MONROE CO. — Human remains were identified after being discovered by a turkey hunter in a ravine in the woods near Lake Lemon off Richmond Road, northeast Monroe County in May 2004.
For years the man’s identity remained a mystery.
Forensic investigators cordoned off the area and recovered the remains. They found no identification or clothing nearby. They knew the victim was a big man about 6’4” tall and 200 pounds. The victim had died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The facial reconstruction was done forensically with the skull through the Illinois State Police and clay reconstruction was done. A sketch of the dead man’s face and an artist completed a 3-D photo of the man.
Monroe County Sheriff Brad Swain said the skeletal remains were found in a remote location. He believes whoever killed the man had to be familiar with the location where the body was dumped.
Detectives began looking at unsolved missing person reports from the 2000s and came across the description of a Louisville man who was reported missing in Indianapolis in the fall of 2003, about the time the body in the woods was dumped.
Sheriff Swain said they found one potential match and contacted the family for a DNA sample.
Through DNA testing, detectives identified the body of 38-year-old Steven Gabbard. DNA from the remains of Gabbard was compared with his nephew, which confirmed the match.
Gabbard was last seen riding a blue Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he left for Indianapolis.
Anyone with information on the death of Gabbard is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.
According to Sheriff Swain, whoever killed and dumped Gabbard’s body would have to know how to get to that area near Lake Lemon because it is so far off the beaten path that someone had to know how to get in and out without being seen.
Click here to read more on Gabbard’s missing person case with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
