Man’s remains IDed in Clermont decades after confronting family about selling kids to motorcycle gang
All right, so good morning. Uh, my name is Captain Malcolm Draper. Uh, and on behalf of Chief John Grasi, uh, welcome to Claremont Police Department. I appreciate you joining us this morning. I’d like to take *** moment and recognize the law enforcement partners again. Again, Chief Ogburn of Okoy Police Department, retired Detective Michelle Grogan, um, Claremont Police Department, uh, Deputy City Manager, um, Dan Mathis, uh, and Claremont Police Department Deputy Chief, uh, Michael McMaster. Um, we’re here to announce *** significant development in *** long-standing cold case investigation. Um, as *** veteran detective, I can tell you that this is the type of update. Uh, every investigator hopes to one day deliver. Uh, today we’re announcing the identification of ***, uh, previously recovered remains and the resolution of *** case that remained unanswered for many years. Uh, this outcome reflects the coordinated efforts of multiple agencies and forensic partners. The original investigation conducted by the Claremont Police Department detectives in 2009 was thorough and methodical. The Ocoee Police Department provided critical investigative support. The medical examiner’s office and forensic specialists applied advanced, uh, scientific techniques that ultimately led to identification. Most importantly, this brings long awaited answers to the victim’s family. Investigators, uh, began searching the area, uh, for, I’m sorry, this is ***. So roughly in 2009. Our investigators made, uh, contact, uh, with, um, City, city work crews. Uh, first off, I wanna make sure, I wanna make sure like this, this here is *** collaborative effort. Um, this is *** team effort, um, between many different partners, you know, Claremont Police Department and the Eco Police Department in the 5th and 24th, uh, medical examiner’s office. Um, none of this, none of this takes place without, uh, teamwork and, um, Using, you know, advanced technology, um, such as genealogy and DNA analysis, um, to really provide closure. Um, this is an example of law enforcement, you know, really going back on their partnerships and using advances in technology to, um, to work cases and, and provide that closure to the family. Um, Roughly in. In 2009, um, our city work crew, uh, came across, um, what appeared to be human remains. Um, they were clearing off *** newly acquired, um, piece of land, uh, for *** new park, and that is what is now Lake Hiawatha Preserve. That’s at 450 12th Street here in Claremont. Um, they discovered what appeared to be teeth and some bone fragments. Uh, they immediately contacted the Claremont Police Department. Investigators promptly responded, and the Claremont Police Department and the city of Claremont, um, devoted immediately personnel, uh, to 24/7, um, security, uh, to preserve, uh, the scene and to contain the investigative area. Um, from then on, Um, our detectives, investigators, um, they, they searched the area, and, they brought many different partners involved, uh, Lake County Sheriff’s Office for our, um, cadaver searches. Um, our detectives even constructed, uh, new equipment, sifters to go through the area. Um, they made contact with the University of Florida as well as, uh, University of Central Florida, uh, their anthropology division. To really confirm what they were looking at was, uh, human remains or not. Um, with that partnership, we will get *** team of, um, individuals from those two schools, uh, to come and help us comb the area. Ultimately, approximately 27 teeth were discovered, uh, bone fragments, as well as some clothing, um, and ultimately we found, um, what appeared to be *** spent bullet. These, um, this, with this information, uh, Claremont, uh, investigators sent out *** teletype, uh, to surrounding agencies, uh, notifying them of the discovery of human remains just in case they had any cases that might match. Um, through investigative efforts sending these bone fragments, um, we attempted to, um, to, uh, identify those bone bone fragments at that time in 2009. Um, more, more specifically, it was bone technology. Uh, which at that time was *** Department of Justice Partnership for analysis. Um, fortunately, the case went closed, I’m sorry, the case went cold, uh, during that time, along with some periodic case review. Follow up on any tips may have come, uh, from that time until the present. Exciting news part. Fast forward to June of 20 2025, um, our Claremont Police Department evidence team, uh, was contacted by the medical examiner’s office. Uh, they had the opportunity with advanced technology and some grant opportunities. Um, they asked us to, uh, submit some of the bones for analysis. Uh, it’s more specifically, it was, uh, DNA genealogy analysis. Um, that is through *** company called Othram. Um, I, I anticipate maybe *** question