Victim identified in 22-year-old homicide case

DNA technology has helped to identify skeletal remains discovered more than 20 years ago in Charlotte County.

On Jan. 6, 2002, the skeletal remains of an unidentified male were found in the bushes on the side of Zemel Road near the landfill in South Charlotte County.

A Bulova watch was recovered with the man’s remains.

An autopsy was performed and determined the male was a homicide victim, but they were not able to identify him.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Team, using DNA technology, was able to identify the victim 22 years later as Cuban male Alejandro Narciso Lago, born on Oct. 31, 1957, in Miami-Dade County.

CCSO made the announcement in a blog post on their site last week.

Lago was last seen in Miami on Nov. 17, 2001, and his mother reported him missing on Dec. 27, 2001.

CCSO’s Cold Case team is currently conducting background checks on Lago to understand his habits and activities.

Cold case detectives recently traveled to Miami and met with missing persons detectives to gain additional background information on Lago and his associates.

Currently, the team has found no information as to why Lago was in the Charlotte/Lee County area.

Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a statement, “Despite it being more than 20 years, my Missing Persons detectives continued to work on this case and used every resource possible to determine Mr. Lago’s whereabouts. Sadly, the outcome was tragic. We send our deepest condolences and look forward to collaborating with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office to help provide the necessary answers and bring some much-needed closure to his family and loved ones.”

CCSO said, “Prior to identifying Lago, the team received a tip that late in 2001, some local males from Punta Gorda had been involved in a physical altercation with a male in South Charlotte County near Richmond Street and Highway 41.”

The tipster stated the males killed the individual and dumped his body.

The team continues to work on this lead but is unsure whether this information is legitimate or pertains to this case.

According to CCSO, Zemel Road is near the Charlotte/Lee County line and has been used in the past to dispose of the bodies of those who died in the Fort Myers area.

Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement, “Identifying the victim is a major step toward bringing closure to his loved ones, but there is still a lot of work to be done in this investigation. Finding out why he was in our county could be crucial to finding his killer and bringing them to justice. If anyone has any information, even the tiniest detail can be a critical piece of evidence. I know that my Cold Case team is the best in the field, and they will follow every actionable lead to the end.”

Detective’s say they are continuing to work several tips to solve the case.

If you have any information, please contact the Sheriffs Office. The Cold Case Detectives can be reached via the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number at 941-639-2101.