Crime & Safety
Body Found Under Florida Bridge 30 Years Ago Identified As NoVA Man
On Nov. 29, 1993, police discovered the Fairfax County man's body floating near the east side of the Clearwater Pass bridge in Florida.
CLEARWATER, FL — A body found under a Florida bridge more than 30 years ago has been identified as a Fairfax County man, authorities said this week.
On Nov. 29, 1993, police discovered a man's body floating near the east side of the Clearwater Pass bridge. Clothing was later found on the shoreline near a lifeguard stand on Clearwater Beach, but there was no identification among the clothing or on the body, police said.
“The clothes, as described, were neatly folded in the sand — that’s not usually consistent with a criminal act,” Clearwater Deputy Police Chief Michael Walek said in an interview this week with Fox 13 in Tampa Bay.
Find out what's happening in Falls Churchfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
An autopsy couldn't determine the manner and cause of death, but police did not suspect foul play. The medical examiner’s office said the victim was a white man between the ages of 60 and 80. He was 5-feet 4-inches tall, weighed 118 pounds, and had short gray hair and blue eyes.
Three decades later, police determined the man was 84-year-old Edman Eric Gleed, who was reported missing by his son after he failed to return to his Falls Church home following his daily walk.
Find out what's happening in Falls Churchfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Last year, the case caught the attention of Kayce Connelly, co-founder of Moxxy Forensic Investigations, a nonprofit group of volunteers who use genetic genealogy to help police solve cold cases, WTOP reported. She then offered to help the Clearwater Police Department identify Gleed's remains.
Before Gleed was identified, several months of genealogical analysis would determine various connections to his remains, including a couple from the mid-18th century living in Bristol, England, police said.
Eventually, a team of nine genealogists was able to develop a candidate for the man's identity. The next of kin, a son of the candidate, contributed a DNA sample and the team determined the relationship between the two was a parent and child.
On Monday morning, Clearwater Police detectives spoke with Gleed's son, who is 94 years old and now lives in North Carolina.
“We are happy that we are able to provide the family some answers and some closure as to what happened with their loved one,” Walek said. “And we’re grateful to the medical examiner’s office and Moxxy Forensic Investigations for helping us get those answers.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
