Facial models may unlock murder mysteries

The facial model of an adult black male in his mid 30s, approximately 5 feet 7 inches to to 5 feet 8 inches tall. The remains were found January 16, 2003, by a National Park Service maintenance worker. (Courtesy Virginia Department of Health)
This model is of an adult Asian male in his late- 30s to early 40s, between 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall. The remains were found on Feb. 13, 2011 by a man walking his dog in the area of Fords Landing Way in Alexandria. (Courtesy Virginia Department of Health)
This model shows an older white man between 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall. The remains were discovered on April 6, 2006 near eastbound I-66 at Route 7100 in Fairfax.(Courtesy Virginia Department of Health)
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Kathy Stewart, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Imagine staring into the faces of people who’ve been dead for years, their stories and how they died still a mystery.

But now, those faces may be the very thing that unlocks the mystery. With the help of forensic anthropologists and artists with the FBI Forensic Anthropology Services and Forensic Imaging Unit, facial models have been made from the skeletal remains of three different men whose remains were found in different locations in Northern Virginia between 2003 and 2011.

The victims in these three cold cases have gone nameless. But now, these John Does have faces that could lead to their identity.

The Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office has made photographs of these facial models public in hopes that someone might recognize them.

The medical examiner’s office is working with the U.S. Park Police and with the Fairfax County Police Department in this effort. Right now, there are 220 unidentified individuals with cases dating back to the 1970s throughout Virginia.

View the photo gallery to see images and descriptions of models. Anyone with information is asked to call the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) at (703)-530-2600.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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