Joseph Alex Ray was 26 when he was last seen on July 12, 1988, and a week later his decomposed body was discovered on the on-ramp from South Military Highway to Interstate 64 in Chesapeake, Virginia. Reports differ on the official finding: one account says a definitive cause of death could not be determined, while another states the case was ruled a homicide by strangulation. The manner and location where his body was left indicate a violent end.

No arrests have been announced, and the case remains unsolved. Investigators have considered possible links to other unsolved killings in the Hampton Roads area, including convicted murderer Elton Manning Jackson, who targeted gay men and whose victims were often found nude and strangled along deserted roads; no public information connects Jackson directly to Ray. The Chesapeake Police Department’s Cold Case Unit continues to investigate and is seeking information that could break the case.

If anyone knew Joseph Ray, saw him in Chesapeake in July 1988, or has information about his death, please come forward.