TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – For 35 years, he was known as “John Doe.” But the hand-engraved initials on his belt buckle held a clue, even if his death and the man’s identity stumped authorities in Escambia County for all these many years.Those initials — WT — and DNA analysis this month would help confirm the man's identity: William Ernest Thompson.Now the investigation into his death has been reopened.“This is another example of the never-ending quest for justice.
While we haven’t yet solved the homicide. It is a step forward and can give the family some closure until the case is solved,” said Chief Deputy Chip Simmons, in a statement posted Thursday on Facebook by his department.Thompson would have been 49 when his body was discovered on Jan.