Skeletal Remains Found in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico (2011)
Unidentified skeletal remains were found in a wooded area in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, on November 30, 2011. The decedent was male, and the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition consistent with near-complete skeletonization at the time of recovery. The case is carried by the Instituto de Ciencias Forenses (ICF) of Puerto Rico under case number 11-7-132-12472 and remains open as of this writing.[1]
Discovery
On November 30, 2011, the remains were discovered in a wooded area on Highway PR-836 in the Moscú sector of Barrio Camarones Altos, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.[2][3] Agents of the Homicide Division of the Bayamón police region responded to the scene alongside the on-duty prosecutor to begin the investigation.[2] The remains were described in contemporaneous press reports as osamenta, indicating an advanced skeletal state.[3]
The Instituto de Ciencias Forenses (ICF) in San Juan received the remains and initiated forensic examination to establish the identity of the decedent.[3] NamUs assigns a year-of-death estimate of 2010–2011.[1]
Description
The decedent was male. Ethnicity is listed on NamUs as Hispanic/Latino, with "Uncertain" noted as a secondary classification. Height, weight, age, and eye and hair color could not be estimated from the skeletal remains. No clothing or personal effects are recorded in the NamUs case profile.[1]
The condition of the remains at recovery was "not recognizable — near complete or complete skeleton," and all parts were recovered.[1]
Investigation
Following the transfer of remains to the ICF, no further press coverage regarding identification progress has been located.[3] The NamUs profile was created on May 24, 2012, and last modified in October 2024. No formal rule-outs or prior comparisons have been documented in any publicly available source.[1]
Potential Match: Bienvenido Herrera
One candidate has been identified for speculative consideration. Bienvenido Herrera, a 56-year-old Hispanic male, was last seen at his home in Carolina, Puerto Rico, at approximately 11:30 PM on May 14, 2011.[4] Carolina is located roughly 15–18 km by road from the Guaynabo recovery site. The approximately six-month interval between his disappearance and the November 30 discovery is consistent with the degree of skeletonization observed.
Herrera stood 5'6" to 5'7" tall and weighed between 125 and 140 lbs. He had a surgical scar extending from his left ribcage to his back, the result of a lung operation; if the surgery involved bony trauma, this feature could be identifiable through anthropological examination of the ribs. His disappearance was investigated by Cuartel Iturregui.[4]
No physical descriptors are available for the unidentified person from NamUs, so a meaningful anthropometric comparison cannot be made. This candidate is speculative and has not been formally evaluated by the ICF or any law enforcement agency.
How to Help
The Instituto de Ciencias Forenses of Puerto Rico carries this case under number 11-7-132-12472. The NamUs contact listed is Edwin Andrades.[1]
Anyone with information about this case may submit a tip through the NamUs case page:
NamUs UP10287: https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/10287
Tips regarding the missing person Bienvenido Herrera may be directed to Cuartel Iturregui at 787-769-9220.[4]
References
- "NamUs Case UP10287." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
- "Encuentran cadáver en proceso de descomposición." Primera Hora, December 1, 2011. primerahora.com
- "ICF hará pruebas a osamenta encontrada ayer en Guaynabo." El Nuevo Día, December 1, 2011. elnuevodia.com
- "Bienvenido Herrera." The Charley Project. charleyproject.org