Credit: Moxxy
After more than three decades, a man found deceased off the coast of Clearwater, Florida, in 1993 has been identified.
On Nov. 29, 1993, the body of an unidentified man was discovered floating in the Gulf near the east side of the Clearwater Pass Bridge. He was declared deceased at the scene, and a subsequent investigation uncovered neatly folded clothing on the shoreline near a lifeguard tower at the south end of Clearwater Beach, believed to possibly belong to the deceased man. While an autopsy proved to be inconclusive in determining the manner and cause of death, foul play was not suspected in the man’s death.
With no identification made at the time, the man became known as “Pinellas County John Doe 1993.” Authorities determined that the body belonged to a white male between the ages of 60 to 80 years old, stood approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighed 118 pounds, and had blue eyes with short gray hair.
In a renewed effort to bring answers to the case, Moxxy Forensic Investigations, in collaboration with the Clearwater Police Department, utilized investigative genetic genealogy as a means to provide investigators with a lead about the man’s identity. Upon receiving a DNA profile of the unidentified man, it was uploaded to GEDmatch Pro, a DNA database that allows members of the public to share their DNA to be utilized in law enforcement cases.
“Almost immediately, we observed that all of the DNA matches were either living in or recent immigrants from England, which was quite unexpected for a person found in Pinellas County, Florida,” said Kaycee Connelly, the team lead for the case. “Our team of volunteer genealogists uncovered numerous ancestors from various parts of England, stretching back to the mid-1700s, to connect the DNA matches with one another. Because of recent immigration and the estimated age range of the man at the time of his death, we were looking for very distant connections.”
Several months of genealogical analysis by nine genealogists would determine various connections to the unidentified man, including a couple from the mid-18th century that was living in Bristol, England.
Eventually, the team was able to develop a candidate for the identity of the man. The next of kin, a son of the candidate, was contacted and a buccal swab was collected for comparative purposes. This swab was compared to the profile of the unidentified man, which determined that the relationship between the two was that of a parent-child relationship.
Pinellas County John Doe 1993 has been positively identified as Edman Eric Gleed, born July 29, 1909, making him 84 years old at the time of his death. Gleed was a second-generation immigrant, with both of his parents relocating from their ceremonial counties of Somerset and
Gloucestershire, England, to the United States. He was last seen on November 27, 1993, after leaving the home he shared with his son in Falls Church, Virginia. A missing persons report was filed by his son in Fairfax County, Virginia, shortly after his disappearance.
“This case has been close to the hearts of everyone on the team,” said Ed Adams, the team assistant for the case. “We are all honored to have played a part in returning Edman Gleed to his family.”
Moxxy Forensic Investigations extends our sincere gratitude to Intermountain Forensics for their invaluable assistance in this case. We are also deeply thankful to everyone who contributed by uploading to GEDmatch, the relatives who willingly offered their support, and Sergeant Michael Beavers along with the Clearwater Police Department for placing their trust in us to help identify Edman Eric Gleed.
Republished courtesy of Moxxy Forensic Investigations