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

[Giucy]

Or depression with OCD. Depression and OCD can be chronic.
How about PTSD with psychotic symptoms ?

Knowledge about psychiatry was at infancy back then.

 

[Byte]

Or depression with OCD. Depression and OCD can be chronic.
How about PTSD with psychotic symptoms ?

Knowledge about psychiatry was at infancy back then.

I can agree with the possibility of depression with OCD tendencies, but PTSD is iify. I doubt he enlisted like many others suggested, his age and his hair seem to disagree with one another in that regard. It could be sexual trauma or, as others mentioned, an attempt at conversion therapy.

Actually- as I was writing this and rereading things PTSD would make a lot of sense, if it was childhood sexual abuse or trauma it could explain his fixation with growing. If we step away from textbook PTSD and consider that he may have had severe disassociation, his attitude from what we know of the letter fits.

 

[Giucy]

Textbooks about PTSD from those days.

Because discoveries about PTSD have come a very long way since 1975 ! Now, science discovered that PTSD can come with or without psychosis, and can come from long term emotional abuse.
And depression with OCD can be comorbid with PTSD. One doesn't exclude the other.

Not being enlisted doesn't rule out PTSD actually. Can also be bullying at school... We don't know and I won't speculate further.
Other than saying that PTSD with or without psychosis seems likely based on the elements so far.

I've been diagnosed with PTSD since childhood without either military nor sexual abuse. Plus other diagnoses linked to perinatal brain injury sequelae.

 

[Inspector512]

This is extremely sad. I followed this case extensively for 2 years and hope he is identified. They have lost his plot so if they can refind it, they can get a new sample. Problem is that it is hard to figure out the location.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[carbuff]

It appears that John Doe's body was lost so no DNA or dentals? Are there more pictures or the actual note with handwriting?

http://unidentified.wikia.com/wiki/Plaquemines_Parish_John_Doe_(1975)


1) I agree that the stigma associated with being gay was pretty horrific then. Conversion therapy was pretty harsh with little to no effect.

2)His "past year" reference could have been related to a gap year or holiday between taking time off of studies. In Europe College (Not University) or Secondary school starts at 16. Did he take a year to travel, in attempts to "get it out of his system". The focus on philosophy would be a standard. Could this be first year course material?

3) Is there any thought that he could have been enlisted? A slight bump of the age, he could have returned from Vietnam. We all know the alienation these guys felt coming back.

i thought it sounded like he had been in a mental hospital or similar institution.

 

[Inspector512]

i thought it sounded like he had been in a mental hospital or similar institution.

The strongest theory is that he is Baynard Cousins who went missing in February 1, 1975.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

 

[Triss]

I also think he is Baynard, but if I understand this thread correctly, there are no fingerprints, dental information or DNA for John Doe so he cannot be compared to Baynard Cousins or any other missing person unfortunately.

 

[carbuff]

The strongest theory is that he is Baynard Cousins who went missing in February 1, 1975.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

Yes, I'm familiar with the theory and there's certainly some evidence for it. I was speaking of the tone of the note. It's too bad there isn't enough information to confirm or rule out an identification.

 

[Inspector512]

I also think he is Baynard, but if I understand this thread correctly, there are no fingerprints, dental information or DNA for John Doe so he cannot be compared to Baynard Cousins or any other missing person unfortunately.

Even Baynard's fingerprints, DNA and Dentals are missing as well. Makes it that much harder to compare.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

 

[Inspector512]

Yes, I'm familiar with the theory and there's certainly some evidence for it. I was speaking of the tone of the note. It's too bad there isn't enough information to confirm or rule out an identification.

The notes themselves are compelling. He was very intelligent and who felt he was isolated and a burden. That does sound painful in ones mind. I wouldnt agree on him being 16-17 though. Someone in their 20s would write something like that and have that deep of a philosophical view of the world.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

 

[carbuff]

The notes themselves are compelling. He was very intelligent and who felt he was isolated and a burden. That does sound painful in ones mind. I wouldnt agree on him being 16-17 though. Someone in their 20s would write something like that and have that deep of a philosophical view of the world.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

Yes. He sounds very young.

 

[Triss]

Even Baynard's fingerprints, DNA and Dentals are missing as well. Makes it that much harder to compare.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

According to NamUs, Baynard's DNA, fingerprints and dentals are available.

 

[Inspector512]

According to NamUs, Baynard's DNA, fingerprints and dentals are available.

Must be my other sources that said otherwise. Its kinda hard to tell which is right on some details.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

 

[pass-thru]

Must be my other sources that said otherwise. Its kinda hard to tell which is right on some details.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

Bayard has a sister and an aunt who are still living, his mother died just a couple years ago. If not his DNA, familial DNA could be used to identify.

However I believe the only hope to find the plot would lie with the memories/records of those a the Mothe funeral home who may recall the case. Certainly with all the attention it garnered there should be some general recollection.

 

[pass-thru]

I called this in almost 3 years ago, at the time I was local to VA Beach where Cousins was missing from and where the investigation file was located. The initial report was accepted with enthusiasm and optimism. I gave all the leads I had run down. 6 months later I sent a follow up and never got a response. I imagine interstate red tape between law enforcement agencies killed this investigation before it ever got legs. They don't even have a body in LA so what do they care?

 

[Inspector512]

Bayard has a sister and an aunt who are still living, his mother died just a couple years ago. If not his DNA, familial DNA could be used to identify.

However I believe the only hope to find the plot would lie with the memories/records of those a the Mothe funeral home who may recall the case. Certainly with all the attention it garnered there should be some general recollection.

I saw that on an unidentfied case that some university students went looking for a UID as law enforcement couldn't. The kids found them. I dont remember where I read that though. Hopefully something similar could be done.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~

 

[Onaliv]

It’s probably been said before over the years... BUT somewhere online I read that BC left his parents a note saying not to worry etc; could they not compare that note to the writings found with John Doe?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Triss]

It’s probably been said before over the years... BUT somewhere online I read that BC left his parents a note saying not to worry etc; could they not compare that note to the writings found with John Doe?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good point. I wonder if they still have that note.

 

[4SAM]

So sad that he thought suicide was the best option

 

[Inspector512]

So sad that he thought suicide was the best option

The notes showed how horribly he felt in life and that is entirely sad. Even mental institutions were abusive, both mentally and physically in the 1970s. If he was from a institution, then it could've brought him to the point of running away and committing suicide somewhere else.

~Who is the Belle Chasse John Doe?~