KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A man whose remains were discovered in Knoxville in 1988 has now been identified through a partnership between the Knoxville Police Department, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Unidentified Human Remains Initiative.
On August 30, 1988, railway workers repairing a section of track discovered the body of a man in the Coster Rail Yard area of Knoxville. Forensic anthropologists determined the remains belonged to a white male likely between the ages of 21 and 30. His death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators with the Knoxville Police Department and the Knox County Regional Forensic Center worked to identify the victim using the technology available at the time. After exhausting all leads, they were unable to determine his identity, and the victim was classified as a John Doe…