HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – In a remarkable display of persistence and collaboration, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) has successfully solved a cold case dating back to 1997.
Utilizing advancements in DNA technology and working in tandem with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Missing Migrant Program and the Mexican Consulate, the MEO identified the remains of Rodolfo Barcenas Guerrero, whose body was discovered in Tampa nearly three decades ago.
Barcenas Guerrero was found in the fall of 1997 near the intersection of 43rd Street and 7th Avenue in Tampa. Although he possessed identifying documents such as a Resident Alien Card and a Social Security Card, initial efforts to locate his family proved unsuccessful…