State police have solved cold cases involving Kenneth LaManna, of Waterbury, who was last seen on May 16, 1980, and Phat Quy Mai.
Phat Quy Mai was struck and killed by a car on Interstate 91 in Meriden in September 2008.
Investigators couldn’t identify him at the time, but the state police missing person’s unit was able to connect with a Massachusetts family looking for their relative. Within weeks, the DNA was a match.
http://liarcatchers.com/cold_cases.html
LaManna was a missing person case. He was 31 when he was reported missing. He was found in Waterbury in 1981. Police said he committed suicide.
According to the National Missing Person’s Database, LaManna’s mother saw him last when she left for work 32 years ago.
It wasn’t until the missing person’s unit got the case that Waterbury police were finally able to identify LaManna after taking a DNA sample from LaManna’s elderly mother in Pennsylvania.
“Everybody working together for one family to get an answer to what happened. And it really brings forth an answer to the question that keeps many of these families up at night,” said Michelle Cruz, a victim’s advocate.
One of the biggest weapons investigators have is the Web site for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
The public can look up missing people and work with the state’s new unit to find answers.
There are more than 20 local unsolved cases.
“If you think that you may have some information on any case, please call us. As you can see, that help can bring closure to families right here in our state of Connecticut,” said Lt. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police.
