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

[Courtaine]

Wasn’t something about Hurricane Katrina not only destroying the records, but also damaged the cemetery…so gravesites were “lost”?

No.

 

[Courtaine]

I'm pretty sure they did lose track of where the Doe's body was (due to it being in an unmarked grave) though.

No.

 

[Courtaine]

It was mentioned quite a few times on the first thread.

LA - LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale 16-17, UP88342, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75 (Message 164)

LA - LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale 16-17, UP88342, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75 (Message 206)

LA - LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale 16-17, UP88342, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75 (Message 258)

LA - LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale 16-17, UP88342, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75 (Message 326)

Obfuscating. Please read thread 1 entirely before misquoting. If you're looking for the suicide letter explained, go 2 pages past your first message repost.

 

[Amateur Web Sleuth]

Just curious, is anyone in contact with Mothe Funeral Home to try to locate the remains? This would almost surely provide DNA evidence, maybe even clothing, hair etc. then maybe Othram labs would be willing to assist with testing. Im sure this has been brought up before, I just don’t remember what came of it/can’t find the threads.

 

[cenazoic]

As I understand it, the issue isn’t so much the location of the remains, but whether LE would get involved, and they’re unlikely to since there’s no crime here.

For Othram to get involved, I think they have to be invited into a case by LE, so it becomes a sort of circular ‘not likely’ to be resolved.

 

[Amateur Web Sleuth]

gotcha, makes sense. Maybe the coroners office could get involved? I remember other does whom have passed from suicide have been identified before, but it wasn’t an easy ordeal, and I’m not entirely sure what investigating agency took lead.
Has anyone asked LE recently?
Or does anyone have ideas to get public interest for an identification effort?

 

[cenazoic]

remember other does whom have passed from suicide have been identified before

Could you give an example?

It might be interesting to see what led to LE involvement in those cases (ie, did it take a family thinking a Doe might be their relative to push LE for resolution, did LE decide to ID them on their own, etc).

Looks like LA FACES lab is agency in charge ( so not LE):

Case #22-05 - LA Repository for Unidentified & Missing People

(He doesn’t appear to be in Namus).

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

Could you give an example?

From the top of my head:

• Lyle Stevik was one of the first cases solved by DNA Doe Project.
• Joyce Meyer Sommers, a.k.a. Christmas Tree Lady, was identified by Othram.
• Othram is also currently working on "Mary Anderson".
• Alachua John Doe was first a DDP case, before the case was passed over to Othram who identified him as Ralph Tufano.
• Moxxy Forensics is currently working on McLean County Jane Doe.

 

[Amateur Web Sleuth]

From the top of my head:

• Lyle Stevik was one of the first cases solved by DNA Doe Project.
• Joyce Meyer Sommers, a.k.a. Christmas Tree Lady, was identified by Othram.
• Othram is also currently working on "Mary Anderson".
• Alachua John Doe was first a DDP case, before the case was passed over to Othram who identified him as Ralph Tufano.
• Moxxy Forensics is currently working on McLean County Jane Doe.

Thank you, I was going to name quite a few on here. So if the FACES lab is the investigating agency, can they get in touch with the Mothe funeral home, prompting then law enforcement and potentially Othram to get onboard.

 

[Sweetluv]

Received a reply back from FACES. There are factors as to why DNA testing has not been performed.
Records were lost during Hurricane Katrina and the Cemetery is known but there is not a marked burial plot. They are working with agencies for resolution and hope that one day, DNA testing can done.

This was discussed back in April

 

[Sweetluv]

Maybe someone would like to reach out to Mothe Funeral Home..just to second verify this...that his burial location is not accurate due to Katrina?

 

[Biloxi_Yaya]

Maybe someone would like to reach out to Mothe Funeral Home..just to second verify this...that his burial location is not accurate due to Katrina?

Following this thread. I live fairly close to NOLA. Close enough that if something is found that I could go look and take pics etc. Find a Grave says that he was cremated and his remains are unknown. I am going to read a little farther but cremating a Doe person would be highly unusual even for back then right?
As for the lost records, sometimes they are relocated but often times not. Paper records were destroyed totally in many areas along the Gulf Coast in Katrina and others.
I question the 16-18 year old estimate. 19-20 at least? He writes like a college student and studying philosophy is often during the first year or two of college. We all know that even one year off on age has caused cases to go unsolved before.

