The Unsolved Murder of Patricia Ann Minnis: A 25-Year Journey to Identification

Discovery of the Remains

On April 3, 1990, a prison work crew from the now-defunct Deep Lake Road Prison made a grim discovery in the Big Cypress National Preserve near Ochopee, Florida. Under heavy brush near Gannet Strand along U.S. Highway 41 East, approximately 22 miles south of Everglades City, they found the badly decomposed body of a woman. Authorities estimated that she had been deceased for about three weeks. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, indicating a homicide. Despite extensive dental work and metal plates in her lower back, investigators were unable to identify the victim at that time.

Initial Investigative Efforts

In the years following the discovery, the Collier County Sheriff's Office pursued various avenues to identify the victim. In 1999, a forensic expert from the Jacksonville County Sheriff's Office reconstructed the woman's face using her skull, hoping to generate leads from the public. Unfortunately, this effort did not yield any new information, and the case remained cold. ...Read More

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