Decades after being found dead, a man with ties to San Antonio has been identified as the victim in a 1986 Colorado cold case, thanks to DNA technology.
SAN ANTONIO — Nearly 40 years after a man was found dead in Colorado, investigators have identified the victim and say he had ties to San Antonio.
According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, advances in DNA technology helped investigators identify the man as Peter Joseph Paskovich Jr..
Authorities said Paskovich’s remains were discovered in 1986 on a ranch in an unincorporated area of El Paso County. Investigators determined the man had been shot in the head.
Last year, the sheriff’s office submitted DNA evidence to a genetic genealogy center, where investigators used publicly accessible genealogy databases to identify potential relatives. Officials said the process led them to believe the victim was Paskovich, though it took nearly a year to officially confirm his identity.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said detectives and the coroner’s office are now working with Paskovich’s family to return his remains.
Investigators said Paskovich had ties to the Colorado county where he was found, but also lived in San Antonio and attended John Jay High School from 1971 to 1973.
Authorities believe he was killed sometime between July and December 1985.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who knew Paskovich or may have information related to the case to contact investigators as they continue working to determine what happened before his death.