LA LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale 16-17, UP88342, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75 #2

[Beekarina]

Wasn't the medical examiner a local gynecologist? I remember reading something along those lines in the first thread. And Tony or someone else asked FACES if they agreed on the assessment of the 16-17 year-old age range given for BCJD, and they did concur.

I think it is worth continuing the discussion for a couple of reasons: primarily we never know who may be out there looking for a long missing friend or family member and find us. An active, engaged thread would probably seem more inviting to comments,IMO.

Also, looking back some of the things people managed to uncover earlier are really amazing. Since this did receive national attention, it does seem possible BCJDs prints, photos, etc could easily be out there in several locations, filed away, unknown. Maybe someone might stumble on a discussion like this and make a connection? Weirder things happen!

 

[Ciriii57]

Wasn't the medical examiner a local gynecologist?

I can well believe that and it was my worry that the coroner wasn't a trained forensic medical examiner.

think it is worth continuing the discussion for a couple of reasons: primarily we never know who may be out there looking for a long missing friend or family member and find us. An active, engaged thread would probably seem more inviting to comments,IMO.

Also, looking back some of the things people managed to uncover earlier are really amazing. Since this did receive national attention, it does seem possible BCJDs prints, photos, etc could easily be out there in several locations, filed away, unknown. Maybe someone might stumble on a discussion like this and make a connection? Weirder things happen!

I absolutely agree wholeheartedly. No positive ID has been made, we don't know where this young man came from or if his family spent years looking for him or never looked at all! Despite the similarities to Charles Wallace we cannot make a positive ID so I see no reason not to explore any and every other angle.
There is every chance there is a photo of this young man in his open casket tucked away in a long forgotten archive somewhere!

 

[Beekarina]

I'm not able to figure out which newsclipping they mean, but in the original thread another poster found a photo that is possibly Charles Wallace. I did not enhance it as there is so much noise in the print, but did crop as teeth are visible. I think given the ears especially this is the same person. Not clear to me if his teeth protrude, but wanted to carry this over so others can see.

I personally do not think BCJD was wither CW or BC. I think he was a bit younger. Part of me leans a bit towards Earl "Jay" Joggerst, but not firmly in that camp either yet.

I'm coming down more on the side of he was someone not reported as missing, and/or simply lost to time. The officer in charge of this made such an effort for the time. For his efforts alone, I think this is worth continuing!

 

[Beekarina]

One more question I have about Charles Wallace: The news article with his mom (attached relevant screenshot below, entirety has been posted a few times in previous thread) states CW graduated in 1971 and had a job with Proctor and Gamble.

If CW graduated high school in 1971 at a traditional age, he would have been 18 then and 22-ish in 1975? To me even though so many other things seem to match, that is quite a bit outside the seemingly confirmed 16-17 age.

 

[Ciriii57]

I'm not able to figure out which newsclipping they mean, but in the original thread another poster found a photo that is possibly Charles Wallace. I did not enhance it as there is so much noise in the print, but did crop as teeth are visible. I think given the ears especially this is the same person. Not clear to me if his teeth protrude, but wanted to carry this over so others can see.

I personally do not think BCJD was wither CW or BC. I think he was a bit younger. Part of me leans a bit towards Earl "Jay" Joggerst, but not firmly in that camp either yet.

I'm coming down more on the side of he was someone not reported as missing, and/or simply lost to time. The officer in charge of this made such an effort for the time. For his efforts alone, I think this is worth continuing!View attachment 484246View attachment 484244

Thanks for reposting that. I so believe that's the same guy judging by the face shape, mouth and ear shape. The hairstyle totally changes his look but he looks much more like BCDJ.
The age you mentioned, yes he should have graduated aged 18 normally, right? He would seem to be a little old for our guy but ...can we be sure if the age determined by a gynaecologist was totally accurate?

Having said that I still think trawling through yearbooks would be worthwhile, maybe starting locally. And reaching out to wherever the local library to Belle Chasse is?

 

[carbuff]

Another possible source might be a publication called Police Gazette. They specialized (still do, I think) in true crime stuff and had a lot of crime scene and post mortem photos. My grandmother subscribed for years and always made sure to hide her stack when we were coming over.

