ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.- The final unidentified person mystery on the St. Petersburg Police Department’s cold case list has been laid to rest. After nearly half a century of anonymity, the man previously known only as a “John Doe” has been identified as 29-year-old Johnny Bradshaw of Tennessee.
The breakthrough concludes a saga that began in April 1980 at the Siesta Motel on 34th Street. Bradshaw was discovered shot in the head alongside another man, Jack Roy Davis.
While Davis was identified by investigators almost immediately, Bradshaw’s identity remained a blank slate. For decades, the only clues detectives had to work with were an artist’s sketch and a distinct Italian horn pendant found with his body.
The investigation into the double homicide moved quickly, identifying suspects Kyle Watson and his girlfriend, David Ann Thomas. However, the case took a dark turn before Florida authorities could make an arrest.
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Upon returning to Knoxville, Thomas shot and killed Watson. She was eventually apprehended and served a prison sentence for her role as an accessory after the fact for driving the getaway car in the Florida murders. Thomas has since passed away.
Bradshaw remained buried in an unidentified grave for years. A 2010 attempt to identify him via exhumation proved unsuccessful.
The turning point came in 2023 when Cold Case Detective Wallace Pavelski sent bone samples to Othram Labs. Utilizing modern forensic techniques, technicians extracted a full DNA profile, allowing Pavelski to begin the painstaking process of genetic genealogy. The search eventually spanned the country, leading the detective to Bradshaw’s surviving family members in Texas and California.
Bradshaw is survived by two sisters who have been searching for their brother since he vanished in 1980. With this identification, the St. Petersburg Police Department has cleared its last remaining unidentified remains case, ending a forty-six-year search for a name.
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