TARRANT COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE SEEKS NEXT OF KIN

Fort Worth, Texas — The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office (TCME) has identified two cold cases via fingerprint analysis and is requesting help from the public in locating next of kin.

1986 Identification — Jose Francisco Reyes Ortega

TCME has identified an individual recovered on October 16, 1986, as Jose Francisco Reyes Ortega, born April 11, 1956. Collaboration with Fort Worth Police Department resulted in the recovery of archived evidence consisting of ten fingers removed at autopsy, a blood tube, and a sack containing a bullet, which were transferred to the TCME for further forensic evaluation. The fingers were examined by TCME fingerprint analysts, who successfully developed fingerprints using a Mikrosil casting technique. The prints were then entered into various fingerprint databases, which generated the positive identification. Mr. Ortega has no known next of kin and was assigned Unclaimed Person number UCP156027.

2000 Identification — Ciro Estrada Hernandez

TCME has identified an individual discovered on August 18, 2000, as Ciro Estrada Hernandez, born July 16, 1969. The identification was made through the TCMEs routine fingerprint reexamination protocol. Due to improvements in fingerprint databases and potential for archive data uploads by law enforcement, the TCME periodically resubmits all unidentified cases in which fingerprint evidence is available. The resubmission hit on a criminal history out of California. Mr. Hernandez has no known next of kin and was assigned Unclaimed Person number UCP158233.

These investigative breakthroughs were made possible through partnership with the Fort Worth Police Department and the Bureau of Justice Assistance Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program. These now-identified individuals have been entered into the Unclaimed Person database in an attempt to locate next of kin: https://www.namus.gov/UnclaimedPersons/Search.

The TCME urges anyone with information regarding next of kin for either individual to contact TCME at (817) 920-5700