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CROSS CITY, Fla. - For five decades, Florida detectives have been trying to figure out who killed James Norris.
The backstory:
FDLE agents say Norris, a California resident, was using the name Richard Gunning when he took a commercial flight to Miami on October 4, 1974.
According to FDLE, Norris traveled to Florida with a large amount of cash because he wanted to buy Colombian-grade marijuana.
Investigators say after landing in Miami, he went to Citrus County to buy the cannabis from an organization that was operating out of the area. According to the FDLE, investigators have uncovered the names of members of that organization but have not released any additional details.
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Timeline:
Officials say the last time Norris’ family heard from him was via a postcard dated October 4, 1974, that was mailed from Inglis, Florida, a town in Levy County, on the border with Citrus County.
On April 16, 1976, investigators say a bulldozer operator was cutting through the woods off of U.S. Highway 19 in northern Dixie County, near the Taylor County line, when he came upon skeletal remains.
The remains went unidentified for decades. In 2010, forensic scientists sent them to the University of North Texas, which was able to get a DNA profile. That profile was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS). NamUS provides technology, forensic services and investigative support to resolve missing person and unidentified remains cases.
Dig deeper:
FDLE Special Agent Supervisor Mike Kennedy entered the case into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS), which provides technology, forensic services and investigative support to resolve missing person and unidentified remains cases.
Reviewing the NamUS website’s missing persons section, Kennedy saw that James Norris was listed as missing in Florida approximately 18 months and 100 miles from where the skeletal remains were discovered. Also, NamUS noted that Norris’ family had placed their DNA on file with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) for use as a comparison.
Courtesy: FDLE
Kennedy requested that the DNA profiles be sent to the University of North Texas for comparison with the California DOJ. The University confirmed that the remains were James Norris, and an active homicide investigation started.
Norris’ family members flew to Florida to claim his remains in April 2011.
According to FDLE, Norris’ 1974 unsolved murder is one of Florida’s oldest cold cases and is the oldest cold case in Dixie County.
Investigators say they believe people living in Citrus County, Panama City and Miami may have information to help figure out who is responsible for Norris’ death.
What they're saying:
"Over the years that we’ve investigated Mr. Norris’ murder; we’ve gotten a lot of the pieces of the puzzle. Someone could be holding a piece of the puzzle that they may not realize fits into the big picture," said FDLE Special Agent Supervisor Mike Kennedy. "If you were familiar with the Miami, Crystal River or Steinhatchee areas in 1974, you may have a piece of the puzzle that is critical to solving this case."
"We’re working for the family of Mr. Norris so they can find out what happened to their loved one," Kennedy added. "Even though it’s been more than 50 years, we do have persons of interest, and they should be held accountable for their actions even if it is 50 years later."
What you can do:
Norris' family has set up a Facebook page and a website with more information on the case.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call FDLE Tallahassee at (800) 342-0820.
The Source: This story was written with information from the FDLE and previous FOX 13 News reports.