ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A man who was found on a St. Petersburg street in 1992 was identified more than 30 years later thanks to updated DNA technology.
In July 1992, a white man was found on a sidewalk in the area of 19th Street and Central Avenue. He was transported to the hospital where he was diagnosed with head trauma and he died two months later in a nursing home.
When he was found he was carrying a pocket knife and wearing a red checkered shirt, blue pants and glasses. He had brown eyes, gray hair and was estimated to be between 40 and 60 years old. He was about six feet tall and around 146 pounds.
His identity remained a mystery for 32 years, despite law enforcement's efforts to find a match. In 2008, the details of the case were entered into the National Missing Unidentified Persons System and a composite sketch was developed and released in hopes that a member of the public would know who he was, according to a news release.
However, the case went cold because of the lack of leads.
In 2022, the St. Petersburg Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram Lab in Texas, which is a private lab that has helped solve other cold cases in the Tampa Bay area.
Othram scientists developed a DNA extract and built a profile for the man and investigators were able to find potential relatives. The comparison of his DNA with potential relatives led to investigators identifying him as Jack Jones. He was 60 at the time of his death and family members said they last saw him in June 1992.
Scientists from the lab said identifying Jones represents the 31st case in Florida where officials were able to identify an individual using technology developed by Othram.