DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — It's been nearly four years since someone discovered a man's remains in a golf bag along the shore of Douglas Lake. Now, investigators finally know his identity.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Monday it made a breakthrough in the John Doe case after positively identifying the man with the help of the non-profit organization, DNA Doe Project.
The TBI said the man's true identity is 31-year-old Earl Joseph Pizzoferrato of Knoxville.
DNA Doe Project, which works to identify John and Jane Does using investigative genetic genealogy, said the case was complicated because Pizzoferrato had been adopted.
"The team came across an obituary that connected a number of DNA matches, which helped identify both of Earl’s biological parents. But no children were mentioned in the obituary, so the team hypothesized that this man may have been adopted," it said. "A biological relative later confirmed that all of the children in the family had been placed for adoption, and they provided key information that helped resolve this case."
On March 10, 2019, a person checking out property along the shore of Douglas Lake at Lake Ridge Drive found and reported a suspicious bag. When he opened the bag he thought at first he was looking at a deer carcass, TBI Special Agent Michael O'Keefe told 10News.
"As he opened it up further, he noticed a pair of jeans and was like, That's not a deer carcass."
Investigators said the man was wearing a Walking Dead t-shirt, blue jeans, and a belt buckle with an image of a horse and horseshoe in the center.
At the time, investigators had few clues to work from to determine who the man was, noting that the belt had the name "Gerald" stamped into it. Investigators did not put much stock in the name on the belt, saying it could have been bought at a second-hand store.
"We're not putting all our eggs in one basket about the name Gerald," O'Keefe said at the time. "It's a clue."
The bag he was found inside was a 2008 edition Thompson Cigar Company "Match Play" golf travel bag, according to O'Keefe. Thompson Cigar sells mail-order cigars, typically from a catalog that's available across the country.
It's hard to know how long the body had been in the bag and in the water. At that time of year, the water temperature was cold, which can preserve the body a bit.
"It's difficult to say how long that body was in the water or how long that body was dead," the agent said.
The TBI considers the case a homicide. Even though they now know the man's identity, investigators said they are still trying to figure out how he died.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.