Remains found near I-65 in Greenwood identified after 30 years

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Human remains found near Interstate 65 in Greenwood have finally been identified after 30 years of investigation.

The Johnson County Coroner’s Office said in a release that the identification came after years of work in collaboration with multiple agencies.

The case was originally ruled as a cold case until it was revisited and reopened using modern methods. Through DNA testing and genealogy tracking, investigators identified the remains as Michael Benjamin Davis of Richland County, South Carolina.

Davis’ immediate family members reported that they “lost track” of him in the late 1980s. He would have been in his mid-20s when he died.

Investigators say Davis’ case was Johnson County’s only known set of unidentified remains. His cause of death has been ruled as undetermined, though coroners say that the case was long thought to be a homicide.

The coroner’s office says more information will be released in a press conference Thursday morning.