"Roberto" was the possible name of a man whose remains were found in Blissfield Township, Michigan in 1997.
He is currently undergoing testing by the DNA Doe Project.
In January 2023, two suspects were charged with the victim's murder.
Case[]
Discovery[]
On the afternoon of November 19, 1997, a farmer preparing his cornfield for harvesting discovered a body. The body was completely unrecognizable; both the head and hands had been severed and insect activity had caused further damage. To date, the victim's head and hands have never been recovered.
The field in which the victim was found sits west of Corey Highway between Blissfield Township and Deerfield. It is believed that the body was dumped in the field sometime in the previous months, possibly in September.
Investigation[]
Since the initial discovery of the body, law enforcement have two suspects - brothers Michael and Richardo Sepulveda. The Sepulvedas are based in neighboring Toledo, Ohio and were known to have been involved in the local drug trade. Although Michael ultimately confessed to being a participant in the murder to the FBI in 2016, charges against the two were not filed until January 2023.
Investigators believe the victim was traveling to Chicago, Illinois to meet with Richardo, who owed money from a drug debt, but there was a change of plans and the victim ended up traveling to Toledo, where he was subsequently abducted and brought to Michigan where he was murdered. Afterwards, the victim was dismembered and his remaining corpse was left in the field. A car in which the victim was driving, a mid-1990s silver, black, or blue Ford Taurus, was also disposed of. The Toledo River in Ohio was searched in 2016; investigators have not revealed the results.
The victim was known to others as "Roberto" but recent developments indicate that he may have also gone by the name "Pablo". Reportedly, the victim lived in a large white ranch-style house between McAllen and Weslaco, Texas where he raised chickens and held cockfights. The victim is also thought to have been married with two daughters in elementary school at the time of his death. Since the release of these details, investigators have released their suspicion that the victim was 32 years old at the time of his death and also had ties to the Corpus Christi area.
Investigators are also attempting to identify a subject believed to have known the victim. The subject is known only as "Pelon" and also lived in the McAllen area. Pelon was around 30 years old in 1997, may have worked at an auto shop/garage, and drove a 1996 red Jeep Cherokee. Pelon's exact role in the case remains unknown.
Composite sketch of "Pelon"
Genealogical analysis conducted by the DNA Doe Project has identified distant relatives of the victim in Mexico.
Characteristics[]
- Light skin.
- No scars or tattoos.
Exclusions[]
- James Cooper
- Bob Villarreal
- Mitchell Zepedo (per investigating officer)