Priciliano Ontiveros was a man who disappeared from Phoenix, Arizona on October 29, 1987. His skull was found in the same area on July 2, 1992. It was identified as his in the summer of 2014.
Case[]
Priciliano Ontiveros was last seen leaving a relative's residence on West Tonto Street at 9:30 a.m. Several days later, his vehicle, a blue 1975 Ford pickup, was found abandoned in the area of South 91st Avenue and the Salt River bottom with blood inside of it. Foul play is suspected in his disappearance, although his body was not located at the time and no leads were discovered.
Years later, Priciliano's skull was discovered by hikers near 91st Avenue in southern Phoenix. No additional remains, clothing, or personal items were recovered. A composite sketch was drawn by certified forensic artist Stephen Missal, and DNA analysis was performed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, although the results were not available for comparison.
Sketch
In June 2014, Pheonix Police Department detective Stuart Somershoe and Maricopa County death investigator Christen Eggers were comparing notes while waiting for an Arizona Republic reporter to arrive for a story on unidentified human remains. They noted Priciliano's truck and the skull in the same area, and the composite sketch resembled his picture in the missing person report. Afterwards, the two asked the AZDPS to do a rush comparison with the DNA samples from his family. The next month, DNA confirmed the skull was indeed Priciliano Ontiveros.
Priciliano's homicide remains under investigation, and his two children planned to take his remains to Mexico. Detective Somershoe is asking people who knew him to come forward and share information with authorities.