AKRON, Ohio — Do you know this man?
That’s a question authorities are looking to answer in Akron eight years after a man’s remains were found.
In their pursuit to solve the mystery, authorities released a forensic facial reconstruction of the unidentified man during a press conference Thursday morning with the hopes somebody might recognize who it is.
Facts of the case
Authorities say the man's remains were found at 1345 Marcy Street on Jan. 8, 2016, but it's believed he had been deceased up to four years earlier.
Summit County Medical Examiner Dr. Lisa Kohler said there had been a house fire in that location before his remains were located.
“As the anthropology staff looked at those remains, they could tell that he had been deceased prior to the start of that fire by at least days, if not a few months prior to that," Dr. Kohler said.
You can watch the full press conference in the video below:
Where the remains were found
“Some of the remains were scattered into the yard," Dr. Kohler said. "The time that he was found by a passerby, someone had actually placed the skull out on to the sidewalk, which is what brought attention to the remains. We don’t know who did, but it looked as though the skull had been placed carefully on the sidewalk. It hadn’t been thrown. It was believed that someone had taken the remains and placed them out there for further discovery.”
She said that while portions of his remains were found outside of the home, "the bulk of the remains were actually within that house on the second floor.”
How did he die?
“I don’t have physical evidence to say it’s a homicide, but I can’t exclude that," Dr. Kohler explained. "Until we have a clue who he is, it’s hard to connect the pieces back to see if there’s enough information to say more about how he died.”
More about the man's description
He's believed to be a white adult man between the ages of 30-55. His height is estimated to have ranged between 5'9" to 6'5" tall.
BCI Superintendent Bruce Pijanowski said it's believed the man "may have been transient" and squatting at the property where he was found.
“That makes him no less important to us," Pijanowski said during the press conference. "It is every individual’s right and basic human dignity to have a name in life and in death, and he doesn’t have that right now.”
Here's a closer look at the facial reconstruction...
How you can help
Do you have any information about the case? Do you recognize the man in the images? Anybody with information is asked to call the Ohio BCI’s Criminal Intelligence Unit at 740-845-2406 or the Akron Police Department at 330-375-2490.
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