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Authorities Ask For Help Identifying Man Found Dead In Wooden Chest In Westchester

Authorities in Westchester County are asking the public for help identifying a man whose body was found in a wooden chest on the side of the Saw Mill River Parkway more than four decades ago.

The DA's Office said the sketch of the victim was made by the Texas Department of Public Safety based on autopsy photos.

The DA's Office said the sketch of the victim was made by the Texas Department of Public Safety based on autopsy photos.

Photo Credit: Westchester County DA

The man's body was discovered in Hastings-on-Hudson at 10:15 a.m. on April 23, 1978, by a driver traveling north on the parkway, according to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.

The driver pulled over after seeing a cedar chest on the side of the road and found that the chest was nailed shut.

He opened the chest with a tire iron and found the man's body inside. The DA's Office said the victim had been shot.

The DA's Office said that the county Department of Public Safety, known at the time as Westchester County Parkway Police, was unable to discover the victim's identity.

The DA's Office said a sketch of the victim was made by the Texas Department of Public Safety based on autopsy photos.

The revival of the case was made possible through the establishment of the Cold Case Bureau, created by District Attorney Miriam Rocah in January, the DA's Office said. The bureau works with investigators in the DA's Office, the FBI, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and other law enforcement across the United States.

“This Bureau is dedicated to solving the over 140 cold cases in Westchester County," Rocah said. "We will not give up on these cases because the victims and their families deserve justice, regardless of how long it takes.”

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office at 914-995-TIPS.

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