The sculpted faces at the front of the room could not have been more unremarkable: A black man, a white man and an Asian man, all middle-aged, all smiling blandly at a conference room filled with police officers, forensic analysts and reporters.
But for law enforcement officials in Northern Virginia, those sculptures — otherwise known as facial approximations — could be their best chance at identifying the skeletal remains of three men found in the area over the last 10 years.
Fairfax County police, U.S. Park Police and the Virginia Department of Health unveiled the facial approximations, which were based on the skulls of the three men, at a press conference Thursday. They’re hoping a family member or friend will recognize them.
The first victim, a black male in his mid-30s, about 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, was found Jan. 16, 2003, by a National Park Service maintenance worker clearing debris under the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. The Asian man, in his late 30s to early 40s, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, was found Feb. 13, 2011, by a man walking his dog near Fords Landing Way in Alexandria.
The third case involved the remains of an older white man between 5 feet 5 inches tall and 5 feet 11 inches tall. His remains were found April 6, 2006, by a man walking in the woods near I-66 and Route 7100 in Fairfax. Police believe the man was homeless. He was carrying a broken rosary and a small Bible.
The state medical examiner’s office — which keeps tabs on 220 sets of unidentified remains dating back to the 1970s — said facial approximations have helped before. Of the six they’ve used since 2011, one was positively identified and a second is awaiting confirmation through DNA testing.
“We want families to know we don’t give up on these cases,” said Lucy Caldwell, a Fairfax County Police spokesman. “We’re looking to try to help families with closure.”
Anyone with any information about the three men should call the U.S. Park Police at 202-610-8737, the Fairfax County police at 703-246-7860 or the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner at 703-530-2600.
