AKRON, Ohio — In 1982 the remains of a man were found in a garbage bag in Twinsburg.

For nearly 40 years, the case stumped investigators until Eric Hendershott became a detective for the Twinsburg Police Department in 2018. 

“The chances of him getting identified were becoming less and less likely," Hendershott said. "The people that knew him obviously were no longer going to be alive or remember him.” 

Hendershott used DNA and genealogy to help identify the remains of Frankie Little.

Little played guitar and wrote songs for the O’Jays in the 1960s. 

In 2005, The O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Hendershott said he spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours working on Litte's case and was surprised to learn who the remains belonged to. 

“To put a face to what we have done, it is definitely emotional," he said. 

Last year, Hendershott was able to get in contact with Little's family to help solve this case.  

“His cousin and his brother really pointed us in the direction to get him identified," Hendershott said. "The brother was willing to provide a DNA sample, so that is really what was the confirmation that confirmed that he was Frankie Little.” 

But the work doesn’t stop now that Little has been identified. 

“Now that the case is technically closed, it's really now just the beginning of it," Hendershott said. "Now really the investigation into his death can begin."

While Little's case has been ruled a homicide, Hendershott is still looking for answers surrounding his death. 

“I’m going to be talking to a lot of people, people that knew him, especially towards that last few years of life," Hendershott said. "That’s really going to be the key.” 

If you have any information about Little's death, you are encouraged to reach out to the Twinsburg Police Department.