Face of man suspected of being a vampire is reconstructed

The face of a man suspected to be a 19th-century vampire has been digitally reconstructed, thanks to Parabon NanoLabs and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory.

The image was unveiled at the International Symposium on Human Identification conference in Washington DC, earlier this week.

His body was discovered in 1990 at an abandoned cemetery in Griswold, Connecticut, and was arranged in the shape of a skull and crossbones, leading people to believe he belonged to the living dead.

The coffin lid had brass tacks that spelled "JB55", according to IFL Science, who also reported that his name remains unnamed due to the gave being left blank.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Parabon Nanolabs

Research revealed that the man may have died from a chronic pulmonary infection, such as tuberculosis, a bacterial infection that generally affects the lungs. It is said that if a person becomes severely sick with the illness, they can suffer gaunt cheeks and receding gums – making the teeth look more elongated like a vampire's.

The DNA results showed that the man-in-question had fair skin (92.2 per cent confidence), brown or hazel eyes (99.8 per cent confidence), dark hair (97.7 per cent confidence), and some freckles (50.0 per cent confidence), according to the outlet.

Researchers from the 2019 study also delved into the "JB55's" identity, revealing two matches with the surname "Barber". A closer look into historical records found a death notice of a man named John Barber, who was also buried in Griswold cemetery.

Their latest work supported the 2009 study, after discovering JB55 had ancestors with the surname Barber living in New England in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.