Human remains found in 1990 belong to Norfolk teen; Clues sought in his death

[Updated 3 p.m.] Human remains found in Stafford County 32 years ago belong to Timothy Mangum of Norfolk.

A man clearing underbrush from a field near the Mountian View and Joshua roads found Mangum’s skull near a fence on September 28, 1990, and called police.

DNA samples from Mangum’s father and brother sent to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science in Richmond helped to identify the remains.

The Stafford sheriff’s office said today:

Detectives believe that Timothy Mangum was last alive in 1983-1984, but not much more information is known about his disappearance or the circumstances surrounding his death. Detectives are continuing the investigation and attempting to contact anyone who had any contact with Timothy Mangum or can provide any information as to why Timothy Mangum would have been in Stafford County around September of 1990.

Born in September 1968, it’s estimated Mangum was between 15 to 18 years at the time of his death.

Authorities don’t know how Mangum ended up in Stafford County. Officials could not determine the cause of death. Still, due to the estimated age of the victim and the location where the skull was located, a violent or unnatural manner of death is strongly suspected.

Mangum attended Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk in April 1983, after having withdrawn from the nearby Chesapeake Public School system in January that year. At one point, Mangum moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., to live with his mother, but he returned to Virginia.

Authorities ruled the manner of death “undetermined.” Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Dave Wood at the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, 540-658-4727, or email at [email protected].