TAMPA, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit has successfully identified human remains found in 1995 as those of Christopher “Charlie” Mammana, bringing closure to a nearly 30-year-old case.
In 1995, deputies responded to a deceased male found in a tent near Bearss Avenue and I-275. The death was ruled natural, but the man’s identity remained a mystery until recently.
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In 2023, the Cold Case Unit, with assistance from Othram Labs’ forensic genealogy testing, began re-examining the case. By April 2024, they had a possible name: Christopher Mammana, born in 1918, who vanished in 1993.
Investigators discovered Mammana had a headstone in Pennsylvania but no burial record. Through family tree research, they learned he’d moved to Florida after his wife’s death and had an address in Tampa in the early 1990s.
In June 2024, DNA samples from two of Mammana’s nieces were obtained. On August 23, 2024, the remains were positively identified as Mammana’s.
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“Despite the challenging circumstances and the lack of initial leads, the Cold Case Unit detectives persevered, determined to bring closure to this case,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “To be able to identify someone that died nearly 30 years ago speaks to the commitment of our Cold Case Unit.”
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