A nearly 40-year-old skeleton was identified Tuesday as Rhode Island resident Keith Olson, who reportedly had “friction” with his girlfriend’s ex before disappearing, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
Olson, who was 27 years old at the time, disappeared on April 15, 1981, when he had been dating a woman whose ex, North Providence resident John Broccoli, reportedly had “friction” with the victim, authorities stated according to MassLive. A witness had told authorities that he saw two men escort the Rhode Island resident from his apartment prior to his disappearance, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Neighbors Heard Screams For Help Weeks Before Missing Man’s Body Was Found Stuck In Chimney, Police Say)
A few years later, a driver traveling west on I-195 in Fairhaven, Massachusetts on April 8, 1985, contacted the police after spotting a skeleton on the side of the road. Once the driver helped locate the body, police recovered the skeleton and some physical evidence, but were unable to identify who the body belonged to, authorities stated.
The body had been given to the FBI, where a lab then determined that the john doe was a white male who stood around 5-foot-9-inches tall. The lab additionally discovered that the body must have been killed a few years prior, showing signs of trauma which led to a homicide ruling, according to the DA’s office.
Advanced DNA profiling led to the body being connected to Olson’s family tree, where investigators were able to positively identify the Rhode Island man as the skeleton, according to WCVB5.
”Without the use of that advanced genealogical DNA testing, many of these cases cannot be solved. If you don’t get to a family tree, you have no identification. It’s that simple,”Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn told WCVB5.
While no suspects have been named, authorities noted that Broccoli had reportedly made “cryptic statements” to Olson’s then-girlfriend, which suggested that he was somehow involved with the incident. However, the North Providence resident passed away at the age of 63 in 2019, the DA’s office stated according to MassLive (RELATED: Video Allegedly Shows Samuel Haskell Jr. Discarding Large Object In Dumpster, Possibly Connected To Recovered Torso)
“Keith Olson, our son and brother, was a very, very much loved, endeared and respected member of our family and is deeply missed,” Olson’s family stated in response to his body being identified. “Keith’s disappearance has been the most horrible experience our family has ever faced. The not knowing and the longing for him to come home has long been a tremendous devastation.”
Investigators are still asking for the public’s help in closing the case, emphasizing that they not only believe the crime was “committed by at least two people,” but that “there are individuals who could provide helpful information.”