LA LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale 16-17, UP88342, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75

[pass-thru]

His police file was destroyed many years ago.

Regarding having kids, even if he were gay, he.might still have thought about marriage and a family in order to "fit in." JMO


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If his police file was destroyed, then how do they know he was cremated, or that he was never identified in the 30 years between burial and the start of this thread? The article linked early stating he was buried in may 1975 in Gretna, didn't mention cremation before burial.

 

[Marilynilpa]

If his police file was destroyed, then how do they know he was cremated, or that he was never identified in the 30 years between burial and the start of this thread? The article linked early stating he was buried in may 1975 in Gretna, didn't mention cremation before burial.

They kept a record of dates that unidentified bodies were found and buried. However, individual files were not maintained for long.

It was the practice of the police in this parish to cremate remains before burying them.


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[pass-thru]

Another person who he reminds me of (except I can't tell 100% because the photo on NamUs is so small) is Bayard William Cousins --

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/23906/68
In his case, everything seems to match except his age (23 years old). Prior to leaving home, NamUs mentions that he wrote a note to his parents that said not to worry about him (this sounds consistent with the writer of the suicide note, IMO).

This guy seems like a very strong possibility. The date is right, the circumstances are right and despite the poor quality of the pic, the physical resemblance is strong...the hair, the shape of the face, he even appears to be wearing the same shirt!

Given the UI's esoteric interest in Emile Durkheim, it would seem Cousins family or friends could tell right off if it was him.

 

[Marilynilpa]

This guy seems like a very strong possibility. The date is right, the circumstances are right and despite the poor quality of the pic, the physical resemblance is strong...the hair, the shape of the face, he even appears to be wearing the same shirt!

Given the UI's esoteric interest in Emile Durkheim, it would seem Cousins family or friends could tell right off if it was him.

Wow, this does look promising. To me, there is a resemblance.


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[pass-thru]

I spoke to the detective assigned to the case of Cousins in Virginia Beach today. She seemed pretty excited and said she would let me know if she can make a connection. As far as she knows, it is the only lead they have gotten on the case in the 40 years since he went missing. He has a sister and aunt still living, so I hope they will be able to confirm or deny, if no other means exists to do so.

The detective told me that missing persons records in VB only go back to '78. However she came across a reference to him and located the surviving family members who confirmed that he is still missing. So she created the profile, and that is why no information existed about Cousins online until recently.

Also he had graduated from the University of Virginia the prior spring, 1974. That is a very good school and in my opinion could account for the high aptitude of the young man as apparent from the suicide note. It would also explain his particular despondence concerning the last year of his life....his failure to accomplish anything or make connections with friends or family...since that was his first year out of college when expectations for life are normally high.

In my research it seems that his mother died 2.5 years ago into her '90s. His father was retired Navy and his parents are buried at Arlington. I could see where they had lived in CA, VA and FL. Although I found no record of it in my brief search, as speculated earlier maybe his father had been stationed in LA and that is why he returned there. Or maybe he just wanted to get somewhere that nobody who have a clue who he was.

Ironically, if it is him and he is identified, it will be because of the letter that generated interest in his case, the same letter in which he begged to remain nameless.

 

[bcf]

Thank you SO MUCH, pass-thru! He is one of my pet cases. It makes me very sad just to think of the pain he must have been going through to end his life that way. [emoji20]

 

[StarrChance]

Thank you SO MUCH, pass-thru! He is one of my pet cases. It makes me very sad just to think of the pain he must have been going through to end his life that way. [emoji20]

Great work pass-thru, regardless of the outcome you have clearly put you heart and soul into this case.

 

[LucyOso]

Dermot Kelly? http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?103669-IL-Dermot-Faulkner-Kelly-16-Oglesby-Jan-1972

 

[StarrChance]

Dermot Kelly? http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?103669-IL-Dermot-Faulkner-Kelly-16-Oglesby-Jan-1972

That case is so heartbreaking for the family, a very smart introverted son, I haven't read through all the thread yet but on post #90 here our doe is described as brown hair , brown eyes whereas post #63 of Dermott in the article describes him as blonde hair, blue eyes, will keep reading though :thinking:

The consensus seems to be suicide by drowning , they do seem very similar souls though...

 

[Houston Mom]

Here's a thought, maybe they could compare handwriting from the suicide note and Mr. Cousins.

