PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A man whose body was found in a waterway in unincorporated Lake Worth back in 1983 has been identified more than four decades later through advances in forensic genetic genealogy, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies confirmed the unidentified man was Archie Patterson Jr., born Aug. 15, 1940. He was 43 years old at the time of his death and had remained unidentified for nearly 43 years.
On Nov. 25, 1983, Patterson Jr.'s body was discovered in a waterway in the 2400 block of 10th Avenue North in unincorporated Lake Worth, deputies said. An autopsy determined the cause of death was accidental drowning. At the time, investigators estimated the man was between 25 and 35 years of age, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, with brown hair and a reddish-brown beard and mustache.
Despite an investigation by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office detectives, his identity remained unknown.
According to deputies, in November 2012, the PBSO Forensic Imaging Unit created a facial reconstruction depicting what the man may have looked like at the time of his death. The image was released to the public in hopes someone would recognize him, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
In April 2025, authorities said the PBSO Cold Case Unit partnered with Othram, a forensic genomics company, to conduct Forensic Genetic Genealogy using the unidentified man's DNA profile. The testing was funded through the PBSO Forensic Genetic Testing Grant awarded by the State of Florida. Othram provided preliminary genetic genealogy findings to the PBSO Forensic Biology Unit.
In April 2026, Othram provided additional investigative leads identifying potential relatives of the unknown man. The case was then assigned to the PBSO Forensic Biology, Genetic Genealogy Unit for further investigation. Through continued genealogical research and analysis, investigators developed information indicating the unidentified man could be Archie Patterson Jr.
In August 2026, PBSO detectives traveled to California to interview an individual believed to be a child of Patterson Jr. A DNA sample was obtained from that individual for comparison with the DNA profile of the unidentified man.
Through the combined forensic investigative genetic genealogy efforts of Othram and the PBSO Forensic Biology, Genetic Genealogy Unit, along with subsequent kinship analysis performed by Othram, the unidentified man was positively identified as Patterson Jr., deputies said.
Patterson Jr.'s next of kin has been notified. The investigation is now closed.
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