John Doe found dead in Florida more than three decades ago identified as Virginia man

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[link:https://wjla.com/news/local/john-doe-edman-eric-gleed-found-dead-in-clearwater-florida-more-than-three-decades-ago-1993-identified-as-virginia-fairfax-county-man-unknown-body-discovered-moxxy-forensics#|John Doe found dead in Florida more than three decades ago identified as Virginia man]

Jessica James
Tue, June 3rd 2025 at 10:48 AM
Updated Tue, June 3rd 2025 at 7:18 PM

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CLEARWATER, Fla. (7News) — A John Doe, whose body was discovered floating in waters near a bridge in Clearwater, Florida, more than three decades ago, has finally been identified.

For 31 years, Edman Eric Gleed was known as "Pinellas County John Doe 1993." His body was found on November 29, 1993, near the east side of the Clearwater Pass Bridge.


A John Doe, whose body was discovered floating in waters near a bridge in Clearwater, Florida, more than three decades ago, has finally been identified as Edman Eric Gleed. (Clearwater Police)

At the time that his body was found, authorities also found a "neatly folded pile of clothing" on the shoreline near Clearwater Beach, but there was no way for police to identify the clothing or the body, according to the Clearwater Police Department.

The only information authorities had was from the medical examiner's office, which said the man was a white male with gray hair and blue eyes, between the ages of 60 and 80, around 5-foot-4 and 118 pounds.

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