Opelika police exhume body of homicide victim, hoping DNA test will lead to ID
The body of an unidentified homicide victim from the 1990s in Opelika was exhumed Monday in the hope DNA testing might help identify the victim in the cold case.
The victim was a young Black man whose body was discovered in a creek bed off Anderson Road in September 1990, according to a news release from the Opelika Police Department. The body was exhumed from Evergreen Cemetery.
“We are hopeful that advanced DNA testing can help us identify our John Doe and bring additional leads in this case,” Opelika Police Chief Johnathan Clifton said in the news release. “We saw how genealogy was able to solve our Baby Jane Doe case and are hopeful to bring closure to this man’s family.”
An autopsy conducted in Montgomery on the body of “John Doe” at the time found the cause of death to be homicide from a single gunshot wound, according to the news release.
Police said detectives investigating the case didn’t find any missing person reports matching the victim’s description.
At the time of his death, police said the victim was wearing a white St. Louis Cardinals jersey type of shirt with red pin stripes, Jordache blue jeans and black Ellesse shoes. The victim is believed to be 18-25 years old, 135-145 pounds and approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, according to police.
Police ask anyone with information about the case to call the OPD detective division at 334-705-5220 or the secret witness hotline at 334-745-8665. Additional information about the case is on the OPD’s website.
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 1:04 PM.