Category: Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, TX

Through support by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified an individual found on June 28, 2022, as Juan Francisco Magdaleno Gomez after a thorough re-examination of personal effects recovered with the decedent. Among the recovered personal effects, a T-Mobile receipt listing the surname “Gomez,” along with a small notebook containing an email address, provided initial leads. These items enabled investigators to locate a Facebook profile resembling the decedent. Investigators subsequently made contact with a potential relative, who confirmed that his cousin had gone missing in the summer of 2022. Case details and a photograph of the decedent were shared, and the relative recognized the individual, supporting the identification.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified remains discovered on February 2, 1997, as Phillip LaRyan Jones, resolving a case that remained open for 28 years. During a renewed review of the case in June 2025, investigators reexamined property recovered with the decedent and located a small, folded piece of paper concealed inside a wallet. Infrared photography revealed handwritten names and phone numbers, providing the first substantial investigative lead in decades. This information guided investigators to potential relatives in Mississippi. Multiple family members came forward, confirming key details and providing DNA reference samples to support the investigation. On November 6, 2025, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification confirmed the identity through DNA comparison, conclusively identifying the decedent as Phillip LaRyan Jones. This identification was supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified an individual recovered on October 18, 1980, as U.S. Army veteran John Davis Webster, resolving a case that remained unidentified for more than 40 years. At the time of the original investigation, personal property recovered with the decedent including a social security card and a Texas Employment Commission card indicating military veteran status suggested a potential identity. However, the available information was insufficient to confirm who the individual was. During a renewed examination of the case, investigators photographed the recovered items and identified faint, faded numbers on the laminated social security card. These numbers appeared to represent a possible date of birth and provided a new investigative lead. This information prompted collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Latent Print Unit, which identified a 1961 military fingerprint card associated with the individual. Investigators also obtained postmortem fingerprints preserved from the original investigation through the Fort Worth Police Department. A comparison conducted by the FBI confirmed a fingerprint match, conclusively identifying the decedent as John Davis Webster. This identification was supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program.