O’Jays guitarist's remains identified nearly 40 years later

TWINSBURG, Ohio — Thanks to genealogical probe from the DNA Doe Project, quality remains discovered successful Twinsburg successful 1982 person present been identified arsenic those of Frank “Frankie” Little, Jr., who was a guitarist and songwriter for the R&B set The O’Jays.

The partial remains were recovered successful a garbage container down a now-closed concern connected Cannon Road successful Twinsburg, according to police. A idiosyncratic recovered a skull successful the snowfall down the business. Police past discovered the different assemblage parts successful the garbage bag.

The mode of decease has been ruled a homicide.

“It’s decidedly bully that we tin springiness immoderate answers to the household and hopefully they person immoderate consciousness of closure,” said Twinsburg Detective Eric Hendershott. “He had a life, and yet helium ended up present successful Twinsburg, with his beingness taken by another.”

Little was calved successful Cleveland successful 1943 and was raised successful northeast Ohio. In the mid-1960s, helium was a guitarist and songwriter for The O’Jays. He besides served successful the U.S. Army for 2 years, including a deployment to Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

“Frankie was a subordinate of the set successful the 1960s,” Hendershott said. “He played guitar with the set successful the workplace and connected tours.”

Little had a girl who died successful 2021 and a lad who has not yet been located oregon identified, constabulary said.

Little was past known to reside successful Cleveland, and it is believed helium was past live successful the mid-1970s. Not overmuch is known astir his disappearance oregon death.

The individuality of the remains was a enigma for astir 40 years. In October, the DNA Doe Project provided names of imaginable surviving relatives who were capable to supply Little’s name, according to a property release.

A member successful Georgia provided a DNA sample, which was analyzed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation Crime Lab. Little’s individuality was confirmed by Dr. Lisa Kohler with the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Kohler said information provided to her done DNA investigating revealed likelihood indicating it was 398 cardinal times much apt that the 2 men were brothers.

“It was wide that determination was a lucifer here, that we had yet been capable to enactment a sanction to those remains,” Kohler said. “I consciousness comfy saying helium died from chartless injuries and that this is simply a homicide.”

Kohler said the remains are the oldest stored astatine the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office. Arrangements volition yet beryllium made to crook the remains implicit to relatives for a due burial.

The transportation betwixt the aged remains and The O’Jays was an unexpected twist for everyone progressive successful the case.

“The information that helium was a musician, and it seems similar helium had immoderate grade of prominence astatine 1 constituent successful time, it’s neat to person that background,” Kohler said.

Elias Chan, a unpaid with DNA Doe Project, worked connected the lawsuit for much than 2 years.

Chan said the probe was “far from a slam dunk” and deed galore roadblocks on the mode arsenic the squad searched for imaginable relatives, but the DNA nexus yet provided the answers the non-profit enactment was seeking.

“The extremity is to benignant of bent successful there, perpetrate to it, support checking those matches, support going down the lines and support reasoning innovatively,” Chan said.

Hendershott said with the remains identified 39 years later, the absorption present is trying to fig retired who killed Little.

“We’re trying to fig retired however helium got determination and who could person enactment him there. That’s what we don’t know,” helium said.

This communicative was primitively published by Bob Jones and Ian Cross connected Scripps presumption WEWS successful Cleveland.