Canandaigua, N.Y. – State Police on Wednesday announced they have identified human remains from an Upstate New York cold case that dates back to 2011.
The remains belonged to Doh Soe, a Burmese refugee who immigrated to the United States and settled in Rochester in 2008, Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker said at a news conference held by State Police in Canandaigua Wednesday afternoon.
State Police are investigating the man’s death as a homicide, officials said.
His remains were found near a campground that says it caters to gay men. Authorities confirmed he was a member of the LGBTQ community.
Soe was 23 years old when he was reported missing to Rochester Police by a friend on June 1, 2011.
He was last seen working his shift as a chef at Wegmans Next Door Bar & Grill on Monroe Avenue in Rochester on May 29, 2011, Baker said
His remains were found on Dec. 13, 2021, in a culvert along Route 36 in Dansville in Livingston County by DOT workers who were doing maintenance on a drainage pipe, Baker said.
Personal and clothing items of Soe’s were found with his remains. A cell phone he had bought shortly before his disappearance has not been found.
It is unknown how Soe got to the Dansville area; his car was found at his Rochester apartment.
Baker said Soe “had associations” at the nearby Jones Pond Campground & RV Park in Angelica, Allegany County. The business describes itself as an all-male, clothing optional campground.
Troopers are hoping somebody who saw him there around the time of his disappearance has more information.
Soe also frequented the since-closed 140 Alex Bar & Grill and the Tilt Nightclub, both in Rochester, Baker said.
The remains were identified in 2023. Baker said they are only now announcing Soe’s identity because investigators “have developed significant investigative leads,” and they believe they are “approaching closing the circle.”
Baker said a tip could help investigators determine a suspect.
“We know an awful lot of things, we have some more pieces to put into the puzzle,” he said. “We’re hoping the community can help us with that.”
There is a possibility Soe had connections in the Fort Lauderdale area, Baker said. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office is also involved in the investigation, he said.
“State Police have been there to conduct interviews and talk to people,” Baker said. “No stone is being left unturned in this case.”