CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. -- In November 1988, two hunters walked to a Ladysmith gas station to call for help after they stumbled across the skeletal remains of what Virginia State Police now believe to be two migrant workers.
2023 will mark 35 years since the remains, later found to be that of a father and son, were discovered.
"When it comes to the two victims here it is connected via DNA that they are father and son or related. Back in the late 1980s and even today we have seasonal workers who move about the country doing work and based on our investigation it's probable they were workers or traveling through based on where their bodies were discovered," Virginia State Police Special Agent J. Johnson said.
The hunters found the bodies in a wooded area near the 112-mile marker in Caroline County.
State police do not have the victims' names, but they do have clay composites they believe will fit their descriptions.
"They were both struck and killed about the head. Both men had missing pieces of bone from their skulls. They were also found very close to the Interstate, about 200 feet or so off the edge of 95 which was heavily traveled back then," Johnson said. "Based on that we believe they were transported by a vehicle or taken from the roadside just inside the woods to be concealed before whoever committed the murder moved on."
The murders could have been the result of a possible hit and run, police say. But for now, the killer is still unknown.
State investigators recently sent a bone from one of the victims to a lab in Florida, hoping to get a better idea of where the two men may be from.
"The bone was processed to develop a snip profile for forensic genetic genealogy - based on the information received from that profile we think they're from the Los Angeles or Mexican border area just based on what they found during analysis."
Another clue detectives received was related to a belt buckle that the older of the victims was wearing.
The buckle had traditional markings, and a leather strap with "Silvano" etched into it. Investigators believe that was either a part of his name or a nickname.
"If we can get this out to the West Coast I believe it'll help us get information in identifying them and help get justice for murder and closure for the family," Johnson said.
If you have any information about this case, you can submit a tip to state troopers by clicking here.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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