Try to hide I should say

 

[Diavola]

Has anyone tried to add Charles Wallace to a missing persons database?

 

[phantomstrider]

Assuming the death certificate wasn’t lost in Katrina as well. I think next year we might be able to learn more about BCJD once the death certificate is available.

 

[Beekarina]

Thanks for reposting that. I so believe that's the same guy judging by the face shape, mouth and ear shape. The hairstyle totally changes his look but he looks much more like BCDJ.
The age you mentioned, yes he should have graduated aged 18 normally, right? He would seem to be a little old for our guy but ...can we be sure if the age determined by a gynaecologist was totally accurate?

Having said that I still think trawling through yearbooks would be worthwhile, maybe starting locally. And reaching out to wherever the local library to Belle Chasse is?

I've been convinced so many times with other cases that have ended up being someone never reported missing, I think that is also feeding into my questioning. And as a mother, I could not have left my son there alone and walked away. It is too weird and just doesn't add up given the neighbors informed the Wallace family of the BCJD, and Mr. Wallace was also willing to go instead to look at the body. (Why both did not go together is something we will never know? Money? You would think they would have gone together, but it seems Mr. Wallace was fine with going, so did not need "protecting" from the truth if this was Charlie?) It also seems from the tone the journalist took that poor Mrs. Wallace was seeing her missing son in the face of almost every young man--understandable, and very sad. The clips mention a young man outside on the street with long hair who "Looks just like Charlie", for example.

Mrs. Wallace also said the BCJD's hair was "too dark", and a "scar on his leg" was missing. I wonder how significant the scar was? And I also wonder what was unique about Charlie's feet? She was quoted as saying the BCJD's feet were like Charlie's. I'm honestly not sure I would "know" my young adult sons feet. Their faces? Absolutely! But feet...maybe? I'd be much slower to react to feet. You don't really see their feet when they're in their early 20s, you know? lol

Tony (I think!!) said FACES agreed with the 16-17 year-old age range. Could it be wrong? Yes! I've seen it be really off a few times here, so I wouldn't take CW totally out of the equation--or anyone else who is a bit older.

The darker image of CW really looks a heck of a lot like Bayard Cousins to me. So much that I had to double check the original thread to be sure the person who posted the image had not confused the two. All of these young men have a pretty good resemblance to one another.

Belle Chasse high school has been around since the 1920s, I think and I do not think it was very big in the 1970s, so maybe good to start with that yearbook? I can go see.

 

[summergirl1]

Has anyone tried to add Charles Wallace to a missing persons database?

Yes, he was never proven to be this John Doe, so he's technically another case in his own right. I wonder what Charles's siblings would say if they were asked their thoughts on this John Doe? It's odd the dentals matched, but other than that this seems like someone else.

I couldn't find anything about Westlawn Cemetery in Gretna where this Doe is buried being affected by Hurricane Katrina, to any great extent anyway, so his unmarked grave is likely intact. The funeral home does know the location I read, but unmarked graves of Does even when the location is supposedly known sometimes get mixed up due to time. I can understand that finding this man's body and exhuming it to get DNA isn't a priority at all because this was a suicide and there is no missing person that is strongly likely to be him, or missing person's family that is currently looking for answers. Since there's not, it doesn't seem likely there will be any attempt even to exhume him to get DNA, at least anytime soon.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Yes, he was never proven to be this John Doe, so he's technically another case in his own right. I wonder what Charles's siblings would say if they were asked their thoughts on this John Doe? It's odd the dentals matched, but other than that this seems like someone else.

I couldn't find anything about Westlawn Cemetery in Gretna where this Doe is buried being affected by Hurricane Katrina, to any great extent anyway, so his unmarked grave is likely intact. The funeral home does know the location I read, but unmarked graves of Does even when the location is supposedly known sometimes get mixed up due to time. I can understand that finding this man's body and exhuming it to get DNA isn't a priority at all because this was a suicide and there is no missing person that is strongly likely to be him, or missing person's family that is currently looking for answers. Since there's not, it doesn't seem likely there will be any attempt even to exhume him to get DNA, at least anytime soon.

