23-081 Detectives Close Missing Person Cold Case After 42 Years
Cold Case Closure
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Investigative Operations Bureau
-Robbery/Homicide Unit
Miami-Dade Police Department
Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office
Ronald Gilchrist (Victim – Deceased)
DOB: 03/20/1951
PINELLAS COUNTY – On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, detectives assigned to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit closed the missing person’s case of 29-year-old Ronald Gilchrist.
According to detectives, on October 28th, 1980, Gilchrist left a residence, located at 6933 Bonner Avenue in Clearwater, to travel to Miami. Gilchrist was driving a 1977 Ford 4-door vehicle and was scheduled to arrive at the Miami International Airport on November 3, 1980, to pick up his in-laws and bring them to Marco Island. Detectives say Gilchrist called a family member on October 29, 1980, from a restaurant payphone in Mulberry, Florida. However, Gilchrist never arrived at the airport and had not been seen or heard from since.
Detectives obtained photographs of Gilchrist from 1980 and submitted them to investigators at the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office. Detectives learned the Miami-Dade Police Department investigated a homicide of a John Doe in November of 1980. Detectives learned the John Doe matched a similar description of Gilchrist.
On June 7, 2023, detectives received notification that the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office formally identified John Doe as Ronald Gilchrist.
Miami-Dade Police Department is continuing the homicide investigation of Gilchrist.
Next of kin has been notified.
The investigation continues.
