Human remains in 30-year-old Sanford cold case identified

A cold case cracked in Seminole County. Human remains found nearly 30 years ago have finally been identified. Fox 35's Alexis Clevenger live outside the Sanford Police Department tonight. So Alexis, the question of who killed him still remains unanswered. Luann, that's something investigators are still working to piece together. But now that they've finally identified John, they're hoping that anybody who knew him, whether you lived at the same apartment complex as him or worked with him, can lead them to those answers. John was part of a large family that loved him. John Richard Mullis was a son, a brother, an uncle. He was born in Wisconsin and moved to the Orlando area around 1986. He worked in janitorial service at Splendid China in Kissimmee, Florida. He possibly also worked at Topper Construction, Inc. and Walt Disney World. But on January 21st, 1997, he was reported missing in Orange County. Months later, remains were found in a wooded area in Sanford. It was just two passerbys walking their dog and located the bones and they saw the skull and called it in. At the time, there wasn't a link between that discovery and Mullis' disappearance. But investigators later learned they were connected. They revisited the case and with the help of advanced technology and genetic genealogy, they were able to trace possible relatives that led them to Mullis. His sister, which was the closest living relative, passed two days after the identification was made. And so she was close. She had wondered what happened to her brother her whole life. And so I know that is meaningful to the investigators that they were able to give that closure to her before she passed. Again, if you did know John or you know anything about what happened, you are asked to contact the Sanford Police Department. Live in Sanford, Alexis Clevenger, Fox 35 News.