Human remains discovered in Ohio nearly 40 years ago have been identified as those of Frank “Frankie” Little Jr., the guitarist for The O’Jays.  

The identity of the partial human remains was unknown since they were found in a garbage bag behind a now-closed business on Cannon Road in 1982.  

“Thanks to the genealogical research of the DNA Doe Project, unidentified remains discovered on Feb. 19, 1982 have been identified as Frank ‘Frankie’ Little Jr.,” police said.  

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Little, originally from Cleveland, was born in 1943. In Oct., the DNA Doe Project provided the Twinsburg Police Department the names of potential living relatives who gave Little’s name. Another relative provided a DNA sample, which was analyzed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, according to a press release from Twinsburg Police.  

Volunteer genealogists created more than 70 family trees as they tried to identify Little, according to the project.  

“It was a particular pleasure to co-lead this case with Dt. Hendershott from the Twinsburg Police Department” said team leader L. Elias Chan. “Our tight-knit researching group synergized well and that sustained us through a long-haul and into pandemic times.”  

In addition to being a guitarist and songwriter for The O’Jays, Little also served in the Vietnam War. 

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It remains unclear how he disappeared and died, but this manner of death was ruled a homicide by Summit County medical examiner Dr. Lisa Kohler.  

Little was survived by two children. His daughter died in 2012, and his son has not yet been identified or contacted by police.