CANTON, Ohio — A press conference was held Tuesday just miles from where the remains of a man were found, several years after his Michigan family reported him missing.

What You Need To Know

  • The remains of Anthony Bernard Gulley were identified nearly 31 years after his family reported him missing

  • DNA Doe Project helped advance the homicide case through DNA genealogy sites

  • The victim was from Michigan and left behind four children

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Stark County Sheriff Eric Weisburn released the identity of a John Doe whose remains were found in Canton in December 2001.

The skeletal remains had likely been in the southeast part of Canton for many years. They were identified as belonging to 24-year-old Anthony Bernard Gulley from Pontiac, Michigan. 

Gulley’s sister reported him missing on Sept. 11, 1994. 

His remains were originally identified as a Black man between 21 and 44 years old. A couple years ago, a clay model was created by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and they worked with experts from The Ohio State University to create digital images of the reconstruction, but the case remained unsolved.

It wasn’t until sheriff detectives reached out to the DNA Doe Project that they made a break in the case. The nonprofit, which works to identify unidentified remains, made a DNA match using DNA genealogy sites. That led them to Gulley’s hometown.

“There’s the excitement, of course, of accomplishment … decades long investigation can now be closed. At the same time, it’s a sobering reminder that behind every cold case is a family; a victim that had friends, loved ones,” said Yost.

According to the Stark County Sheriff, it’s believed Gulley was the victim of a homicide. He was killed by Frederick Washington, who died by suicide after a shootout with police in 1994.

It will be 31 years this September since Gulley was reported missing. His family, including four children, live in Michigan.