After three decades, Anthony Gulley’s family finally got some answers about his disappearance.
Scientists at Ohio University had been working to identify a body found in Stark County since 2001.
The remains have now been confirmed to belong to Gulley, a Pontiac man who went missing in 1994.
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Local 4 spoke with Elizabeth Gulley, Anthony’s sister, who expressed the complex emotions the family has faced.
“It’s not easy. It’s one thing to know what happened to your loved one, but it’s a different type of feeling to not know,” said Elizabeth.
The identification of 24-year-old Anthony has brought a sense of relief to his family.
Elizabeth said, “It’s been a nightmare. It never has seemed real. There were days that I just knew he would come knocking on the door. A phone call, something. It hasn’t been easy; 30 years of not knowing something is hard.”
Elizabeth still remembers the last time she saw Anthony.
“He would visit me frequently, and it was just a normal day. It didn’t feel weird. I didn’t feel like it would have been the last time I may see my brother,” Elizabeth said.
Investigators revealed that Anthony was shot and killed in Pontiac, and his body was taken 250 miles away to the Canton-Akron, Ohio area, where it was found in 2001.
Thanks to new facial reconstruction technology used by Ohio University, the John Doe was identified as Anthony, solving a decades-long mystery.
While the discovery brings some closure, Elizabeth empathizes with others who are still searching for their missing loved ones.
“My heart goes out to the people who are still missing from their loved ones. You just have to pray that you can get some answers and that your family can heal and you can heal as an individual to get some peace in your life,” Elizabeth said.
As for whether this brings closure to the family, Elizabeth said, “No, it’ll never be closure. It won’t really be that way until we bring him home. He’s not where he’s supposed to be. And so once we get him here, we can start the process of really healing and moving forward.”
The family is currently in the process of bringing Anthony’s remains home, which is expected to happen in the coming weeks.
As far as Anthony’s killer, police said it is alleged to be a man named George Ricky Washington, who got into a shootout with police back in 1994 but died of suicide.
