Nearly four decades after a ranch worker stumbled on skeletal remains outside Colorado Springs, investigators have finally put a name to the victim. The man long known only as a John Doe is now identified as Peter Joseph Paskovich Jr., who had family ties to San Antonio. Modern genetic genealogy work led relatives to confirm the match, setting in motion plans to return his remains to family and breathe life back into the homicide case.
On November 3, 1986, searchers found skeletal remains on a ranch west of Interstate 25 in southern unincorporated El Paso County. Investigators recovered remnants of clothing and a belt at the scene, and the county coroner later determined that the victim died from a gunshot wound to the head, ruling the case a homicide, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.
How Investigative Genetic Genealogy Cracked A 40 Year Mystery
In 2025, detectives turned to investigative genetic genealogy in a bid to finally identify the man. They contacted the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center, which teamed up with forensic lab Astrea Forensics. Using the victim's teeth, Astrea Forensics developed a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) DNA profile, which genealogists then compared against publicly accessible databases.
By building out family trees from those potential matches, investigators zeroed in on probable relatives and a likely name: 31-year-old Peter Joseph Paskovich Jr. In April 2026, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation confirmed that DNA from Paskovich's relatives matched the remains, officially closing the identification gap, as reported by The Colorado Springs Gazette.
From Colorado Springs Roots To A San Antonio Connection
Authorities say Paskovich had ties to Colorado Springs, where his father served at what was then Ent Air Force Base, before the family later relocated to San Antonio, where relatives now live. San Antonio Police Department Detective Ryan Tovar helped coordinate with those relatives and obtain their DNA samples for comparison.
"For nearly four decades, this man had no name, but he was never forgotten," El Paso County Sheriff Joe Roybal said in a statement released through the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, adding that detectives remain committed to finding whoever killed him.
Homicide Case Still Open, Tips Urgently Needed
Investigators believe Paskovich was killed sometime between July and December 1985, and the case remains an open homicide. Anyone who knew Paskovich or has information that could help is urged to contact the El Paso County Sheriff's Office tip line at 719-520-7777 or Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers at 719-634-7867, per KRDO.