of what DNA genealogy, so this is strictly from their website. Uh, genetic genealogy combines DNA testing with traditional record-based research to determine biologic relationships, map ancestral origins, and build family trees. By analyzing shared DNA segments, it identifies matches in database, often tracing ancestry back through many generations. June 2025, we provided the bones, uh, medical examiners picked up the bones. And then fast forward again to December of 29, I’m sorry, December 29th of 2025, uh, we were notified by the medical examiner’s office that the remains were identified by Othram. As Ernest Joe Manzanais. At that time, Claremont Police Department investigators made contact with the Ocoee Police Department. Uh, as Mr. Manzerra had been entered by that agency as *** missing person. At this time, I’d like to turn it over to retired, uh, detective Michelle Grogan from the Colley Police Department, uh, for anything further on her end. Thank you. Good afternoon. I started my career with the Ocoy Police Department in 2003, and throughout my time as *** detective, missing persons cases have always been close to my heart. When I became *** detective, I asked to work missing persons cases, even after I retired in 2023. I came back as *** volunteer to focus specifically on our cold cases. Ernest Manzanier’s case from July 1988 was our oldest missing persons case. Ernest left his family’s home one night and never returned. His family has lived for nearly 4 decades without answers. They didn’t know where he was, what happened to him, or if they would ever see him again. In January of this year, we were notified that skeletal remains recovered in Claremont were *** potential match for Ernest’s case. Throughout advanced forensic DNA testing, The match was confirmed. We are, we are especially grateful to NMus, ORM, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s FI Grant Program for this critical support in confirming this identification. On February 6th, we received confirmation that the remains were Ernest Joe Manzanier’s. Making the call to Ernest’s daughter Christina was bittersweet. She was grateful to finally have answers and to bring her father home. But like any child, she had always held on to hope that her dad might walk back into her life one day. After 38 years, Ernest’s family now has certainty. They can lay him to rest with dignity. I want to thank the Claremont Police Department, the Lake County Medical Examiner’s Office, FDLE, Nemi and Oram. Today is about the Manzanier family, and it’s about never giving up on *** missing persons case, no matter how much time has passed. Thank you. any questions, um, I think at this time we’ll, uh, field any questions that you all have. Yeah, um, I’m curious, since he left home and was never seen again. Um-hum. I mean, what more did the family, I mean, they just I spoke to, uh, his mother early on in my investigation, and she recounted that, um, the family was experiencing domestic violence, and Ernest drove in his 1976 Monte Carlo from Colorado to Ocoee, Florida to live with the family. He convinced the father to move out and move in with an uncle. And Ernest later got word that the uncle and the father, who were part of *** 1% motorcycle gang, were going to sell his sister and his niece into this 1% motorcycle gang. Ernest left that night from McCoy, Florida in his 1976 red Monte Carlo with his keys. He didn’t take his wallet, he didn’t take *** jacket, he didn’t take anything else. He told his mother that he would be back that night because he was actually looking forward to *** dental appointment the next day. He had 4 impacted wisdom teeth. He, uh, said he was going to his uncle’s house to confront his father and his uncle about Selling his sister and his niece. And he was never seen again, and nor has his car been found. So selling, I mean, I hate to ask you to be graphic, but selling his sister and niece, what do you mean? I would think this day and age, you would call it human trafficking. Where they are deceased. Had you and investigators talked to them at the time they were um. No, not in 1988. And the mother did not share this story until I spoke to her. In 2022. That was not in the original report. There had been some family. Uh, goings on, and she wanted to clear the air. I’m sorry to keep bringing it up. It’s OK. I want to get this straight. It’s OK. Um, so, um, our victim had *** father and an uncle, and they were in *** motorcycle gang. Um-hum. And so they had told everyone they were going to sell. I mean, his father was going to sell his daughter. And his niece, yes. To this motorcycle gang, yes, and they were 7 and 8 years old. Oh my God. Um, and of course, um, Ernest was he, he, he, he must have been out of his mind. Absolutely, that’s what his mother said. He was, he’s the oldest and he was the protector of the family, and I also think that it should be noted that