Porter Albert's remains discovered in 2023, family seeks justice

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—Fort Myers police confirmed Tuesday that partial human remains found in 2023 belong to Porter Albert, a 78-year-old man who vanished in 2020 under suspicious circumstances.

Albert's ex-wife, Diane Albert Hall, said she wants justice after six years of uncertainty. "I want the person caught," she said.

Albert was last seen in January 2020 at the Big Lots in North Fort Myers. Investigators say he was connected to a woman he was helping at the time, Tiffany Contestible, who was later found driving his car and was identified as a person of interest. She has never been named a suspect.

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"If it was someone from where he was trying to help the people, I think that they need to take responsibility for what they did," Albert Hall said.

The remains were identified through DNA testing by the University of North Texas. Trish Routte of SWFL Crime Stoppers said the confirmation brings a painful reality to the case.

"Now we know absolutely conclusively that Porter's not coming back home," Routte said.

Authorities are urging the public to think back to early 2020 and come forward with any information, no matter how small.

"We know, unfortunately, now that Porter is deceased, however, we don't know when it happened, where it happened, like we know the last time that he was seen to Big Lots, but then there's so many holes between then and now," Routte said.

She emphasized that even the smallest detail could help investigators piece together what happened in Albert's final days.

"Six years has passed. Now is the right time to come forward. Do it for Porter, his family, do it for our community," Routte said.

For Albert Hall and her family, the DNA confirmation brings a difficult kind of closure but also a renewed determination to seek answers.

"I'm going to put more time into it to try to get my side done in order to get the reports that I need for closure," Albert Hall said.

Detectives say this remains an active investigation. Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information can contact the Fort Myers Police Department at 239-321-7700 or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477.