Identified! NC - Cape Fear River, WhtMale 20-40, athletic build, Mar '76 - Jimmy Mack Brooks

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victoriarobinson642

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Recently identified as Jimmy Mack Brooks
1926UMNC

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Date of Discovery: March 31, 1976
Location of Discovery: Moncure, Chatam County, North Carolina
Estimated Date of Death: 2 weeks prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 20-40 years old (likely 25-35)
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown body hair (head missing)
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Appeared to be in good health and in very good shape with an athletic build.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Not available.
Fingerprints: Not available. Foot and palm prints are available.
DNA: Not available.

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Pair of socks and an athletic supporter.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery​

The victim was located in the Cape Fear River near the Carolina Power & Light plant intake valve. He was likely put in the water upstream in either Haw River or Deep River. His head and fingers had been removed. The lower part of his body was bound with 15 feet of chain.

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IDENTIFICATION



In March 1976, human remains belonging to an unknown man were found in the Cape Fear River near the CP&L plant intake valve near Moncure, North Carolina. Investigators thought that the unknown man might have been put in the water upstream via the Haw River or Deep River. The man appeared to have an athletic build and was likely in good health before his death. His head and hands were not found with the body Chatham County deputies subsequently opened a homicide investigation into the unknown man's death.
With few clues to the man's identity, the case went cold. The unknown man, eventually known as Chatham County John Doe, was estimated to be a Caucasian male likely 25-35 years old at the time of death. He was 5'9" tall and weighed 150 pounds. The unidentified person case was entered into NamUs in 2008 but traditional forensic methods did not yield answers on the case. Although the early investigation into the case was hampered by a lack of basic information or viable clues, members of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office remained open to new methods and opportunities to identify the deceased.
Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Ricky Culberson eventually connected with the NC Unidentified Project, an initiative was co-founded by Dr. Ann Ross (Board Certified Forensic Anthropologist and Director of the NC Human Identification & Forensics Analysis Lab at North Carolina State University in Raleigh) and Leslie Kaufman (Forensic Genealogist with First Genes, LLC, and member of the Carolinas Cold Case Coalition) in 2020 to raise and provide funding or assistance with unidentified person cases.
In the fall of 2021, Chatham County Sheriff's Office and the NC Unidentified Project partnered with Othram to use Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive genealogical profile from the skeletal remains of Chatham County John Doe. After building the profile, Othram scientists returned the profile and the investigation continued. Leslie Kaufman, working with Chatham County Sheriff's office used genetic genealogy to develop investigative leads pointing to the unknown man's identity. The leads were confirmed through additional testing and established Chatham County John Doe's true identity as Jimmy Mack Brooks.
Jimmy was born on Feb 16, 1950, in Allegheny County, NC. He would have been 26 years old at the time of his murder. He was an Army veteran and had been stationed at Fort Bragg and had left the service only a few years before his death.
The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office is now asking other members of the public to share what they know regarding the life and death of Jimmy Mack Brooks. Investigators say a single small detail could potentially lead to the next big leap in the case. Anyone with information about this case, including events or circumstances leading to the disappearance or murder of Jimmy Mack Brooks, is asked to call the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office at 919-542-2911.

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rbbm.
''The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate who murdered Brooks.

“It is bittersweet to be able to share this information with his loved ones who never stopped looking for him,” said Lieutenant Sara Pack of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. “Although his identity has finally been revealed, there are many more questions to be answered. We will continue to seek justice for Jimmy and his family.”

The sheriff's office is asking members of the public to share what they know about the life and death of Brooks.

"Investigators say a single small detail could potentially lead to the next big leap in the case," a release from the sheriff's office said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the sheriff's office at 919-542-2911.'
'
 
I wonder when he initially enlisted? What happened to him is sad, but doubly so to think that he likely served in Vietnam ( if he enlisted at around 18) and made it home only to suffer this fate. I am guessing (hoping) that they pretty much knew who he was fairly early on but just never had the technology to confirm it. Because, if he was from relatively near by, had been stationed even closer and had a family that " never stopped looking for him" and LE did not make the connection until 2021 then that is just unexplainable.
 
MOO

It looks as though whoever killed him really really didn’t want him identified. That points to a person, or people, close to him. Maybe someone he had ‘business dealings’ with?

I doubt that LE knew who he might be. If they could locate his family, they could have done direct DNA identification, any time over the last 30 years. Genetic genealogy is for when you don’t have a starting point. And is there any hint that he was in a missing person database? My guess is that his family hoped/assumed that he was alive and well, somewhere. It’s certainly understandable.

MOO
 


 
I wonder when he initially enlisted? What happened to him is sad, but doubly so to think that he likely served in Vietnam ( if he enlisted at around 18) and made it home only to suffer this fate. I am guessing (hoping) that they pretty much knew who he was fairly early on but just never had the technology to confirm it. Because, if he was from relatively near by, had been stationed even closer and had a family that " never stopped looking for him" and LE did not make the connection until 2021 then that is just unexplainable.

 



 
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