NEW CASTLE, Indiana — A man whose body was found nearly 19 years ago behind an abandoned gas station in eastern Indiana has been identified.
The man was Daniel Diaz of Columbus, Ohio, and he was born Sept. 18, 1977, Henry County Coroner Stacey Guffey said Saturday, making him 26 at the time his body was found Oct. 2, 2003, near the Interstate 70 interchange with State Road 109.
He died from a gunshot wound to the head, Guffey said.
When the body was found, it had no identification with it, and fingerprints, DNA and dental records were sent to agencies with no initial success, Guffey told The Courier-Times.
“In February, I was notified by the FBI that a fingerprint confirmation was made, Guffey said.
Contacting his next of kin “required a great deal of process and investigation,” he said.
“Hearing the news of his death, the family was very distraught and emotional,” Guffey said. “After further discussion, the family decided to leave Diaz’s remains in Henry County, and they plan to visit his gravesite this year.”
Guffey requested that anyone with information on Diaz contact him at 765-646-0908.
A marker on Diaz’s gravesite was donated by a New Castle woman and reads, “Here lays a young man that only God knows.”