Unknown murder victim identified through belt buckle 35 years after he went missing

3years ago

Escambia County news, Florida news.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has announced last week that a murder victim who went for more than three decades unknown was identified thanks to his belt buckle.

It occurred when a family relative of John Doe, as police identified him on their website, searching for information about their uncle missing since 1983 entered the victim’s information and noticed one particular detail.

“The thing that stuck out to the person the most was the victim's belt buckle with the hand-engraved initials ’W.T.’ The person felt this could have been their missing uncle, whose last known location was in Escambia County near the same time John Doe’s body was discovered,” police said.

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  • The relative went to a police station and proceeded to a DNA analysis which ultimately confirmed the deceased’s identity as their uncle William Ernest Thompson.

    Thompson’s remains were discovered in Escambia County in 1985 and the investigation revealed he had been killed.

    “This is another example of the never-ending quest for justice,” Chief Deputy Chip Simmons said. “While we haven’t yet solved the homicide, it is a step forward and can give the family some closure until the case is solved.”