Arizona police have recently reopened a long-standing cold case after finally identifying a body found shot in the desert nearly five decades ago. In 1976, hikers stumbled upon the remains buried in a shallow grave in north-western Arizona, but officers could not determine the man's identity at the time.

According to the original autopsy, the victim was a male in his mid-30s who had been fatally shot in the head from close range. Authorities collected fingerprints during the autopsy, but with the limited availability of databases back then, no match could be found. To aid in identification, a composite image of the victim was created by the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. However, the investigation quickly went cold, and the case remained unsolved for 47 years.

In a surprising turn of events, investigators recently revived the case in November 2023. Using advanced technology and comparing the fingerprints obtained in 1976 to a national database that wasn't accessible back then, authorities were able to identify the man as Paredes. It was revealed that he had been working in the Las Vegas area and may have been associated with the US Navy and Coast Guard around a decade before his disappearance.

While finally solving the mystery of Paredes' identity is a significant breakthrough, it also shines a spotlight on the unresolved mystery of his murder. Authorities are now faced with the challenge of piecing together the events leading to Paredes' killing after all these years, hoping that new leads and information will come to light.

As the investigation renews, the Arizona police urged anyone with knowledge or potential clues related to the case to come forward. The passage of time may have obscured crucial evidence, but the determination to seek justice for Paredes remains unwavering.