Suspected murder victim identified 31 years after human remains found by children in Indiana field

Authorities said human remains found 31 years ago south of Indianapolis have been identified as those of a South Carolina man.

According to the Johnson County coroner’s office, family members of Michael Benjamin Davis said they lost contact with him in the late 1980s.

In 1993, children found the remains in a field just off Interstate 65, in what is now a golf course in Greenwood, Indiana, according to Othram, a lab that works with police to identify people.

The remains were taken to the University of North Texas, where Othram said they were identified as a male under the age of 30 and between 4 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 3 inches tall.

“Despite detectives’ best efforts to identify the man, no matches were found and the case was shelved due to a lack of leads,” Othram said.

Decades later, DNA testing and genealogical work helped scientists determine the identity of the remains, the coroner’s office said in a written statement Sunday.

“While homicide has been suspected for some time, the cause and manner of death have not yet been determined unless more information is released,” the coroner’s office said.

Davis was born in Richland County, South Carolina, in 1965. According to Othram, he was in his mid-20s when he died.

Davis’ family plans to travel to Indiana on Thursday to pick up the remains and speak to the media, the coroner’s office said.