Unidentified body does not belong to missing Sarasota teen, Jabez Spann

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - The human remains found in Sarasota yesterday are not connected to the case of Jabez Spann, who has been missing since Labor Day, police concluded.

A skull and femur bone were found Monday afternoon in the 1900 block of Gillespie Avenue. The Medical Examiner’s Office determined through dental records that the remains did not belong to the 14-year-old, however, officials said they have not been able to identify the body.

Police said there is no evidence to support foul play as a cause of death, and there is no early indication of the body’s race, gender or age. It can take several weeks to process.

Spann was last seen on September 4. Court documents listed the teen as witness to the August 28 murder of 31-year-old Travis Combs, who was found with a gunshot wound near 22nd Street and North Orange Avenue, which is within a mile of where the human remains were found. 

Police and relatives of Spann have regularly come forward asking for tips, but have been unsuccessful in solving the teenager’s disappearance.