Summary

On March 24, 1997, two people walking their dog discovered human skeletal remains in a wooded area near Fulton Street and Mangoustine Avenue in Sanford, Florida. The location was near what was then known as Central Florida Regional Hospital.

Officers with the Sanford Police Department responded and began an investigation. No identification was found with the remains. The medical examiner determined that the man had sustained sharp-force injuries to his head and that his death was a homicide.

Despite investigative efforts, the man could not be identified, and the case remained unsolved for decades. Details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP16164. In 2023, investigators submitted evidence for STR testing. The resulting profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, but no matches were found. Despite their efforts, the man could not be identified.

In 2025, the case received financial assistance through a forensic genetic genealogy grant program. Funding for the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy that helped resolve this case was provided through Florida Senate Bill 678, legislation championed by Senator Jennifer Bradley to expand the use of advanced forensic DNA technology in identifying unknown individuals and advancing cold case investigations throughout Florida.

With assistance from the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office, investigators submitted bone samples to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas for advanced DNA testing. At Othram, scientists developed a DNA profile from the forensic evidence using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®. The resulting profile was provided to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, whose forensic genetic genealogy team conducted a genetic genealogy search.

In July 2026, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement notified Sanford investigators that the search had identified a possible close relative of the unidentified man. Investigators obtained a DNA reference sample from the relative, and a subsequent comparison confirmed the man’s identity as John Richard Molis.

Molis was reported missing from the Orlando area on January 21, 1997. He was 37 years old when he disappeared. Originally from Wisconsin, Molis moved to the Orlando area around 1986 or 1987. He lived at the Ridge Club Apartments and worked in janitorial services at Splendid China in Kissimmee.

After his disappearance, Molis’ burgundy-and-brown 1986 Dodge Aries station wagon was found abandoned at the Greyhound bus station on North John Young Parkway in Orlando.

The identification was completed shortly before the death of Molis’ sister, his closest surviving relative. After wondering for nearly three decades what happened to her brother, she learned that he had been identified two days before her death.

The investigation into Molis’ homicide remains active. Detectives are working to reconstruct his life in Central Florida and identify people who knew him during the mid-1990s.

Anyone who knew John Richard Molis or has information about his disappearance or death is encouraged to contact the Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). Information provided through Crimeline may remain anonymous.

This is the 72nd publicly announced case in Florida in which investigators have used Othram’s technology to identify an individual. Learn about other cases by visiting Othram’s website.