Tulsa Sheriff Seeks To Identify Remains Found In 1988

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help to identify a man whose remains were found in August 1988. 

On August 16, 1988 a man living in the 7300 block of West Cameron in northwest Tulsa told deputies dogs had brought some bones to his yard. Over the next few days two neighbors also found bones on their property. 

Bloodhounds led deputies to a decomposed body in a nearby creek bed.

TCSO turned the remains over to the state Medical Examiner's Office. The ME's office said the remains appeared to be those of an older black male who died weeks or even months prior to their discovery.  

TCSO says animals removed some of the remains from the scene, so the ME's office couldn't determine if he was a victim of a homicide or died due to natural causes.  

No one matching his description was reported missing around the time his body was discovered. 

In a new effort to identify him, TCSO sent the remains to the University of North Texas Health Science Center which developed a DNA profile.  The center also created a sculpture of what the man might have looked like before he died. 

The center says "John Doe" wore upper dentures, was most likely between 50 and 80 years old and may have suffered from a shoulder and spinal slump.

If you can identify "John Doe" or have any information about the case, call the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office at 918-596-5600.