The Pecos County Sheriff’s Office received news late last month that an unidentified person that was found deceased in the Pecos County in 1996 was recently identified.

The regional program specialist of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System notified the Pecos County Sheriff’s Office of a possible match of dental features similar to the skeletal remains located in Pecos County on April 19, 1996.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office was contacted and a DNA comparison to samples from the remains matched to a maternal relative. Further comparisons and investigation were completed by agencies identifying the remains as Debra Jean Houston, of Houston, Texas.

On April 19, 1996, a passing motorist discovered scattered skeletal human remains along Interstate 10 near mile marker 288. Justice of the Peace Robert Gonzales arrived on the scene and conducted his inquest. Gonzales ordered to have the remains collected and sent for an autopsy at the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The cause of death was deemed as accidental.

In 1996, The Texas Department of Public Safety did a reconstruction of Houston’s face to show what she could have possibly looked like but received no hits on the unidentified female.

Family members have been contacted an informed of the match between their relative and the remains located in 1996.