NEW CASTLE, Ind. — The Henry County Coroner's Office has identified the John Doe from a 2003 murder case as an Ohio man.
On Oct. 2, 2003, the remains of a young male were located behind an abandoned gas station near the State Road 109 exit of Interstate 70. He had no identification on him and was not known to local law enforcement officials.
Their initial investigation revealed that he was seen driving a red vehicle and making a purchase at a Wal-Mart in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, east of Columbus, two days before his body was found in Indiana, but he could not be identified.
At the time, they gathered fingerprints, DNA, dental records and anything else that could be used to identify him.
Several years after the body was discovered, the Henry County Coroner’s Office began working with the FBI and in February, the John Doe was identified as Daniel Diaz, a resident of Columbus who was born in 1977.
"I was notified by the FBI that a fingerprint confirmation was made," said Henry County Coroner Stacey Guffey in a media release, "and his identity was now known and confirmed."
Before releasing Diaz's name to the public, Guffey worked to locate and notify his next of kin. When Diaz’s family was contacted, his identity was further confirmed through photographs and physical descriptions.
Diaz’s parents and sister told Guffey that they hadn’t seen Daniel for over 20 years and felt that he didn’t want a relationship with them. After being notified of his death, the family was very distraught and emotional, according to Guffey.
He was buried in Henry County with a donated headstone. The family decided to leave Diaz’s remains in Henry County where they plan to visit his gravesite this year. His grave marker can be changed now to reflect his name, birth year, and death year in proper form.