@othram Would there be anything you could do in a case with these circumstances?

 

[Diavola]

Yes, he was never proven to be this John Doe, so he's technically another case in his own right.

He isn't in any database, unless he's one of NamUs' hidden listings.

Mrs. Wallace also said the BCJD's hair was "too dark", and a "scar on his leg" was missing. I wonder how significant the scar was? And I also wonder what was unique about Charlie's feet? She was quoted as saying the BCJD's feet were like Charlie's. I'm honestly not sure I would "know" my young adult sons feet. Their faces? Absolutely! But feet...maybe? I'd be much slower to react to feet. You don't really see their feet when they're in their early 20s, you know? lol

Maybe the reason she didn't see the scar is because he got it when he was a kid and a scar on a little kid's knee is more visible than on an adult.
I have some scars that you can only see if you come really, really close, and I don't know if she was able or comfortable inspecting the body like that (understandably).

 

[MadMcGoo]

I forgot to bring this over.


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

 

[Rolypolyoly]

He isn't in any database, unless he's one of NamUs' hidden listings.


Maybe the reason she didn't see the scar is because he got it when he was a kid and a scar on a little kid's knee is more visible than on an adult.
I have some scars that you can only see if you come really, really close, and I don't know if she was able or comfortable inspecting the body like that (understandably).

Possibly, I guess it depends on the severity of the scar. I have one on my knee from when I was 8, it's only about half an inch long but you don't have to look for it to see it.

I would guess maybe scars of all types might stand out slightly more on a corpse, but I have no experience of that so could be wrong.

 

[Beekarina]

Sure, that is possible. I wish we knew more about CW directly/factually and not only through the lens of a journalist.

We have no way of knowing if the scar was an offhand remark or something distinct enough to merit attention.

It seems to me that Mrs Wallace was not alone with the BCJD, and that Officer Verdi and reporter(s) were present as well, so one would hope whatever took place to ID/rule out had some kind of method to it. It is hard to say though--i.e. "she asked to see his feet."

I still have some visible, but faded, scars on my knees from childhood adventures in my 50s, as do my sons. My sons are closer to the age range for the BCJD and at their ages, still very clear marks on their legs.

I think in that era it was also more likely to just let thinks heal too, maybe some strips of tape, etc and not run right in to get stitches in the ER unless it was pretty bad, like the injury CW had inside his mouth. So he may have had an unusual shaped scar. Unless we somehow find a pic of him in shorts that shows it, I don't see how we will know? Frustrating!

 

[Fake Protagonist]

She was quoted as saying the BCJD's feet were like Charlie's. I'm honestly not sure I would "know" my young adult sons feet. Their faces? Absolutely! But feet...maybe? I'd be much slower to react to feet. You don't really see their feet when they're in their early 20s, you know? lol

Could've perhaps had distinctive toes? My family and I all have a longer second toe than big toe, for example.

 

[carbuff]

Could've perhaps had distinctive toes? My family and I all have a longer second toe than big toe, for example.

Good point. There's a minor toe deformity that runs on my mother's side of the family. My brother inherited it but I didn't. Not something that's really noticeable unless you know about it.

 

[Beekarina]

Right, that is the sort of specific details that would be good to know about CW...and BCJD as well.

Having a longer second toe might not be interesting enough to make it into a missing persons listing,like saying having an extra toe or missing one, but that sort of detail would be nice to have. I also have that type of foot.

 

[Sweetluv]

5608DMIL - William Joseph Shields
If it wasn't for the UID found in 1975 and William last seen "around" 1977, I would make this suggestion because of the circumstances.
So the suicide note did not mention any siblings. I wonder if he was an only child?
Also, Mardi Gras was Feb 11th, maybe this brought him to Louisiana and why he didn't "stand out" due to an increase of people (?)

 

[Romulus]

In the previous thread someone, thank you, posted pics of Wallace and Cousins along side the deceased...I can see a likeness with both. Thanks Beekarina for adding these photos.