Police: Skeletal Remains Found in Westminster Belong to Homeless Man
Human skeletal remains were found on Oct. 6, 2012 along Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster.
Maryland State Police investigators have identified the skeletal remains found on Oct. 6, 2012, along a path in a vacant lot in Carroll County as those of a homeless man.
The man has been identified as Thomas E. Linhan, 67, of no fixed address, according to a police news release. An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed no apparent trauma. There was no evidence of foul play, police said.
The skeletal remains, now identified as Linhan, were found shortly before noon on Oct. 6, 2012, as citizens walked through a vacant lot in the 500 block of Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster.
Police report there was no identification located with the remains. All remains were processed and recovered at the scene by forensic investigators and crime scene technicians, police said. The skeletal remains were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an examination and autopsy.
Maryland State Police Homicide investigators were contacted by the Westminster Police Department and assumed the investigation, officials said. Information was communicated to police departments throughout the region and requests were made to check missing person files for potential matches based on the available information. Additional forensic tests were conducted.
After an exhausting search, investigators said they contacted the Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster and obtained x-rays of a local homeless man. A detailed comparison of the x-rays and the remains lead to a positive identification of Linhan, police said. The comparison was conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Investigators are still attempting to locate Linhan’s next of kin. Anyone who may have information is urged to contact Maryland State Police investigators immediately at 410-386-3000.
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