Skeletal remains discovered in Massachusetts in 1992 have recently been confirmed to belong to Anthony Angelli Rea, a teenager who disappeared four years prior. Law enforcement officials are now seeking assistance from the public for additional details.
Anthony was born in 1973 and spent part of his childhood in Malden with his mother, as stated by the Essex District Attorney’s Office. He went missing from the Harbor School in Newbury in August 1988.
In November 1992, skeletal remains were discovered partially hidden in marsh vegetation along Route 95 South in Newburyport. An autopsy revealed the body belonged to a teenage boy, though no specific cause of death was identified.
For 32 years, the State Police working with the Essex District Attorney’s Office and the Newburyport Police tried to determine the identity of the remains,” said the Essex DA. “While investigators uncovered important clues, they were unable to confirm the identification because of the restrictions in DNA testing.
On Thursday, the Essex District Attorney’s office revealed that, with help from a private forensic laboratory in Texas employing cutting-edge DNA analysis, the remains have been definitively confirmed as those of Anthony Angelli Rea.
Scientists employed forensic genetic genealogy
“Othram scientists effectively created a DNA extract from bone remains and applied Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to generate a detailed DNA profile,” said the Essex DA.
Othram’s internal forensic genetic genealogy team subsequently utilized the profile in a genealogical search to uncover additional investigative leads in the case, such as the identification of possible relatives of the deceased.
Individuals who have details regarding Anthony Angelli Rea are encouraged to contact the State Police Unresolved Case Unit by calling 855-MA-SOLVE.
