On February 17, 2012, at approximately 3:30 p.m., an individual was walking his dog on North Street in Manorville (approximately 3/4 miles west of Wading River Road) when the two discovered what appeared to be human remains sticking out of the ground. Upon arrival, members of the SCPD and Medical Examiner’s Office uncovered human remains, which had been buried in the ground and wrapped in a bed sheet.
Upon further examination, it was observed that the blanket containing the remains was duct taped at several points. Ultimately, the skeletal remains were recovered and transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office, where the cause of death was determined to be homicidal violence.
The victim’s skeletal remains were then sent to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (hereinafter “OCME”) for examination by forensic anthropologists, who were able to determine the remains were consistent with a male between 30 and 50 years of age with a stature of approximately 5’8” tall. Further, anthropologists concluded that the skeletal degradation observed suggested an extended postmortem interval of at least five years (death occurring during or prior to 2007).
In 2024, the Cold Case Task Force, in conjunction with Danielle Gruttadaurio, a forensic artist with the SCPD, was able to re-examine the victim’s skull and create an updated composite sketch of how the victim likely appeared prior to his death. Additionally, the Cold Case Task Force, in collaboration with a genetic genealogist with the FBI, has since been able to determine the victim was likely of Hispanic, and more specifically Colombian, descent.
Anyone with information regarding this case or the identification of the victim is asked to contact contactda@suffolkcountyny.gov.
