CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Behind every face and every action, there's a name. The search for those names is where the journey begins.
Fox 4's Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp is on a mission to get to know the names we know, and perhaps find the ones we don't - along with the detectives working in the same communities you call home.
In Fox 4's series called "Sunshine Crimes," we are going across Southwest Florida to tell the stories of people waiting for justice.
Watch the Cape Coral cold case here to see how you can help:
The person in this story had to wait years just for her name. And now, police are pushing to find her killer.
Cape Coral back in the 90s didn't look anything like today. You have the bumper to bumper traffic, development and houses everywhere. Jacaranda Parkway and Chiquita Boulevard is a prime example. It's there where this story begins.
Back in April 1992, a crew was clearing land in the area.
"The come across skeletal remains and clothing," said Cape Coral Police detective Michael Lasalandra.
Back then, the cops in the police report called the area "desolate." Lasalanda says that's probably why it attracted a killer.
"Obviously it showed some calculation that someone would try to evade detection by either dumping a body there or bringing someone out that far to murder them," he explained.
He says detectives found bones, jeans and t-shirts spread out over several yards.
It was a large crime scene, and a difficult one. That's because the medical examiner says the body had been there two to five years.
All detectives knew about the victim is that she was shot to death. They didn't have much of a description to go off of either.
"Black female between 25 and 33 years of ago," Lasalandra said. "There really wasn't anything to go on for the investigators at that time."
There was something else at the crime scene.
"It was almost like gold or copper color. It looks to be a representative of two rope pieces tied in a knot," Lasalandra said. "To find a piece of costume jewelry, let's say, or ornamental jewelry in an area where people don't frequent would be unlikely."
However, it didn't answer this question: who is she?
Lasalandra said they decided to try to recreate the victim's facial features and head. In 2003, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office created clay busts of what she would likely look like.
"They used a few different hair styles to try to get a few different look out to the public," he said. "They partnered with Crime Stoppers and they aired a segment."
It took a year to identify her. A family member came forward, gave DNA and the body was identified as Yvonne Neal.
"Once you identify the victim, that's really where the investigation begins," Lasalandra said.
Detectives talked to her family, who gave them the only picture they have of her.
At the same time, police tried to figured out who Yvonne hung out with. Lasalandra said they were able to narrow down some suspects.
"There was never any conclusive information that any of them could have been the killer," he explained.
The case didn't move forward for years, until Lasalandra started working on the case about six months ago.
"Really re-investigating it from the beginning is the angle that I personally take," he said.
So let's start in the beginning. There were clothes still somewhat intact.
"There were two to three items of clothing that we…appear to hold some promise for DNA testing," Lasalandra said.
He started talking to a private lab to see if any piece of DNA can lead to a killer.
"Our position is if they have to destroy a portion of a piece of clothing to try to extract DNA from it, we're willing to take that risk because we really don't have another choice," he explained.
Beyond DNA, Lasalandra started uncovering some new investigative leads.
That lead: what someone saw and heard back in the 90s.
"Saw her with a white male and they were in an old station wagon," Lasalandra said. "It looked like there were things in the car, like they were moving somewhere."
Yvonne went from Fort Myers to Cape Coral in 1990, the last time anyone heard from her.
"I think that the killer could be still alive. He could be dead. He could be in jail," he said. "It's really something that I can't answer."
There are two big pieces Lasalandra says could help crack the case open.
"Ideally, a DNA match would be the best thing that we can get, but we will have to wait and see," he said.
Also, they need your help.
"I don't think anyone lives in a vacuum and people know people," Lasalandra said.
He thinks someone may hold the key to what the detectives and others want.
"We find who's responsible for killing this person," Lasalandra said. "We're the instrument of hope for the family and for her loved ones."
While holding onto hope, Lasalandra has this message for the killer:
"If you left any evidence or made any errors, eventually we're going to find you," he said.
To help get the word out, Crime Stoppers put a billboard up for Yvonne Neal in Fort Myers. Tips leading to an arrest could earn you a $5,000 reward.
If you know anything about the murder of Yvonne Neal, call the Cape Coral Police Department or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
