WHAT: Media opportunityWHEN: 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009
LOCATION: Collier County Sheriff’s Office, 2373 Horseshoe Drive N. Media, please meet in the lobby.
SUMMARY: The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has released a facial reconstruction sculpture from the remains of a body of a man discovered near the Goodland Bridge in May.
The man’s partially decomposed remains were discovered by fishermen in a cypress swamp off State Road 92, about a quarter of a mile south of the Goodland Bridge, on May 30.
Although an autopsy was conducted, an exact cause of death could not be determined due to the condition of the body, investigators said. The manner of death is also undetermined.
The partially decomposed remains were sent to the Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office for a forensic analysis. A report of osteological examination was completed by forensic anthropologist Heather Walsh-Haney, an assistant professor in the Division of Justice Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University.
CCSO forensic artist Tricia Blair completed the facial reconstruction.
Forensic investigation has determined that the man was 40 to 70 years old and 6 feet to 6 feet 5 inches tall with black hair. Race is undetermined.
The man had suffered numerous broken bones during his lifetime. His right cheek, right upper jaw, left forearm, right lower leg, three bones in his right foot, one bone in his right hand, four right ribs and four left ribs had been fractured. He also had a surgically inserted metal pin with four screws in his fractured left pinky finger.
The man also suffered from severe arthritis of the spine.
He appeared to be missing an upper front tooth and may have had an abscess in his lower left jaw.
The man was wearing extra-large-size black cotton shorts that tied at the waist and possibly had paint stains when his body was discovered.
An investigation continues.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 774-4434, or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780- TIPS (8477).
