It’s been nearly 33 years, but police in Alabama hope that new advances in forensic investigation — including DNA — will help them solve a mystery.
A 14-year-old boy found a body on September 22, 1990, in a creek bed in Opelika. The young Black man had a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Opelika Police Department.
Sgt. Alfred White told CBS News that the most unusual thing about the man was the six pairs of socks he was wearing.
“It’s not very cold here that time of year,” said White, adding that the could have been wearing that many socks because his size 8, black Ellesse shoes were much larger than his feet.
He was also wearing a St. Louis Cardinals jersey with red pinstripes and Jordache jeans, he said. Investigators believe he was between 18 and 25 and had a piercing in his left ear.
He didn’t match the descriptions of anyone reported missing at the time, and White said he may have been from outside the area. The bullet that killed him doesn’t match any ballistics in police systems.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Opelika Police Department Detective Division at 334-705-5220 or the Secret Witness Hotline at 334-745-8665.
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[Featured image: Drawings of man found dead in 1990/Opelika Police Department]