ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Investigators say they've identified human remains discovered last month in St. Pete as a man who went missing in 2016.
Around 10 p.m. on Jan. 28, the St. Petersburg Police Department said it was called to an area along I-275 just south of the Howard Frankland Bridge for a report that someone found what appeared to be human bones under heavy vegetation.
"A person walking through a thick patch of mangroves made a major discovery. The bones were partially buried. The skeletal remains were mostly intact and appear to be clean," Ken Knight with the St. Petersburg Police Department said.
Now, the Pinellas County Sheriff's office says, through the use of dental records, that person has been identified as Rang Phi Truong — a 34-year-old man who went missing in 2016.
"After reports of human remains being found, our detective sent Truong's information to the medical examiner's office and after the use of the dental records, the remains were positively identified as Truong's. The Medical Examiner's Office is still trying to determine the cause of death," Pinellas County Deputy Amanda Sinni said.
On Dec. 27, 2016, deputies responded to Derby Lane on Gandy Boulevard after they were informed that Truong ran from his brother's car and couldn't be found, according to the sheriff's office. They searched the area but were unable to find him
Detectives say Truong was entered into both the Florida and National Crime Information Centers as a missing and endangered person due to reported "intellectual disabilities and other mental health concerns."
Over the next several years, the sheriff's office says it continued to follow up with Truong's family on the case, conducting searches around Derby Lane and gathering more information.
The medical examiner's office will work to determine the cause and manner of death. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective C. Lyons at 727-582-6207 or email clyons@pcsonet.com.