SALEM, N.H. (WHDH) - Investigators have identified the remains of a man who was found on the side of Interstate 93 in Salem, Hamshire, in 1969, authorities announced Monday.
The remains that were found along the busy highway are that of Winston Richard Morris, of Barre, Vermont, according to a joint statement issued by New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald, New Hampshire Department of Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn, and Salem Administrative Chief of Police Brian Patullo.
Morris, who was also known as “Skip,” was 30 at the time of his death, according to investigators.
A work crew is said to have found the remains in a water-filled pit on the northbound side of the highway near Exit 2.
An autopsy determined that Morris died of several gunshot wounds to his head and torso. The manner of his death was ruled a homicide.
Known fingerprints were taken from the remains at the time of the autopsy but no state or national databases were operational at that time to compare fingerprints, according to investigators. Manual searches of fingerprints on file in New Hampshire and in Boston were said to be unsuccessful in identifying the remains.
Morris was exhumed decades later and in 2012, a DNA profile was developed for his remains at the FBI national laboratory. A facial reconstruction of Morris’ skull was done and posted on the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s cold case victim’s list.
A criminalist later plotted the individual characteristics from one of Morris’ fingers and resubmitted it to an FBI database, helping investigators make an identification.
After speaking with Morris’ family members and reviewing records, a timeline of his movements was established in the weeks leading up to his death.
The investigation into the circumstances of Morris’ murder remains open.
Anyone with information is asked to contact is urged to call the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit at 603-223-8890 or email the unit at Coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)