they are Native American. They are of the Navajo tribe. Um, Is there, um, can you shed any light on why the uncle and the father wanted to do that? So this is. They were, they were involved, um, in criminal activity. Uh, you know, what you would think of *** motorcycle gang. Prostitution, drugs. You know, whatever crim members of the gang, yes. So I’m gonna ask you, Michelle. As you stand there. Yeah. Does this blow your mind? It does, but being *** police officer for 20 something years. I’ve seen it. I’m asking you. Oh, absolutely, *** mother, now *** grandmother, yes, very proud, um, yes, as *** mother and *** grandmother, two daughters, 2 granddaughters. Yes, absolutely. As my daughter said, I, I would burn down the world for them. You know, um But I think this was the plan, just what do you think? Maybe there was pressure for, I, I don’t know. I, you know, I can suppose all day long, but, um, I don’t really know the end answer of that. I do believe that there might be family members out there who could hold that answer. So we’re hoping through this press conference that family members might come forward and give us the remaining pieces of the story. What’s your level of certainty that his father? It’s just the recount from the mother, um, and, you know, timeline kind of makes sense, but like anything, you know, you work, you work backwards. I mean would they be considered persons? Uh, I think it would be too early in the investigation to call them persons of interest. How did they die? The father in *** horrible car accident. And the uncle, I believe it was medical. Trying to understand the timeline. At what point did the case go cold? And so it was 2009 when the remains were found. Yes, can I, can I at, at this point in time, this was *** 1988 missing persons case from Okoy. We have no indication to believe that any other thing happened in Okoy other than *** missing person. Any other part of the investigation, it didn’t take place, we have no indication, so to answer those questions, we don’t know. What I, I just want to step up and say is I appreciate the efforts that uh retired detective Grogan along with these other entities that y’all have heard today, the Claremont Police Department, *** collaboration that we all made because we know the technology was not of then as it is of now. So we are glad that we were able to bring some type of closure to this family, at least to know where, where he is. Unfortunately he’s not with us anymore, but we’re just glad in the efforts to bring some type of closure. How old was his daughter. 2. And he also has *** son. So do we assume then that there’s *** bullet because there was *** bullet casing found that he was shot to death? We don’t, we don’t have the answer to that. Um, not all of his remains were recovered. Michelle, did you say, um, but he went missing. He was reported missing in 19 July 28th, 1988, 1988. And then these remains are found in 2009. And then his remains are identified, uh, late last year. Yes. How did the family react? When He was identified. I’ve been in contact with Christina, his daughter, uh, for years. We’ve been collaborating together. Um, she has posted on, uh, missing persons sites and, She, she hoped that this day would come, so I had to call her when we suspected that it was Ernest because we had to, um, have Oram send *** bugle kit directly to her and she had to send it back to them. So she knew approximately 3 weeks before he was identified that something was in the process. What did you say that was called *** bule, it’s *** buccal swab just when they, yes, yeah, but it basically collected her DNA and, uh, it went back to the medical examiner sent 2009 remains and her buccal swab and it came back as *** 1 to 1 100% match. And it actually came back as father and daughter, which Oth Ram said they have never seen that high of *** match before. How old was Ernest 23. Mhm. And when you said, you know, he, he left his family to um And they thought he was gonna come back. Who, who, who was the family, the house he left? Who did he leave behind? It was his mother, his sister. Two brothers And then his daughter and his son. And then there were ex-wives and Other relatives. Did his family during all this time, did they ever, what did they believe had happened to him? Did they believe he just went off? His, his daughter and son believed that he left and didn’t want to be their father anymore. Yeah, they lived with that for almost 38 years. Thought that he went back to Colorado. But he was this close all this time. You had mentioned this was Aoe’s oldest missing person case. So what does it mean for you to bring closure to that finally? It’s amazing. It is, it is amazing. When I called her, she was actually at, uh, she lives in Texas. They were at their local DMV, and she had to get her husband out of line, and they went outside in the parking lot, and I knew it was going to be