New face reconstructions in Fort Myers murder mystery

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Photo shared with WINK News.

Detectives hope new images will help them solve eight murders. They are trying to identify men killed and buried in Fort Myers. Their remains were found off Arcadia Street back in 2007.

Only three victims have been identified since the remains were discovered. Police hope someone recognizes men from the new images and gives them a call. Until then, how the remains ended up in the woods and why remains a mystery.

The men’s faces have been newly constructed by forensic artist Samantha Steinberg with Miami-Dade Police Department.

“The only real way to get these people identified outside dental records and a DNA match would be somebody recognizing their faces,” Steinberg said.

Photo shared with WINK News.

The new images show what five murdered men probably looked like, all based on the structure of their skulls.

“I think it’s critical when you have unidentified skeletal remains because, often times, there’s very little clues that go along with it,” Steinberg said.

When the remains were found in 2007, no identifying objects like clothing or personal belongs were found with them. Most had fractures to their arms, legs, ribs and faces.

Police can only say the men were between the ages of 18 and 49 and died between 1987 and 2001.

Three men were identified shortly after the discovery.

Lead detective Mali Langton said finding out what happened to them and how they may have been linked comes down to their identities.

“As far as any connection, we just don’t know,” Langton said. “And that’s the most difficult thing. I think once we have them identified at that point, we can focus on how they are linked.”

Past images are out there. It’s not a new technology, but they didn’t do the trick.

“This is quite different from the bust that we did initially,” Langton said.

Langton is hopeful the updated photos will help bring the case to a close.

“We’re obligated to find out who they are, how they lost their lives,” Langton said.

Langton think the men may have never been reported missing, some described as transient. She asked anyone with a missing family member to submit their DNA or dental records. There could be a match an even some closure.

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