A couple was on their Cecil County property back on August 25, 1997, when they noticed a fire.
When police responded, they found a grisly scene.
Two fires separated by just a few feet.
With separate parts of the same body.
"There was an unidentified African American male that's essentially cut in half," says Sgt. Chris Taylor of the Maryland State Police. "His legs and arms and I believe his right hand was on one fire and his torso was on the other fire. Very gruesome scene to say the least."
Decades later, police still don't know the identity of the victim, but the investigation has given them some information.
"We believe, based on the investigation, that the victim is from New York," Taylor says. "So we're working with authorities up there to look at their missing persons to see if there's any kind of ties or matches."
They're working with NamUs, a national database of missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases that is maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice.
NamUs provides forensic services, DNA and genetic intelligence services as well as investigative and analytical support to law enforcement officers.
For this victim, they have this sketch of what the John Doe may have looked like around the time of his death.
Sgt. Taylor also tells WMAR-2 News that the victim may have been involved in drug sales, based on police investigation.
"So we believe he came from New York to make a drug deal," he says. "For whatever reason, that drug deal went terribly south and ended up, you know, costing him his life."
According to his NamUs case file, he's estimated to have been between 25 and 35 years old, and weighed around 166 pounds, with dark, short, and bushy hair.
If you know who this victim could be or have any information that could help police find out who killed him, please contact Maryland State Police at 410-996-7881.
