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William Irving Monroe III, seen here in both pictures, was found shot in the head on Dec. 4, 1980, in Putnam County, Florida. (Images: Othram)
It took more than four decades, but advances in DNA technology cleared the way for deputies to identify an unidentified murder victim found dead and partially buried in a makeshift grave. Now, investigators must figure out who fatally shot Vietnam War veteran and father of two William Irving Monroe III.
A deputy discovered him on Dec. 4, 1980, in Putnam County, Florida, says the DNA research lab Othram and the missing person database NamUS. Sheriff Homer “Gator” DeLoach said in a press conference on Friday that this victim — previously known as John Doe 36 — had been shot in the neck and had a large hematoma on his chest, which was either from blunt force trauma or a fall.
Investigators determined he was a white man and they believed he was a migrant worker, but they had no idea of his real name or who killed him. Doe 36 had been killed two to three weeks before his body was discovered, Othram said.
He was last seen alive on Nov. 15, 1980; a convenience store clerk described seeing him in the store.
“Also, a driver for Simmons’ Labor Camp in Pomona Park confirmed he had picked up a person with the same clothing description as the victim in Orlando to work at the farm about three days prior to his disappearance,” Othram wrote. “The driver said he believed the man had wandered off the property.”
The case went cold, but in February 2023, sheriff’s Captain Chris Stallings reached out to Othram to see if they could use current DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy to identify the murdered man. Researchers managed to make a DNA profile in spite of the deteriorated nature of the available biological evidence, authorities said.
From that, authorities tracked down his brother Richard Monroe, who provided DNA to confirm the slain man’s identity. It turned out that Doe 36 — William Irving Monroe — in fact had ties to the area.
“William is believed to have lived in Orlando at the time he was picked up by the labor camp van and that he may have been in Pomona Park because his ex-wife and children were living in the area,” Othram wrote. “William has several ties to Putnam County, including speeding tickets in the decade prior to his murder. William’s family confirmed that he stopped contacting his family in 1980, and they did not know his whereabouts. William was a United States Marine, serving during the Vietnam War time.”
Richard Monroe, along with William Monroe’s surviving son Michael, who was 8 at the time of the man’s disappearance, joined the sheriff’s office for the press conference on Friday. Another son, Chris, tragically died in a car accident in 1994, DeLoach said.
DeLoach said that the victim’s family operated under the assumption that he was missing and perhaps had been murdered in the Virgin Islands. William Monroe was never reported missing. According to DeLoach, Richard Monroe said their father hired a private investigator to find his whereabouts, but he bounced around from city to city and state to state, so there was nowhere to start a missing person investigation.
The case is ongoing, with no suspects and no persons of interests, Othram said. But investigators are looking for people with knowledge of William Monroe’s interactions with the community. DeLoach said they believe that there are some people around who may have information, and investigators plan on scheduling interviews with them.
From Othram:
Anyone with information on William Irving Monroe III, his time in Putnam or his murder is asked to contact CrimeStoppers of NE Florida at 1-888-277-8477 or download the P3 app. Tips are anonymous and eligible for a reward if leading to an arrest.
DeLoach said there is an award through CrimeStoppers.
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