Case of NJ Man Found Dead Behind Walmart Solved, Authorities Announce

• Investigators Announce Breakthrough in Walmart Death Case

• Police Detail How the Case Was Solved

• Timeline of Events Leading to the Discovery

• Community Reacts to Case Resolution

What is a Police "Cold Case"

A police cold case is a criminal investigation that has remained unsolved for a long period of time and no longer has any active leads for detectives to pursue. It means the police have exhausted all new clues or workable evidence, causing the case to slow down or pause, but it is not permanently closed. If new information, technology, or witnesses emerge, the case can be reopened and investigated again.

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In a recent Patch article, Authorities announced they had solved a nine-year-old cold case with the help of a New Jersey College and its staff.

"Back on Jan. 29, 2016, the skeletal remains of "Walmart John Doe" were found in a sleeping bag in woods behind a Walmart in Charlotte, N.C., said a spokesperson for Ramapo College's Investigative Genetic Genealogy Program."

As it turns out, students, professors, and volunteers from Ramapo College, involved in the program at the Mahwah-based college, have helped law enforcement solve this missing persons "cold case".

After diligent work, authorities confirmed that the man was Kenneth Robert McCarthy, born in 1961.

The family never stopped looking to find their relative who had disappeared, and they were very grateful to all involved in the case.

According to Patch, "The family told police that he was originally from the Garden State but had been living in Charlotte when they had last spoken with him."