A 1986 photo of Patricia Minnis |
It’s been a quarter
of a century since a decomposed body was found off the side of the road in the
Big Cypress National Preserve.
Now, Collier
County Sheriff’s Office detectives say they have identified the victim.
The body of Patricia
Minnis was discovered by a prison work crew under heavy brush near Gannet
Strand along U.S. 41 East, 22 miles south of Everglades City, on April 3, 1990.
Detectives
believe Minnis had been dead for about three weeks when her remains were
discovered. An autopsy revealed she died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Some clothes were found on the body, but no identifying clues were recovered. DNA evidence was taken from the remains and submitted for forensic testing. An autopsy revealed extensive dental work and metal plates in the lower back. Still, Minnis’ identity went unknown for 25 years.
Some clothes were found on the body, but no identifying clues were recovered. DNA evidence was taken from the remains and submitted for forensic testing. An autopsy revealed extensive dental work and metal plates in the lower back. Still, Minnis’ identity went unknown for 25 years.
In 1999, with
few clues or leads, a forensic expert with the Jacksonville County Sheriff’s
Office used Minnis’ skull to rebuild her face to help jog the memory of someone
who might recognize her and contact authorities.
Nobody did.
Ultimately,
advances in forensic science enabled detectives to identity her.
The break in
the case came in a June 18, 2015, letter from the University of North Texas
Center For Human Identification. The letter stated that DNA evidence
resubmitted for testing in 2005 was a strong possible match with DNA submitted
by Minnis daughter.
The daughter
told detectives that she and her siblings initially never suspected their
mother might have met with foul play. Minnis and husband frequently traveled
the United States in their recreational vehicle. It wasn’t unusual for Minnis to be gone long
periods of time without contacting family members.
In 1990, the
couple traveled through many Southern states, including Florida and the Everglades
area. Detectives said the daughter didn’t suspect her mother was missing until
one day her stepsister spotted her mother’s purse in the RV. When the stepsister
inquired about the purse, her father told her that Minnis ran off with another
man while they were traveling in Florida and left her purse behind.
Upon
learning this information, Minnis’ daughter became suspicious about her
mother’s whereabouts and filed a missing person report. Minnis would have been 57
when her daughter filed the report.
“The purse
was key to everything because it initiated enough questions and suspicions from
both children,” said Detective Thom Cullen of the CCSO Homicide Section and the
lead investigator in the case.
In 2006, the
daughter submitted her DNA to a national database in case it was needed to
identify her mother if she was found.
The DNA
proved to be a strong match with the DNA from the remains found in Big Cypress
that had been resubmitted a year earlier.
Senior
Criminal Research Investigator Kim Cherney began her investigation. She took
key points from the DNA report and began contacting dentists and doctors for
medical records comparison.
Cherney discovered
that the victim had back surgery in which implants were placed. She contacted
several hospitals but no records of the victim’s surgery were found. The
hospital could only advise that the implants were manufactured in 1988.
She also
conducted Internet searches and law enforcement database searches on the
victim. She contacted various campgrounds in Collier County and major
travel/camping membership clubs to see if there was any information on the
victim.
The identity
of Minnis’ killer remains a mystery, though detectives say they have developed
a potential person of interest through their investigation.
The
investigation continues.
Anyone with information about this
case is asked to call the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 239.252.9300, or
to remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward call Crime Stoppers at
1.800.780.TIPS (8477).
Using a forensic science called facial approximation, a forensic expert used Minnis' skull to rebuild her face. |