Ocala Police looking for public's help in solving 24-year-old cold case

Source: Ocala Police Department 

The Ocala Police Department is calling on the public for help in a 24-year-old cold case.

According to officials, in August 2000, Ocala Public Works was excavating a water pipe near the 600 block of SW 12th St. and found human remains.

Medical professionals determined the unidentified person to be a white male in his 40s with distinctive dental features, including missing teeth and a gap between his upper front teeth.

Further investigation showed the man had suffered several bone fractures, and had been buried between 8 months and five years before his remains were discovered. 

Similar Story: Cold case investigators find remains, car connected to Florida mother and child missing for 50 years: police

The Ocala Police Department is still investigating the case as a potential homicide.

The department is asking the community for any information that might assist in identifying the man.

You can call Ocala PD at 352-369-7000 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Marion County by calling 352-368-STOP (7867) or **TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at OcalaCrimeStoppers.com.

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Florida unsolved cold case: Who killed Laralee Spear?

Laralee Spear, a 15-year-old girl at Deland High School, was reported missing by her mother on April 25, 1994, after she got off the school bus and did not return home. Her body was found hours later next to an abandoned, burned house on Deerfoot Road in Volusia County. Police said the teen had been shot multiple times. Her murder remains unsolved. On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement joined the case to review evidence.

If you use Crime Stoppers and your tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000.