BUNNELL, Fla. — After 26 years of puzzling investigations and relentless efforts, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) has finally revealed the identity of a once-unknown homicide victim. The breakthrough in this long-standing cold case was achieved with the collaboration of FCSO’s Cold Case Detective Sarah Scalia and Othram, a private forensic genetic genealogy corporation.
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The victim has been identified as Robert Bruce McPhail, marking a significant step towards solving the mystery that has remained unsolved for over two decades.
The discovery took place on September 10, 1997, when FCSO deputies responded to reports of a body found floating in the Intracoastal waterway northeast of Sea Ray Boats (now Boston Whaler) in Flagler Beach. The victim, an unidentified white male, had been bound, shot, and stabbed multiple times before being discarded in the water.
Despite extensive efforts by FCSO and the Medical Examiner’s Office at the time, the victim remained nameless and shrouded in mystery.
It wasn’t until 2020 that Sheriff Rick Staly established the Cold Case Unit, dedicating a full-time detective to re-examine unsolved cases like this one.
In 2021, FCSO’s Cold Case Unit teamed up with Othram’s genetic genealogy experts, leading to the eventual breakthrough. Through their combined efforts, Detective Scalia and Othram’s team successfully identified the victim as Robert Bruce McPhail, who was 58 years old at the time of his death.
Originally hailing from the Kenora/Winnipeg area in Manitoba, Canada, McPhail had relocated to South Florida during the mid-1990s. He was known to go by his middle name “Bruce” and had a strong passion for boats. A facial approximation of McPhail, created by Betty Pat Gatliff of Skullpture Inc. in 1997, provided a visual representation of the victim despite the absence of photographs.
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Sheriff Rick Staly expressed the significance of this breakthrough, stating, “Cold cases, especially with unidentified victims, and forensic genetic genealogy is a time-consuming process to identify and solve.” He added, “Now that we have identified the victim as Robert Bruce McPhail, our Cold Case Unit can work on finding who murdered him and why to bring justice for him and his family.”
Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast, Chairman of the Florida Cold Case Advisory Commission, highlighted the collaborative nature of the investigation, saying, “This case serves as a clear demonstration of how collaborative efforts within this network have brought us one step closer to resolving a cold case that was once dormant.”
As the investigation into Robert Bruce McPhail’s murder continues, law enforcement authorities are urging anyone with information about his life or the circumstances of his death to come forward.
Tips can be submitted via email to TIPS@flaglersheriff.com or directly to Cold Case Detective Sarah Scalia at SScalia@flaglersheriff.com. Additionally, anonymous tips can be shared with Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida by calling 1-888-277-TIPS (8477), potentially leading to a reward of up to $9,500 for valuable information.
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