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West Point Lake homicide victim identified decades later
A DNA match has solved a 36-year-old mystery by identifying a man found dead along West Point Lake in 1990 as Craig Alexander Maddox, sparking a renewed cold case murder investigation.
TROUP COUNTY, Ga. - A DNA match has solved a 36-year-old mystery by identifying a man found dead along West Point Lake in 1990 as Craig Alexander Maddox, sparking a renewed cold case murder investigation.
What we know:
A decomposing body found on the shores of West Point Lake back in 1990 has been identified as 26-year-old Craig Alexander Maddox from Arkansas. The FBI Atlanta office released a photograph of Maddox on Wednesday night, marking the first time the public can connect a face to the long-standing mystery.
The breakthrough came after the victim's adult son submitted his own DNA to a private database portal in hopes of finding his missing father. The FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation used that submission to secure a perfect match, unlocking the identity of the remains. Tattoos and personal items recovered on the shore by the Drew County Sheriff's Office in 1990 also aided the investigation.
According to the Troup County Sheriff's Office, specific details from the initial discovery scene in 1990 led investigators to believe Maddox was killed. Law enforcement officers have officially classified the ongoing search for answers as a cold case murder investigation.
RELATED: Troup cold case: FBI identifies 1990 remains found at West Point Lake
What we don't know:
Authorities have not shared how Maddox died or what he was doing in Georgia at the time of his death. It remains unclear why he was in the Troup County area before his body ended up on the lake shore.
What's next:
Detectives are working with Maddox's family back in Arkansas to piece the historical puzzle together. Police hope that learning more about his background will reveal why he traveled to the region.
What you can do:
Anyone who has information that could assist investigators with this cold case murder investigation is asked to contact the Troup County Sheriff's Office.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Troup County Sheriff's Office, who detailed the cold case history, as well as the FBI Atlanta office and the Drew County Sheriff's Office, who coordinated the forensic DNA matching process.