Skeletal remains discovered more than 20 years ago in Charlotte County have been identified with DNA technology.
On Jan. 6, 2002, the skeletal remains of an unidentified male were found in the bushes on the side of Zemel Road near the landfill in South Charlotte County.
A Bulova watch was recovered with the remains.
An autopsy was performed and determined the male was a homicide victim, but they were not able to establish an identity.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Team, using DNA technology, was able to identify the victim as Alejandro Lago from Miami-Dade County.
Lago was last seen in Miami on Nov. 17, 2001, and he was reported missing by his mother on Dec. 27.
The Cold Case team is currently conducting background checks related to Lago and any associates to establish his habits and probable activities.
Cold Case detectives recently traveled to Miami and met with missing person detectives to gain additional background information on Lago and his associates.
“Despite it being more than 20 years, my Missing Persons detectives continued to work on this case and used every resource possible to determine Mr. Lago’s whereabouts. Sadly, the outcome was tragic," Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie Daniels said. "We send our deepest condolences and look forward to collaborating with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office to help provide the necessary answers and bring some much-needed closure to his family and loved ones."
Before identifying Lago, the team received a tip that late in 2001, some local males from Punta Gorda had been involved in a physical altercation with a male in South Charlotte County near Richmond Street and Highway 41.
The tipster stated the males killed the individual and dumped his body. The team is continuing to work on this lead, but they are not certain how legitimate this information is or if it pertains to the case in question.
Zemel Road is near the Charlotte and Lee counties line and has been used in the past to dump bodies of those who died in the Fort Myers area, according to deputies.
“Identifying the victim is a major step toward bringing closure to his loved ones, but there is still a lot of work to be done in this investigation. Finding out why he was in our county could be crucial to finding his killer and bringing them to justice. If anyone has any information, even the tiniest detail can be a critical piece of evidence. I know that my Cold Case team is the best in the field, and they will follow every actionable lead to the end," Sheriff Bill Prummell said.
The Cold Case team is requesting anyone with information about this crime or the victim to contact them at 941-639-2101.
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