Skull found in Johnson County in 2020 identified

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

PAINTSVILLE — The identity of a skull found in Johnson County on June 7, 2020, has been identified as that of Ricky D. Boyd of Ohio.

Johnson County Coroner J.R. Frisby said in 2020 that the skull was found at a residence by the homeowner.

“A dog had dragged it in,” Frisby said in 2020.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office issued a release Friday announcing the skull had been identified and Boyd’s family was notified prior to the issuance of the release.

“On April 27, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Johnson County Coroner J.R. Frisby in reference to the identification of a skull found in Johnson County on June 7, 2020,” Johnson County Sheriff Doug Saylor said in the release. “The skull was sent to the University of Tennessee anthropologist in Knoxville for examination and returned to the KSP Medical Examiner where DNA testing resulted in a positive identification.”

The information is a result of cooperation between the South Point, Ohio, Police Department, the Johnson County Coroner’s Office, a University of Tennessee anthropologist, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

The case is under investigation by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office while cooperating with other agencies.

Saylor also thanked the Williamsport Volunteer Fire Department for assisting in the initial search.