CA CA - Bell, WhtMale 1401UMCA, 15-25, in L.A. riverbed @ Patata trestle, Sep'79

[DrDMike]

It was never stated, but I have a strong suspicion that he was a Randy Kraft or William Bonin victim.

Bell is right in the vicinity of where Bonin picked up several of his victims.

Could you find out?

 

[CarlK90245]

Could you find out?

I'm not sure how I would. I don't have that close of a rapport with Daniel Machian to call them up with a list of questions that they probably wouldn't answer.

 

[DrDMike]

I'm not sure how I would. I don't have that close of a rapport with Daniel Machian to call them up with a list of questions that the probably wouldn't answer.

Maybe you can find out if he was murdered and/or the COA. I doubt they're actively investigating it anyways.

 

[Ambercat]

This is the link to his NamUs file --

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/4399

I didn't realize until Carl mentioned it on the Randy Kraft thread that the Long Beach (710) Freeway is directly east of where this young man was found. Probably the closest exit is Firestone. http://binged.it/1hDVYUe

I have been looking through newspaper archives in an attempt to find an article about this UID, hopefully one that talks about his cause of death, yet so far, have not been able to find anything even mentioning him. Coincidentally, in November 1982, there was a dead baby dumped in about the same location (the LA Times says that she was found in the water between Patata and Clara Streets (did Patata St. have a bridge across the LA River back then?).

I can't help but notice that there is a strong resemblance between this UID and the sketch of John Doe "76." I'll keep looking (it seems like there must be an article somewhere about him at least asking for information about who he is). The city of Bell has their own police department (for some reason or another, I thought that they might contract with the county), yet they do not have anything about cold cases/unidentified/information wanted listed on their website (some UIDs have cases with both the Coroner and LE). http://www.cityofbell.org/?NavID=106

 

[CarlK90245]

(did Patata St. have a bridge across the LA River back then?).

Patata Street still has a bridge there. It is a Railroad bridge for a track that runs adjacent to Patata Street.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Patat...ra&hnear=Patata+St,+California&gl=us&t=h&z=19

 

[rosesfromangels]

He looks german or austrian.

 

[DrDMike]

What about Ricky lee Enochs? Bell Boy does not have his DNA in Namus but has his fingerprints. Enoch has his DNA but not his fingerprints.
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4182dmmo.html

 

[zwiebel]

He looks german or austrian.

Exactly what I was thinking. Or even (genealogy-wise, further east). Maybe it's worth giving a second look at missing with a Germanic/Polish sounding name? just in case that's from Dad's side....

Something that's always fascinated me - a lot of people from Wales, UK, have a similar, flattish nose, wide spaced-eyes and broad cheekbones, as some East Europeans. Putin is a classic exampe of the type of face I mean. There has got to be a connection.

I've never found it. And I'll probably get in loads of trouble now, for classing Russians as 'East Europeans'......

 

[carbuff]

I don't usually set much store in apparent ethnicity of UID's, but in this case I agree with you about farther east. Polish or Czech. Maybe worth looking in areas with a lot of immigration from that region, like Detroit and Pittsburgh.

 

[rosesfromangels]

I dont think he is from the US
A young man this good looking would be missed and sought
A sad fact for those less blessed in the looks department, but a reality of life
I think he was visiting; legal or not
international missing database?

 

[Ambercat]

There is a composite sketch of this UID on the National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children website (I think that it is new because they now have quite a few composites that I hadn't seen before on their website).

http://www.missingkids.com/poster/NCMU/1184184/1#poster

I looked through the Los Angeles Times and Long Beach Press Telegram archives to try to find an article (especially one that included the cause of death) about this young man when he was found and haven't been able to so far. Does anyone know what the local newspaper would have been for Bell, CA back then?

 

[CarlK90245]

:bump: for image revision

 

[Jake479]

Does anyone know why they can't get DNA from the John Doe?

 

[CarlK90245]

Does anyone know why they can't get DNA from the John Doe?

LA County cremates all of their indigents and UID's, and buries the ashes in a common grave (segregated only by the year of death) in in a cemetery in East LA. Apparently, they didn't retain any biological samples from this John Doe (or most other pre-1980's LA County UID's)

 

[winko567]

LA County cremates all of their indigents and UID's, and buries the ashes in a common grave (segregated only by the year of death) in in a cemetery in East LA. Apparently, they didn't retain any biological samples from this John Doe (or most other pre-1980's LA County UID's)

that's horrible! wouldn't it be possible to still retain DNA samples from the ashes though?

EDIT I googled the definition for "common grave" so there's no way of telling who's ashes are his that's really upsetting and disturbing though.

 

[ALadInsane]

2 candidates with similar facial proportions:
Rickey Enochs
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/10913/86
Mark Wilson
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/6818/0/

Is there a post-mortem photo of the UID with higher resolution?

 

[amputate]

that's horrible! wouldn't it be possible to still retain DNA samples from the ashes though?

EDIT I googled the definition for "common grave" so there's no way of telling who's ashes are his that's really upsetting and disturbing though.

Even if he wasn't buried in a common grave DNA would still be impossible as the heat from cremation will destroy any DNA.

 

[amputate]

2 candidates with similar facial proportions:
Rickey Enochs
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/10913/86
Mark Wilson
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/6818/0/

Is there a post-mortem photo of the UID with higher resolution?

I think Rickey Enochs really resembles the UID, more so than Mark Wilson.

 

[CarlK90245]

Is there a post-mortem photo of the UID with higher resolution?

No, that one is all we have.

 

[winko567]

Even if he wasn't buried in a common grave DNA would still be impossible as the heat from cremation will destroy any DNA.

really? that's even more awful. but wouldn't be possible for DNA to still be left inside of his teeth? My adoptive mom had a friend who's son died and was cremated and his teeth where still left in the urn with his ashes (they didn't burn at all) wouldn't they be able to extract DNA from inside of that?

2 candidates with similar facial proportions:
Rickey Enochs
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/10913/86
Mark Wilson
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/6818/0/

Is there a post-mortem photo of the UID with higher resolution?

Luckily the dental records of this John Doe are still available so it still is definitely possible for him to be identified. On nameus it says that Mark Wilson's dental records are available but it states that Rickey Enochs' aren't. but would it be possible that his family or the dentist they went to would still have them archived somewhere even thought it's been a while?