 

[cenazoic]

I agree about his age - I’ve always thought “16-17” was both strangely specific and also reminiscent of an offhand remark.

Find a Grave says that he was cremated

At any rate, according to the newspaper clipping attached in this post, “his body was buried”.

 

[Amateur Web Sleuth]

It would be awesome to get some photos of the area. How much of it is unused, are there pics from the past that can help narrow down a location of the remains. Universities nearby? Private schools? I think we’re getting very close

 

[cenazoic]

I think we’re getting very close

While I appreciate your optimism, I disagree.

It would be awesome to get some photos of the area. How much of it is unused, are there pics from the past that can help narrow down a location of the remains. Universities nearby? Private schools? I

Have you gone through thread #1? You can find all of that there. (Basically, New Orleans is nearby, and has universities and private schools.) There were also current and historical photos of Highway 23 posted there, if I remember correctly. Sometimes things need a fresh set of eyes!

 

[Amateur Web Sleuth]

I’ve read up on the thread before, and I’m just throwing out ideas to that may help in assisting toward an identity for this Doe. I’ve noticed some comments on here dead set on the identity being between 2 individuals. However, HUNDREDS of parents came to see the body over the course of a few months, and there’s simply not hundreds of rule outs. So with that very little info; I’m going to continue throwing out names, reiterating old info and trying to assist with the identity of this young man out of pure interest.
If you think you have the identity, then please let LE know. Other than that, can we try to get some ideas on here? The last 4 pages have just been members saying to re-read the old threads.

No new ideas or attempts allowed then?

 

[Amateur Web Sleuth]

While I appreciate your optimism, I disagree.


Have you gone through thread #1? You can find all of that there. (Basically, New Orleans is nearby, and has universities and private schools.) There were also current and historical photos of Highway 23 posted there, if I remember correctly. Sometimes things need a fresh set of eyes!

Why’s that? Wasn’t looking for schools in New Orleans, I actually found there was a Catholic school in Belle Chasse during the 70s not sure about other schools, (haven’t gotten that far) I found it on family search.org, searching “Belle Chasse” They have census records, newspaper clippings, obits etc from the area. All potential clues IMHO

 

[cenazoic]

Yes, Belle Chasse as well; I was just writing a simplified answer.

I’m simply suggesting you review what’s already been done by many Websleuthers over the years.

I’m not optimistic because even if you (or anyone) comes up with really compelling missing person (and people have; see: Bayard Cousins and Charles Wallace) there’s ultimately no way to prove his identity. Cousins and Wallace are still missing, and we don’t have their DNA (although I think Cousins may have a living sibling?).

So even if the coroner/LE could be convinced to dig up BCJD’s grave, there’s no DNA to compare him to, unless they decided to do genetic genealogy on him, which is unlikely due to his status as a suicide rather than homicide victim. (Not to say it couldn’t happen, just that it’s extremely unlikely.)

Obviously, I still follow this case so I must not consider it a completely lost cause, but at the same time I’m not holding my breath.

 

[Courtaine]

Maybe someone would like to reach out to Mothe Funeral Home..just to second verify this...that his burial location is not accurate due to Katrina?

Mr Mothe does know the exact location of the burial, he will only release this information to LE

 

[Courtaine]

Yes, Belle Chasse as well; I was just writing a simplified answer.

I’m simply suggesting you review what’s already been done by many Websleuthers over the years.

I’m not optimistic because even if you (or anyone) comes up with really compelling missing person (and people have; see: Bayard Cousins and Charles Wallace) there’s ultimately no way to prove his identity. Cousins and Wallace are still missing, and we don’t have their DNA (although I think Cousins may have a living sibling?).

So even if the coroner/LE could be convinced to dig up BCJD’s grave, there’s no DNA to compare him to, unless they decided to do genetic genealogy on him, which is unlikely due to his status as a suicide rather than homicide victim. (Not to say it couldn’t happen, just that it’s extremely unlikely.)

Obviously, I still follow this case so I must not consider it a completely lost cause, but at the same time I’m not holding my breath.

Both Cousins and Wallace have living siblings as of today that is the predominant factor why most people here push them as primary matches more than anything else although both Cousins and Wallace check every other box as well. If you go further on you have to accept larger age discrepancies, geographical increases, drug addicts, drop outs, the unfortunate missing persons start checking fewer boxes.