BUNNELL, Fla. — On May 28, 1980, investigators say skeletal remains were found wrapped in a carpet in a culvert near State Road 11 about two miles south of Bunnell. No identifying information was found with the remains, so detectives were only able to determine that they likely belonged to a Black male in his 20s.

Investigators say he was a victim of homicide, but no information was released on the manner of his death.

To this day, his name remains a mystery, but thanks to modern DNA processing and forensic imaging, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office released a possible picture of his face Tuesday, and investigators are now asking the public for any information they have that might help identify him.

Law enforcement officials say the victim’s remains do not match the description of any known missing persons case from the time period, and for more than 20 years, little headway was made in the investigation. 

In December 2022, though, the Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit send the victim’s remains to Othram, Inc., for DNA processing. The company reported that the individual’s DNA showed he was mostly of African origin, with a small percentage of European origin, and that his genetic family could be from the areas surrounding Flagler County.

Detectives asked the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Imaging Unit for help, and after examining the skull and interpreting the data from Othram, the unit was able to put together a craniofacial reconstruction of the victim, who is believed to have been about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed around 150 pounds. When the remains were discovered, the medical examiner and forensic anthropologists believed he was between 20 and 27 years old at the time of his death.

Investigators cautioned that the image is only an interpretation of what the victim may have looked like, and noted that the public should not see it as an exact depiction of his face.

"I want to thank the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for their assistance," Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. "Now we need the public's help to tell us who he is. Someone knows him. Let's give him a came so his family will know what happened."

Anyone with information about the remains found in 1980 or the identity of the victim based on the newly released image is asked to contact the FCSO Cold Case Unit at sscalia@flaglersheriff.com or TIPS@flaglersheriff.com. 

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through CrimeStoppers of Northeast Florida by calling 1-888-277-TIPS.