Ralph Tufano (August 15, 1942 - c. 1978) was a man discovered in Florida in 1979. He was from New York, but it is unknown why Ralph was in North Central Florida.
He was identified on September 19, 2022 by Othram after earlier attempts by the DNA Doe Project were unable to develop a profile.
Case[]
On February 13, 1979, the man's skeletal remains were discovered under a tree in a wooded area near State Route 236. A noose was found above the remains, suggesting he committed suicide by hanging or that he may have been murdered in the same way.
Eventual isotope testing indicated the man was not likely native to the area, and he had spent only a matter of days to months in Florida. He may have originated from states further north, such as Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, or as far as the midwestern states of Ohio and Indiana.
He may have also spent a reasonable amount of time in the West, including Colorado, Utah, Nevada, or inland regions of Washington and Oregon.
The DNA Doe Project faced numerous difficulties to obtain a usable profile for genealogic research, but funding was eventually started for a fourth extraction. The case later went to Othram in hopes to develop a usable profile, which was successful, leading to Tufano's identification in 2022.
Characteristics[]
- The decedent was likely muscular.
- He had a light complexion.
- He had blond or reddish hair.
- He had healed fractures on both the left and right sides of the upper front ribs in the chest.
Clothing[]
- Brown tie-up shoes.
- Brown worker pants.
- A light-colored patterned shirt with short sleeves.
- A light blue nylon windbreaker.
Exclusions[]
Gallery[]
