Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office provided a significant update on an over 30-year-old cold case during a press conference held on Wednesday, April 22, announcing the victim has been identified through forensic genealogy.

The case centers on partial skeletal remains found in 1994 that were previously unidentified. According to an article from a Jan. 11, 1994, issue of the Press-Register, bones and scraps of clothing were discovered by a local hunter in a wooded area near Highway 225 in North Baldwin, with officials determining at the time that the victim wasn’t from Baldwin County.

Clothing found on the scene included Levi blue jeans, a long-sleeve Western shirt, Fruit of the Loom underwear, brown suede ankle-high boots, silver-rimmed bifocal glasses and a baseball cap with the inscription “American by birth, Texan by the grace of God.”

After years of little-to-no information, the case was reopened in 2023 and remains an active homicide investigation. Now, officials announced that the victim’s remains have been identified as James Carol Jackson, a Texas resident.

Jackson's remains were identified after forensic evidence was submitted to Othram Labs in 2024, where scientists were able to build a comprehensive DNA profile of the victim. Othram's forensic genealogists used the profile to conduct a genetic genealogy search to develop new leads, which were then returned to the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office for further investigation and additional DNA testing.

According to investigators, Jackson was a welder and told family members he was going to Alabama for work around 1987, having possibly worked on road construction projects in the South Alabama area. He stopped communicating with his family around 12 months after he left Texas. Officials believe he was between 45 to 55 years old, with the homicide itself estimated to have occurred between 1988 and 1989.

Jackson was last seen driving a red Chevrolet Camaro, specifically a model produced between 1978 and 1981 with a white interior, no spoiler and a CB antenna, which investigators have been unable to locate. It is believed that he may have been living off Highway 225 and may have frequented bars along the route and in Bay Minette such as the Tensaw Lodge. Family members described him as a non-violent, easy-going guy.

Officials are asking the public for help and to come forward with any information that may help solve the case. Call (251) 937-0202 or contact Cold Case Investigator Clint Cadenhead at (251) 972-8589, Opt. 7, with any information.