Forensic artists from across the country traveled to USF to help solve some of Florida’s cold cases.

Each artist is reconstructing the face of an unidentified murder victim in hopes someone will recognize them.

“I think every artist feels the pressure,” said forensic artist Maggie Florence.

Lawrence is working on a case out of Polk County from 2015, where the remains of a woman were found near Loughman Community Park.

“We’ve all developed a pretty big connection to the unidentified we are working with,” said Florence. “I feel in a small way responsible for her. I feel like I want to help empower her even though she’s deceased and no longer with us. She can no longer speak for herself, but I can do a small part and speak up for her. I don’t take that responsibility lightly.”

The week-long process starts with a 3D printed skull, created from the victims’ medical records.

“Once they are printed, we start by putting the eyeballs where they go in the orbit,” said Colin McNally, a forensic artist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The skull tells the rest of the story, and holds the key to each person’s appearance, from how big their nose appears, to how the skin lays over the muscle.

By the end of it, each artist has a face staring back at them.

“This is a person. A real person, representative of a living, breathing person that has lost their identity. Through this class and telling his story, maybe the right person will see it and he’ll get his name back,” said Joe Mullins, with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Their goal is to give a voice to the voiceless, one stroke at a time.

At the end of the week, the busts will be displayed at USF, and presented to the public in black and white pictures. The hope is that the right person will see the photos, and crack at least one of the cases.

The workshop was held in conjunction with the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science at USF, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and sheriff’s departments throughout the state.