• A forensic artist created this sculpture of a man found unidentified in Ormond Beach in 1982.
  

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for individuals with French Canadian or Irish Canadian ancestry who could help solve a 43-year-old cold case.

According to VCSO, deputies are collaborating with FHD Forensics to help identify a man who was found deceased in Ormond Beach on March 12, 1982. His skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area by two boys who were camping.

Since the man was found without any clothing, jewelry, or any personal effects, his death was ruled “suspicious.” He was approximately 5’7” tall, weighed around 150 pounds, and was likely born between 1935 and 1947.

FHP Forensics investigators, who have an average of 15 years of genealogical research experience, are hoping to collect additional DNA samples from people with similar backgrounds to the unidentified man. In addition to restoring the man’s identity, they are looking to help bring closure to his family.

The sheriff’s office states that the man’s ancestral ties are “French Canadian, with deeper Irish (Canadian) influence in both his maternal and paternal ancestry.”

On Thursday, March 13, 2025, VCSO released an image of the man, which was created by a forensic artist.

In addition to the man’s genetic ties to Ontario and Quebec in Canada, he also has genetic ties to Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan. Investigators believe that the man, or his family before him, may have lived in one of these areas before moving to Florida.

“(The man’s) distant ancestors include the surnames LeFevre, LaPoint, Bellenoit, Brosseau, Lerat, and Desjardins,” added VCSO.

For more information, including how to contribute a DNA sample, visit the Genealogy for Justice’s 1982 Volusia County John Doe webpage.