NYE COUNTY (KTNV) — After nearly 44 years, a Nye County cold case victim has been identified.
In October 1980, a set of human remains was found one mile east of U.S. 95 and 60 miles south of Tonopah.
Over the years, the sheriff's office has tried to identify the victim through fingerprints, dental records, press releases, and evidence located at the scene. However, they were unable to do so.
In March 2022, the FBI, Nevada State Police and NamUS sent a DNA sample to Othram, a company that specializes in forensic genealogy. Otham produced a report that generated new leads for detectives and in December 2023, the remains were identified as Albert Matas.
He was originally from Commerce, California and his family told investigators they lost contact with him in September 1978.
According to the sheriff's office, Matas had been shot several times and his cause of death was ruled a homicide.
Nye County officials said the investigation into Matas' death is still ongoing. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Nevada State Police - Investigation Division at (775) 684-7456.
