Maryland State Police investigators have identified skeletal remains found on October 6, 2012, along a path in a vacant lot in Carroll County, Md.
The man has been identified as Thomas E. Linehan, 67, no fixed address. An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed no apparent trauma. There was no evidence of foul play.
The skeletal remains, now identified as Linehan, were found shortly before noon on October 6, 2012, as citizens walked through a vacant lot in the 500 block of Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster, Maryland. There was no identification located with the remains. All remains were processed and recovered at the scene by forensic investigators and crime scene technicians. The skeletal remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an examination and autopsy.
Maryland State Police homicide investigators were contacted by Westminster Police Department and assumed the investigation. Information was communicated to police departments throughout the region and requests were made to check missing person files for potential matches based on the available information. Additional forensic tests were conducted.
After an exhausting search, investigators contacted the Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster and obtained x-rays of a local homeless man. A detailed comparison of the x-rays and the remains led to a positive identification of Linehan. The comparison was conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Investigators are still attempting to locate Linehan’s next of kin. Anyone who may have information is urged to contact Maryland State Police investigators immediately at 410-386-3000