Human remains discovered last fall in a wooded parking lot in Akron have been identified as a 36-year-old Stark County man previously involved in a 2024 confrontation with deputies, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office said the badly decomposed body found Sept. 30, 2025, near a parking lot at 1 Gojo Plaza was Jacob Paul Weisgarber. Officials confirmed the identification on Feb. 18 following DNA testing and notification of next of kin.
An autopsy was conducted Oct. 1, 2025. At the time, investigators publicly described the unidentified individual as a white male approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing between 170 and 200 pounds, with brown crew-cut hair and visible chin hair. Authorities noted he had natural teeth with no dental work and was wearing extra-large West Loop sweatpants and Fruit of the Loom boxer shorts. The body bore a star tattoo on the upper back and an abdominal tattoo reading “Family 1st.”
DNA samples were submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation on Oct. 23. When no immediate match was found, the profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System on Jan. 29, 2026, and later into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System on Feb. 10. Investigators received a positive DNA match on Feb. 18, allowing officials to confirm the identity.
Authorities said the identification was possible because Weisgarber’s DNA profile was already on file from a prior arrest.
Prior 2024 Incident in Stark County
Court records show Weisgarber was involved in a Sept. 17, 2024, incident in the 1400 block of Raff Road Southwest in Canton Township. Deputies responded after callers reported a person wearing a black gown and white mask while carrying a knife.
According to authorities, the suspect brandished the weapon before fleeing on foot. Deputies said he ran from Raff Road onto U.S. Route 30 into active traffic, prompting law enforcement to stop vehicles to prevent a collision. He was ultimately subdued with a Taser and taken into custody.
A Stark County grand jury indicted Weisgarber on Oct. 31, 2024, on charges including resisting arrest, obstructing official business, aggravated menacing and inducing panic. He pleaded guilty Nov. 27 and was sentenced to one year in prison, receiving 65 days credit for time served.
Records indicate he was incarcerated at the Lorain Correctional Institution and would have been nearing release around the time his body was discovered. Authorities have not clarified his official release date.
Investigation Continues
Officials have not released a cause or manner of death. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding his death.
Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact local law enforcement.
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