NEWS RELEASE 26-031 - JUNE 1, 2026
On the morning of Friday, May 29, construction workers discovered partial human skeletal remains in a wooded lot off Leonard Reid Ave. in Sarasota.

Members of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, Criminal Investigations Section, Emergency Response Team, and Sarasota K9 Search and Rescue were on scene throughout the weekend searching the wooded area in an attempt to locate additional remains and any potential evidence.

Florida Gulf Coast University’s Human Identity & Trauma Analysis program and the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office were brought in on Sunday to coordinate efforts to locate and identify the remains. At this time, the approximate age, sex, manner of death, and how long the remains have been at the site is undetermined. Only one set of remains was located.

If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Criminal Investigations Section at 941-861-4900.