emotional, so I had our victim’s advocate there with us, and Christina cried, I cried, the victim’s advocate cried. I mean, it was just, it was bittersweet, again, because she always always held out hope that her dad would walk into her life, but it also was some kind of answer for the family. At this point, you know, since does the case end, or are you, what’s the next steps, I guess, in terms of this investigation here? We had the component of the missing persons case. Um, I, so that is basically the end for us, but I am more than willing to turn over any notes or anything that I have gathered to whoever is going to continue investigating it. Yeah, uh, *** good question. Yeah, so we’ll continue to work collaboratively, uh, with, uh, Cowa Police Department and any other entities. Um, at this point, we simply just have *** small amount of human remains. Um, we don’t, um, have enough human remains to apply any other testing to as far as causation of death, mechanisms of death, anything like that. So, um, but we’ll continue to follow up on any leads that pop up. Um, like I said, at this point, um, we are. This is really just closure for the family. You know, this is an amazing situation where I, I can’t tell you, you know, as, as detectives, I’ve been *** detective for *** long time. Um, it means so much to the family, uh, to provide this case closure. As the detective mentioned, they had the mistaken idea that he had simply, uh, left on his own accord. Um, we don’t know the circumstances exactly. Uh, we are dealing with stuff that we found many, many years later. But again, the highlight of this is just to provide case closure for the family and really to highlight the efforts of, um, the Ced Police Department, uh, Detective Grogan, and, you know, our units that responded on scene, um, There was *** lot of really good, uh, solid police work at the beginning of, um, our, our investigation and definitely with Detective Grogan’s and also to highlight the law enforcement just using solid police work, um, dogged, you know, determination, um, and, uh, using advances of technology, uh, to work these kind of cases and just to serve the public better. I, uh, I’m sorry. I’m still trying to wrap my head around. Uh, Ernest’s father intended to sell his own daughter, according to the mother, yes, to this motorcycle gang. Were they part of the motorcycle gang? Yes, OK. And then his uncle. Was his uncle gonna sell his daughter? Yes. And uh the father’s daughter was how old? They were 7 and 8 years old. Uh, Was Ernest called to come back and try to stop this? What the mother told me is that he got word that this, that was her exact words. He got word that this was going to happen, so he left the house in Ocoee that night to confront his dad and his uncle about that. This motorbike group still exist? I prefer not to say I don’t want to bring. Bad vibes to, you know, *** motorcycle gang. That’s not pretty, yeah, I prefer not to say. Ernest wasn’t *** member of that gang. No, absolutely not, no. Did you recover the car? No. No, we have not. And actually, yes, uh, once we remove *** missing person, everything that’s associated with that missing person comes out of teletype. However, I worked with FDLE to have the car remain as ***, uh, item of interest in *** case, and it stays, it stays in there. So if anybody comes across the car, runs the VIN, it’s gonna. Come up with *** notification through FDLE. Are are you able to speculate on what I mean, did they kind of sell the car for parts potentially, or could it be in the Claremont area? I have no idea. I’ve searched through, um, all of the insurance bureaus and any auto, anything that would have to do with automobiles have not. Um, have not gotten *** hit. And also to be noted back, uh, in 1988, the VINs weren’t 16 characters and specific to *** car. They were 14 characters, and they were only specific to where they were made. I think we’re, maybe take *** couple more, couple more questions and, uh, we’ll wrap things up. Do you know how much they were going to sell? No. OK. Um, I, I’m still, I mean, I’m still trying to have it. How I’m just trying to get someone to respond. How disgusting is that. Somebody step up to the mic. How disgusting is that? Well, I think I can speak for, I mean, law enforcement, uh, you know, detectives, officers. Uh, nothing surprises, uh, the, you know, human nature, what may happen. Uh, we deal sometimes with the, the best of the best, sometimes we deal with the worst of the worst. Um, so nothing really surprises us. We, we run on information and facts. But yeah, does anyone have any other questions? I think we’ll wrap it up and obviously we’ll be available, you know, through our PIOs or you, many of you have our emails of any follow-up questions. the spelling of the victim. Ernest’s spelling. Do you have *** picture of him? We have one picture of him that was on his missing flyer. I’ll send it