Robert Russell Freese, originally from Nassau County, New York, was identified as the victim in a 1975 homicide after Broward Sheriff's Office cold case detectives used modern forensic technology to solve a mystery that had remained unsolved for 51 years, authorities announced on Wednesday, June 10.
Freese's body was discovered on Sunday, June 1, 1975, in a desolate area near what is now Northwest 44th Street and North University Drive in Lauderhill, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Two people riding all-terrain vehicles through an open field made the grim discovery that afternoon. The victim was found partially clothed, wearing only polka-dot boxer shorts, with no identification on him, investigators said.
At the time, detectives estimated the victim was between 18 and 20 years old. The lack of physical evidence at the scene led investigators to believe he had been killed elsewhere and his body dumped in the remote location, according to authorities.
Despite extensive efforts to identify the victim and locate his killer, the case went cold for decades.
"Somebody's been looking for their loved one for 51 years," Broward Sheriff's Office Cold Case Homicide Detective John Curcio said. "And every holiday, they've been looking for him, and we now know who he is. His name is Robert Freese."
Curcio recently reopened the investigation and turned to modern technology for answers. Working with the agency's Crime Lab Latent Print Unit, he obtained a fingerprint match that finally identified the victim, according to the release.
The match revealed Freese was born in Nassau County in 1957 and was living near the 700 block of Northwest Sixth Street in Pompano Beach at the time of his death. Investigators said he was approximately 6 feet tall, weighed between 170 and 175 pounds, and had blonde hair and blue eyes.
You can view evidence from the scene in this video shared by the sheriff's office.
Authorities also learned Freese had been arrested on a misdemeanor charge in Pompano Beach a few months before he was killed.
Despite identifying the victim, investigators have been unable to locate Freese's relatives. Attempts to obtain his birth certificate from Nassau County were unsuccessful because there was not enough information available to locate the record, according to the sheriff's office.
Curcio is asking anyone who knew Freese or his family to contact him at 954-321-4212.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or by dialing **TIPS from any cellphone in the United States.
The smallest detail could help investigators finally solve Freese's murder and bring answers to his family after more than half a century, authorities said.
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