42-Year-Old Missing Persons Case Closed By Pinellas Sheriff

CLEARWATER, FL — On Tuesday, detectives assigned to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit closed the missing person's case of 29-year-old Ronald Gilchrist, who'd been missing for 42 years.

According to detectives, on Oct. 28, 1980, Gilchrist left a home at 6933 Bonner Ave. in Clearwater to travel to Miami. He was driving a 1977 Ford four-door sedan and was scheduled to arrive at the Miami International Airport on Nov. 3, 1980, to pick up his in-laws and bring them to Marco Island.

Detectives said Gilchrist called a family member on Oct. 29, 1980, from a restaurant pay phone in Mulberry. However, Gilchrist never arrived at the airport and has not been seen or heard from since.

Detectives obtained photographs of Gilchrist from 1980 and submitted them to investigators at the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office.

Detectives learned the Miami-Dade Police Department investigated the homicide of a John Doe in November 1980 who matched the description of Gilchrist.

On June 7, detectives received notification that the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office formally identified John Doe as Ronald Gilchrist. The Miami-Dade Police Department is continuing the homicide investigation of Gilchrist.