The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit has identified human remains from a case dating back to 1995.
On April 29, 1995, deputies with HCSO responded to the northwest corner of Bearss Avenue and I-275, where a deceased male was located inside a tent with advanced stages of decomposition. The investigation revealed the male had died of natural causes.
Up until May 2023, there had not been any substantial leads in this case. That's when detectives with HCSO's Cold Case Unit began to review this case with assistance from Ohtram Labs. Othram Labs conducted forensic genealogy testing to identify the remains.
"Advances in technology have allowed detectives to decode what was previously thought to be unsolvable cold cases," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Our detectives in the Cold Case Unit are continually seeking ways to bring closure to previously unresolved cases."
In April 2024, Othram Labs provided investigative leads and a possible name of Christopher Mammana, born in 1918, whose whereabouts and digital footprint disappeared in 1993.
Detectives discovered that Christopher Mammana had a headstone at Easton Cemetery in Easton, Pennsylvania, but no records of him being buried in the plot.
Investigators began to track down leads and members of the Mammana family to put additional pieces together for a family tree for the victim.
It was determined that Christopher Mammana moved to Florida in the early 1990s after his wife, Connie, died. It was also verified that he had an address listed in Tampa in the early 1990s and wasn't heard from after he moved to Florida.
In June 2024, cold case investigators were able to locate two nieces of the deceased and obtained a voluntary DNA sample for comparison purposes.
On August 23, 2024, the Cold Case Unit positively identified the previously unknown human remains as belonging to Christopher "Charlie" Mammana.
"Despite the challenging circumstances and the lack of initial leads, the Cold Case Unit detectives persevered, determined to bring closure to this case," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "To be able to identify someone that died nearly 30 years ago speaks to the commitment of our Cold Case Unit."
The testing was funded through a state grant, thanks to a collaboration with the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office.
