RPD

The sketch is a facial reconstruction of the skull associated with skeletal remains found at a Redmond construction site on June 25, 2007.

REDMOND, Wash. - They don't know who he is, but investigators believe they have an idea of what the man whose skeletal remains were discovered near SR 520 in Redmond last week looks like.

"I only know them as bones, but I know that's a person, was a person," said forensic pathologist Kathy Taylor, who examined the remains and helped determine the man's basic characteristics.

The man was white, 20 to 35 years old, 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-3 inches tall. From there, an artist reconstructed his face.

"A lot of the true facial characteristics will come out in a sketch based only on the skull we have in our possession," said Taylor.

Redmond Police say the artist used the actual skull to measure the distance between and fullness of the man's features. The cut and color of his hair are just a guess, but investigators believe the sketch is otherwise fairly accurate.

"It gives us a real good starting point to start narrowing our leads and hopefully focus our investigation," said Lt. Tim Gately.

"It's a little startling for me when I see the finished product," said Taylor.

It's a step toward ending a mystery, and possibly, a family's pain.

The skeleton lay deep in the brush for six or seven years. Now, Taylor hopes the discovery and forensic artistry will bring someone, somewhere, some closure.

"I feel their pain and I know that they go to sleep every night not knowing where their loved one is and if they're healthy, and we want to be able to answer those questions," she said.

There's no way to know if the man had any defining characteristics, like a mole or tattoo, but if you think you recognize his facial features, call Redmond Police at 425-556-2586.