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.
