging Unit)
Anyone with information about the possible identities of these cases is asked to call the Central District (OCME) at 804-786-3174 or email OCME_CENT@vdh.virginia.gov.
