OCOEE, Fla. – Skeletal remains found near the Florida Turnpike in 2016 have been identified as a 90-year-old man who was reported missing in Orange County several years prior, according to the Ocoee Police Department.
During a news conference, retired Det. Michelle Grogan with the police department announced on Thursday that the remains were identified as Lloyd P. Williams.
Grogan detailed her process in 2022 of re-examining evidence, including a set of keys found with the remains that had two loyalty rewards cards on them - one from CVS and another from Winn-Dixie. She also listed his skeletal remains in a national database for missing persons.
The analysis determined the remains were of a Jamaican man, specifically to the St. Mary region, and Grogan was given three potential relatives.
After 18 months, Winn-Dixie provided a name belonging to the loyalty card.
“We were able to match that information to the listed missing person out of Orange County Sheriff’s Office from 2013. I was able to gain a phone number for his son, who resides in Jamaica. And he was the one who reported him missing in 2013,” she said.
Grogan was able to contact the man’s son, who provided a DNA sample to confirm his identity.
She said he was extremely grateful to the police department and other organizations that “worked together to give the skeletal remains his name back, Mr. Lloyd P. Williams.”
“He had been wondering what happened to his father since 2013 and for him to finally get some closure, he’s in his 70s and he’s just extremely grateful to the Ocoee Police Department, NamUs and Othram for coming together and giving him his dad’s name back,” she said.
Williams’ cause of death was not determined, but Grogan said the medical examiner had listed it as “suspicious.” She said he was approximately 90 when he died.
“As a wife and a mom, I can’t imagine not knowing where my person is. And just to be able to hear the relief in their voice or the excitement in their voice when you call them and say, ‘Hey, we think we have a lead.’ It’s heartwarming,” Grogan said. “And I believe that’s why we became police officers, to help people.”
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