SAN DIEGO — A well-known forensic artist is in San Diego showcasing one of his latest projects, a 3D clay image of an unidentified person discovered in Imperial Beach nearly 30 years ago.
Joe Mullins is a forensic artist for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It's a job Mullins has had for 25 years. He creates images that can help identify people who have gone missing or those who have been found, but never named.
"Our job is to give these nameless victims their identity back," said Mullins.
The FBI invited Mullins to the annual conference of the International Association of Police Chiefs held at the San Diego Convention Center. The agency asked him to demonstrate how he uses skeletal remains to make 3D sculptures.
The one on display is of a possible teenage boy who was found floating in the Tijuana River in Imperial Beach back in 1995.
"We were not able to figure out who it was, so the remains were placed in a numbered grave basically," said Mullins.
Fast forward 28 years later, knowing he'd be in town, Mullins asked the San Diego Medical Examiner if he could help with a local cold case. From there, they exhumed the John Doe's remains.
Mullins then called Rady Children's Hospital, who agreed to do a CT scan of the skeleton, as well as a 3D print of it so he could get to work. Over the course of just three days, he built the sculpture using the 3D-printed skull and clay.
"It's telling a full story because if someone had an overbite or an underbite, those are characteristics you wouldn't see in that flat 2D image," said Mullins.
Unlike many cold cases where a victim is found in a state of decay, this one included details about what his hair looked like and what he was wearing. But, his face was unrecognizable having been in the water for so long, which is why Mullins says a photograph of the actual victim wasn't enough to figure out who he was.
“This is the combination of art and science that come together to put these faces back on here,” said Mullins.
It's a face he hopes someone will recognize.
The John Doe is believed to be a Hispanic male between 15 and 30 years old, 5'3 and 150 pounds. He had an earring in his left ear, two crucifix necklaces, black jeans, a green zip up hoodie, and black low top shoes with a red stripe.
“We want someone to see this finished facial proximation and say, I think I know who that is. Now that family will now have answers they haven't had since 1995,” said Mullins.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Diego Sheriff’s Office or the San Diego Medical Examiner.
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