 

[carbuff]

That case is so heartbreaking for the family, a very smart introverted son, I haven't read through all the thread yet but on post #90 here our doe is described as brown hair , brown eyes whereas post #63 of Dermott in the article describes him as blonde hair, blue eyes, will keep reading though :thinking:

The consensus seems to be suicide by drowning , they do seem very similar souls though...

Sadly, there were a lot of guys like that in the mid-seventies. Lost a good friend from high school that way.

 

[marion]

After the success of the social media campaign for Grateful Doe, I feel like this would perfect for an "Ain't Dere No More" (ADNM) New Orleans Facebook group I am part of. However, it concerns me that there's no Namus or Doenetwork page for him. We could throw the photo of the sketch and write up out there but then who would someone contact if they thought they may know who he is? Are we even 100% sure he was never identified, even if it was months or years down the road?

 

[bessie]

Yesterday marked 40 years since this young man took his life. In his letter, he expressed a desire to die in anonymity. I sometimes wonder if he knew that no one would make an effort to find him. That's probably unfair of me to say. The opposite is just so darn sad, parents hoping, waiting for 40 years and never knowing the truth.

I don't know why I didn't think of it until now, but it occurred to me recently that since the funeral home is mentioned in the article I posted with the sketch, that might be a good source for information. So I did some research, and learned that Mothe Funeral Home has records on microfilm in the City Archives dating back to 1933. I thought it was a lost cause until I scrolled all the way through the list and found it at the very end. The information isn't online (which is why previous searches have been unsuccessful, I presume), and will require a visit to the main public library. I'll be happy to do the research, but not until next week after Mardi Gras is over and downtown resumes its normal mad pace. I will jump for joy if I can find a death certificate or burial record. Then finally this John Doe will be an "official" and documented, albeit nameless, human being. :crossfingers:

http://nutrias.org/guides/genguide/burialrecords.htm

 

[Marilynilpa]

Yesterday marked 40 years since this young man took his life. In his letter, he expressed a desire to die in anonymity. I sometimes wonder if he knew that no one would make an effort to find him. That's probably unfair of me to say. The opposite is just so darn sad, parents hoping, waiting for 40 years and never knowing the truth.

I don't know why I didn't think of it until now, but it occurred to me recently that since the funeral home is mentioned in the article I posted with the sketch, that might be a good source for information. So I did some research, and learned that Mothe Funeral Home has records on microfilm in the City Archives dating back to 1933. I thought it was a lost cause until I scrolled all the way through the list and found it at the very end. The information isn't online (which is why previous searches have been unsuccessful, I presume), and will require a visit to the main public library. I'll be happy to do the research, but not until next week after Mardi Gras is over and downtown resumes its normal mad pace. I will jump for joy if I can find a death certificate or burial record. Then finally this John Doe will be an "official" and documented, albeit nameless, human being. :crossfingers:

http://nutrias.org/guides/genguide/burialrecords.htm

Were you able to find out anything?

 

[bessie]

Were you able to find out anything?

I'm afraid not, Marilyn. I really needed more time. I wasn't going to post again until I was able to go back and finish my search. Right now, I don't know when that will be, but it's still "on my list".

 

[Beamie]

Anything new?

 

[Maggie_Mayz]

I did an Ancestry.com search on him and this is what I got but it's a birth record from the bay area of CA, was his family in the military. With the picture/sketch and the info, it is likely the same guy. It didn't give me a death cert, but I will still look....it could be because this is the missing man from VA. When I put my mouse over the name of him on this index it shows: Bayard William Cousins same as the one from NAMUS. I think it's the same one only because that is the only record for someone with that name. Only record on file at Ancestry.


California Birth Index 1905-1995
Name: Bayar Cousins

DOB: 1 Aug 1952
Gender: Male
Mothers Maiden Name: Sidwell
County of Birth: Alameda.

 

[Springrain]

Why bother doing an age progression for a decedent? If it's to try to match up with a same-gender parent, it seems like a bizarre way of doing so. I know plenty of people who look strikingly like their different-gender parent, myself included.

 

[Maggie_Mayz]

Why bother doing an age progression for a decedent? If it's to try to match up with a same-gender parent, it seems like a bizarre way of doing so. I know plenty of people who look strikingly like their different-gender parent, myself included.

It gives others the ability to help find the missing person. Sometimes they do favor one of their parents or could look like a cousin or distant relative. Giving people the ability to possibility to identify them.

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[Springrain]

It gives others the ability to help find the missing person. Sometimes they do favor one of their parents or could look like a cousin or distant relative. Giving people the ability to possibility to identify them.

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Fair enough. It seems like an age regression would make more sense though.