The identification also solved a mystery for a family who had a member go missing from a Pinellas Park medical facility in 1989.

PINELLAS PARK – Police here have solved two mysteries: The case of a man missing for 29 years. And the identity of a pedestrian killed in a Park Boulevard crash 29 years ago.

Both were the same man – Maurice Glenn Cooksey Jr.

The Pinellas Park Police Department made the identification with the help of the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office and NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

Back on July 22, 1989 at about 9:34 a.m. Pinellas Park police investigated a traffic fatality in the 4600 block of Park Boulevard. Officers determined that the unidentified man crossed Park and was hit by a semi-tractor trailer. He died as a result of his injuries. No charges were filed because investigators determined the deceased man was at fault in the crash.

The man had no identification and was never identified.

The Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office collected evidence and photographs to help with identification.

During follow up investigations in 2008, the man’s information was entered into NamUs. Dental records and a facial approximation were also entered into his NamUs online file. In addition, DNA samples from the decedent were also sent to the FBI for testing. Sketches of the decedent were separately generated and profiled on the Pinellas Park police traffic homicide cold case webpage to help generate tips on his identification.

It was not until this past September of that the investigation gained new life.

On Sept. 27, police took a missing persons report about a man missing since the summer of 1989. The missing person was named Maurice Glenn Cooksey Jr., who had reportedly gone missing from a Pinellas Park medical facility and had never been found.

In 1989 Mr. Cooksey had a caregiver assigned to him, who, police said, apparently had miscommunicated with the family about his disappearance from the medical facility. A missing persons report was not made at the time.

On Aug. 24, the family of the missing man entered Mr. Cooksey’s information into NamUs as a missing person. A possible match was made between the information entered by the family and the original profile entered in 2008.

Detectives with the Pinellas Park Police Department worked with the family and the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office to investigate the possible match. On Friday (Oct. 19), the family members were able to review photographs of the deceased man. Through these photographs and physical characteristics, the family was able to positively identify the unknown traffic fatality victim as Maurice Glenn Cooksey Jr.

Photo of Maurice Glenn Cooksey Jr. courtesy of the Pinellas Park Police Department.

Pinellas Park Police | Maurice Glenn Cooksey Jr. | Missing Man | Tampabay News

#PinellasParkPolice #MauriceGlennCookseyJr #MissingMan #TampabayNews