Man with Manitoba connection identified as cold case murder victim in Florida 26 years later

A man believed to be connected to Manitoba has been identified as the victim of a 26-year-old homicide cold case in Florida.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in Florida has identified a male homicide victim who had been nameless for decades.

"We believe he was 58 years old at the time of his death, and originally from the Kenora/Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada area," said Sherriff Rick Staly.

With the help of a private forensic genetic genealogy company, investigators have identified the victim as Robert Bruce McPhail.

McPhail was found on Sept. 10, 1997, floating in an intercoastal waterway in the northeast part of Florida.

When the body was recovered, investigators discovered that McPhail had been bound, shot, and stabbed multiple times before being dumped in the water.

"He had no identification on him, he had no clothing, there was nothing that gave us any clue of who he was – no scars, no marks, no tattoos," said Det. Sara Scalia, lead investigator on the case.

Scalia told CTV News that DNA-analyzing technology has advanced in recent years, allowing them to determine who the victim was.

"In 2021, our cold case unit sent off our victim's bones to a private forensic genetic genealogy company…and they were able to provide information to us to identify our victim."

Scalia said it was the first time they’d used this technology to help in a cold case.

Despite discovering McPhail's identity, police know very little about his life. "We do know from some distant relatives that he was very into boating," said Scalia. "I believe he was part of a sculling team up there in Kenora."

Scalia said McPhail may have been involved in the construction of the MS Kenora, a cruise ship that still operates on Lake of the Woods. The boat's current owners confirmed to CTV News that McPhail did co-own the Kenora for a few years in the 1980s, but said they never met him.

McPhail's closest next of kin – a first cousin once removed – has been notified of his death. Scalia is asking anyone who may have any information about McPhail to come forward.

"We're hoping that in spreading the word about who he is that we know now, that someone out there can give us more information about his life, and maybe what happened to him.

Less than 24 hours after releasing the victim's name, investigators have already received photos of McPhail taken in the 1980s. They have confirmed McPhail moved to south Florida sometime in the mid-90s and that he went by his middle name Bruce.

Investigators are confident this breakthrough will help them solve the case.

"We know someone out there has more information," said Staly. "We won't give up until the killer or killers are caught."

- with files from CTV's Daniel Halmarson