Facial Models of Individuals Shown in Hopes to Close Cold Cases
(Manassas, Va.) —The Chief Medical Examiner today unveiled the facial approximations of three individuals found dead in the Northern Virginia area, but have not yet been identified. The facial models represent the skeletal remains of men whose remains were found in separate locations between 2003 and 2011. There are currently 220 unidentified people statewide with some remains dating back to the 1970s.
“We hope that by presenting the facial approximations to the public someone will recognize one of these individuals as their long lost loved one,” said Chief Medical Examiner Leah Bush, MS, MD. “We’re working with the United States Park Police and Fairfax County Police Department to help identify these individuals, and we encourage anyone with information that may lead to the identities of these individuals profiled to contact us.”
- The first case represents the skeletal remains of an adult black male in his mid-thirties who was approximately 5’7”-5’8” tall. The remains were discovered on January 16, 2003, by a National Park Service maintenance worker who was cleaning debris from under the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.
- The second case represents the skeletal remains of adult Asian male in his late-(thirties to early forties who was approximately 5’5” – 5’9” tall. The remains were discovered on February 13, 2011, by a man walking his dog in the area of Fords Landing Way in Alexandria.
- The third case represents the skeletal remains of an older white male who stood between 5’5” to 5’11” tall. The remains were discovered on April 6, 2006, by a man walking in the woods near eastbound I-66 at Route 7100 in Fairfax.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) presented the facial approximations of three unidentified individuals from the Richmond area in March.
Forensic anthropologists and artists with the FBI’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 (NamUs). NamUs is a web-based computer search engine funded by the National Institute of Justice for matching missing and unidentified persons.
Photographs of the facial approximations can be found by logging onto www.vdh.virginia.gov. Anyone with information is asked to call the OCME at (703) -530-2600.