FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fort Myers police, through DNA analysis performed by a third-party company, has confirmed the identity of one of eight men believed murdered at the hands of a serial killer.
In 2007, police discovered the skeletal remains of the men in a wooded area of east Fort Myers.
On Tuesday, the identity of one of the men was confirmed as Robert Ronald “Bobbie” Soden. Soden's is the fourth positive identification in the case made with the aid of genealogy technology.
Cold case detectives worked with state police and Parabon Nanolabs, using DNA that was collected from one of the skeletal remains.
A family tree was developed using the information that led to the probable identity of the person. Investigators located direct relatives of the potential victim, and through a DNA match, confirmed the identity of Soden.
Investigators believe 30-year-old Soden, like the others that were found in the same area, were victims of Daniel Conahan, known as the “Hog Trail Killer."
Conahan is currently on death row in Florida for a murder he committed in Charlotte County in 1996.
Soden joins Jonathan Tihay, Johnathan Blevins and Eric Kohler as victims who have been identified, but detectives pledge the investigation will not stop until all eight are identified and their families are notified.
Police are asking for anyone who may remember Bobbie Soden to contact the FMPD Cold Case Unit with any information.