out. I one photo. It’s pretty bad, but I’ll send you what we have. Yeah, Ernest Jake. That voucher, I’m, I’m gonna, I’m sorry, I’m gonna just gonna throw it out. How disgusting is that? Well, Michelle, I think you’re asking *** lot of questions about the investigations that we haven’t even gotten to. Like I just told you, uh, earlier I mentioned, well, we all are adults here, we’re all humans, we have feelings. To want to sell your own, own, uh, children, yeah, that’s horrible. That’s not something that I could fathom and I don’t think anybody could fathom to sell your own children. Yeah. Ernest, E R N E S T, middle name Joe, J O E. Manzanniers, M *** N Z *** N *** R E S. And can you spell Christina’s name too, please? It’s with *** K, Christina. Same last name. No, Cree. C R E E. So that was M *** N Z *** N *** R E S Yes ma’am. And it’s pronounced again Manzani. Just one quick question. So he had been living in Opo for how long at that point? I know you said he had moved recently. Approximately 2 years. Excuse me, can I just clarify this one thing, um, Christina Curry, is she the daughter who’s going to be sold? No, no, she is Ernest’s daughter, daughter, yeah, it was Ernest’s sister. Thank you. What happened to them in the end? They are living in Colorado. Grown All right. Thank you all. I really appreciate you coming. Um, again, I will be available for follow-up, you know, questions here and there, um.
Man’s remains IDed in Clermont decades after confronting family about selling kids to motorcycle gang
Updated: 12:39 PM EST Feb 13, 2026
The remains of a man found in Clermont have been identified as a 23-year-old who went missing in 1988.The man was identified as Ernest Joe Manzanares, and officials on Friday described a twisted story involving some of his family selling children to a gang. >> Watch the full news conference in the video player above. 1988Police said Manzanares, a Navajo man, left his family home in 1988 and never returned. His mother said Manzanares left to confront his dad and uncle after finding out they had a plan to sell his sister and niece, who were under the age of 10, to a motorcycle gang. He left that night, driving a red 1976 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and told his mother he would be back that night. He was never seen again. Detectives said both the uncle and father were involved in a motorcycle gang associated with prostitution, drugs and criminal activity. However, Manzanares was not involved with the gang.The family had moved to Ocoee from Colorado. 2009In 2009, human remains were discovered while clearing land for a new park in Clermont. A spent bullet was found near the remains.Teeth, bone fragments and some clothing were found. However, the case went cold, officials said. 2025In 2025, officials were contacted by the medical examiner’s office.Thanks to grant funding and new technology, the bones were analyzed using DNA genealogy through Othram.“Othram combines laboratory science, software, and process to build a better and more robust infrastructure for justice,” according to Othram’s website. His car was never located, according to officials. Both Manzanares’s uncle and father are deceased. Officials said this was Ocoee’s oldest missing persons case.
CLERMONT, Fla. —
The remains of a man found in Clermont have been identified as a 23-year-old who went missing in 1988.
The man was identified as Ernest Joe Manzanares, and officials on Friday described a twisted story involving some of his family selling children to a gang.
>> Watch the full news conference in the video player above.
1988
Police said Manzanares, a Navajo man, left his family home in 1988 and never returned.
His mother said Manzanares left to confront his dad and uncle after finding out they had a plan to sell his sister and niece, who were under the age of 10, to a motorcycle gang.
He left that night, driving a red 1976 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and told his mother he would be back that night.
He was never seen again.
Detectives said both the uncle and father were involved in a motorcycle gang associated with prostitution, drugs and criminal activity. However, Manzanares was not involved with the gang.
The family had moved to Ocoee from Colorado.
2009
In 2009, human remains were discovered while clearing land for a new park in Clermont.
Teeth, bone fragments and some clothing were found. However, the case went cold.
2025
In 2025, officials were contacted by the medical examiner’s office.
Thanks to grant funding and new technology, the bones were analyzed using DNA genealogy through Othram.
“Othram combines laboratory science, software, and process to build a better and more robust infrastructure for justice,” according to Othram’s website.
His car was never located, according to officials.
Both Manzanares’s uncle and father are deceased.
Officials said this was Ocoee’s oldest missing persons case.