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Twitter tip might have led to identifying 20-year-old Seminole County human remains

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Twitter tip to Channel 9's Jeff Levkulich could help lead to identifying human remains found 20 years ago in Seminole County, deputies said Friday.

The human remains were found in the woods near Oviedo. A cause of death will never be determined because the remains were so decomposed, investigators said.

The Sheriff’s Office released last week a composite sketch, using facial recognition, of what they believed the victim looked like 20 years ago.

Shortly after our news story last week, Levkulich received a tweet on Twitter that the sketch looked similar to Erik Patchin, who disappeared from Tallahassee in May 1994.

Investigators told Eyewitness News said there are similarities in the photos of the missing Tallahassee man and the released composite sketch.

"This is certainly one that could potentially be promising. Enough so that we do want to send out for DNA testing,” spokesman Bob Kealing with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said.

Patchin’s mother told Eyewitness News by phone they’ve received several tips in her son’s case.

"We are very open to any new information,” Sandy Durant said. "We are always hoping for closure to get the remains and the answers to what happened to our son."

Durant said she doesn’t see the resemblance, but she will await the DNA results.

"I hope that whatever happens through this that you can find the family of the individual with the missing remains so that that family can have closure and be resolved,” Durant said.

Patchin’s DNA, along with Durant’s DNA and her daughter’s DNA, were submitted into the national database.

It’s unclear when the results will be available.

Jeff Levkulich

Jeff Levkulich, WFTV.com

Jeff Levkulich joined the Eyewitness News team as a reporter in June 2015.