Flagler County Sheriff's Office releases photos of cold case murder victim

Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal
·1 min read
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Robert Bruce McPhail is seen in a photo taken in the 1980s. McPhail's body was found in the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County in 1997. He is one of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office cold case murders.
Robert Bruce McPhail is seen in a photo taken in the 1980s. McPhail's body was found in the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County in 1997. He is one of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office cold case murders.

Detectives now have photographs to go with a name in the cold case murder of a man whose body was dumped in the Intracoastal Waterway in 1997.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday announced that they had identified the body found on Sept. 10, 1997 as that of a man named Robert Bruce McPhail. And on Friday someone sent them pictures of McPhail.

McPhail had been bound, shot and stabbed and dumped in the Intracoastal Waterway northeast of what is now the Boston Whaler plant at 100 Sea Ray Drive in Flagler Beach.

Robert Bruce McPhail in a photo taken in the 1980s. McPhail's body was found in the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County in 1997. He is one of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office cold case murders.
Robert Bruce McPhail in a photo taken in the 1980s. McPhail's body was found in the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County in 1997. He is one of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office cold case murders.

At the press conference, the Sheriff’s Office released a facial approximation which was created in 1997 by Betty Pat Gatliff of Skullpture Inc.

The Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday that following publicity about the case someone sent photos of McPhail taken in the 1980s in South Florida to Cold Case Detective Sarah Scalia. The caller was also able to provide information confirming that the person in the photos was McPhail.

Here are facial approximations of Robert Bruce McPhail created by Betty Pat Gatliff of Skullpture Inc. in 1997.
Here are facial approximations of Robert Bruce McPhail created by Betty Pat Gatliff of Skullpture Inc. in 1997.
Robert Bruce McPhail in a photo taken in the 1980s. McPhail's body was found in the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County in 1997. He is one of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office cold case murders.
Robert Bruce McPhail in a photo taken in the 1980s. McPhail's body was found in the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County in 1997. He is one of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office cold case murders.

Anyone with information about McPhail or his murder is asked to submit a tip through email at TIPS@flaglersheriff.com or directly to Cold Case Detective Sarah Scalia at SScalia@flaglersheriff.com or by calling 386-313-4911. If you would like to remain anonymous, tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida by calling 888-277-TIPS (8477), where you could be eligible for a reward of up to $9,500.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler Sheriff's Office gets photos of cold case murder victim