Partial remains of Porter Albert, a 78-year-old Fort Myers man who went missing in January 2020, have been identified through DNA testing. Fort Myers Police said they found the remains about three years ago, but DNA results only recently came back.
"Finally getting some full closure," said Brian Albert, Porter’s son.
The DNA testing was conducted at the University of North Texas.
Investigators have not disclosed where the remains were found, but Albert’s ex-wife, Diane Albert Hall, shared her reaction to the news.
"Kind of shocked because there had been no communication between the police department and us," Hall said. "The last time that I had talked to him was in 2023."
Albert, 78, was last seen on surveillance video inside a Big Lots off US-41 in North Fort Myers. His car was missing from the trailer park where he lived on Linhart Avenue near downtown Fort Myers.
"When they found the car that, that was absolutely the real beginning of the investigation," Hall said.
Police said the car was discovered with then-18-year-old Tiffany Contestable, who had been receiving help from Albert.
"She wasn't overly helpful with law enforcement, wasn't very agreeable to helping out at all," said Trish Routte with Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers. "Didn't seem to care much that Porter was missing. There's never really enough information to link her as a person of interest in the case, but she has absolutely always been on the radar."
Albert’s ex-wife hopes someone will come forward with information to help her son get closure.
"Brian is on disability because he can't get out very much anymore," Hall said. "This would give him closure, even to have a few pieces of who he was down there."
Anyone with information about Porter Albert’s death is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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