Columbus police seek identity of burned John Doe in overpass homicide

A burned body found under an I-670 overpass has stayed nameless for more than four years, and Columbus detectives are now pressing the public to help close the gap that fire and time left behind.

Police say patrol was called on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, to a homeless encampment beneath an underpass near the 500 block of Edgar Waldo Way. Columbus Division of Fire arson investigators and Columbus Division of Police homicide investigators responded, and the death has been handled as a homicide ever since. The remains were so badly burned that investigators said the person was unrecognizable, leaving the case frozen at the point where identification should have begun.

Forensic work has narrowed the profile, but not enough to put a name on the victim. Detectives believe the John Doe was between 24 and 46 years old, of Central American ancestry, and likely had parents from El Salvador or Guatemala. He was estimated at about 5 feet 2 inches tall, with black or brown hair. Investigators also released surnames of interest, including De Paz, Paz, Pineda and Castillo, tied to the San Salvador and Jutiapa areas.

The physical clues are unusually specific. A surgical-style screw was found in the man’s left ankle, and another screw was recovered with the remains. DNA found on a pair of size 7.5 Justin Ladies Classic Roper Boots suggested the boots may have belonged to him, while the soles showed circular indentations that could reflect the kind of work he did. Those details are now the best chance of solving an identity that traditional methods could not.

Columbus police say the Homicide Case Review Unit handles unsolved cases dating back to the 1950s, with one sergeant and five detectives assigned to that work. The unit reopens cases when new information comes in or when detectives think a fresh look is needed. Tips can be called in to 614-645-4036, and Crime Stoppers rewards may be available if information leads to a conviction.

The case also sits inside a broader push to identify the dead through DNA and genetic genealogy. Columbus has used those tools in other cold cases, and in February 2025 Ohio officials identified a different Franklin County John Doe as Pedro Martinez Cruz, 73, of Columbus. That result showed what a single match can do when a file that has sat silent for years finally gets a name.

For this John Doe, the mystery is still the same one that began under the overpass in 2021: a burned, unnamed man, a handful of hard clues, and one detail the right person may still recognize before the case can move again.