OPELIKA, Ala. – The Opelika Police Department is releasing updated physical characteristics for an unidentified 1990 homicide victim following a forensic re-examination. The new data significantly adjusts the victim’s estimated age and height, which investigators believe could be the key to matching the remains with missing persons reports from the era.
On May 5, 2026, Opelika police, in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences (ADFS), exhumed the remains of an unidentified Black male from Evergreen Cemetery. The remains were transported by the Lee County Coroner to the ADFS Montgomery Medical Laboratory for examination.
On May 8, 2026, the chief medical examiner of the ADFS examined the remains alongside forensic anthropologists. While a 1990 autopsy estimated the victim was between 18 and 25 years old and stood 5 feet 8 inches tall, the new examination suggests the victim was a juvenile.
The revised victim profile is as follows:
• Age: 15 to 18 years old.
• Height: Approximately 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 6 inches.
• Weight: 135 to 145 pounds (estimated).
• Cause of Death: Homicide via a single gunshot wound.
At the time the body was recovered from a creek bed off Anderson Road in September 1990, the victim was wearing a white St. Louis Cardinals pinstripe jersey, Jordache blue jeans, and black Ellesse shoes.
A bone sample was collected during the recent examination for further DNA analysis and comparison. Detectives are now cross-referencing this new physical profile with missing persons cases from 1990 and earlier that may have previously been excluded based on the original age and height estimates.
CrimeStoppers 215-STOP is offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in the case.
Anyone with information regarding a missing Black male between the ages of 15 and 18 in 1990 is asked to contact the Opelika Police Department Detective Division at 334-705-5220 or the Secret Witness Hotline at 334-745-8665. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Opelika Police mobile app or by calling CrimeStoppers at (334) 215-STOP(7867).
