NJ NJ - Aaron John Watkins, 18, Plainfield, 11 Nov 2007

[ChatteringBirds]

Just so all of Aaron's information from NamUs is here in one place:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Missing Person / NamUs #MP8631
Aaron John Watkins, Male, White / Caucasian

Date of Last Contact: November 11, 2007
Missing From: Plainfield, New Jersey

Case Information
Case Numbers
NCMEC Number: 1165516

Demographics
Missing Age: 18 Years
Current Age: 31 Years
First Name: Aaron
Middle Name: John
Last Name: Watkins
Nickname/Alias: Aaron Lee Erickson (birth name)

Sex: Male
Height: 5' 7" - 5' 8" (67 - 68 Inches)
Weight: 140 - 145 lbs

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact: November 11, 2007
NamUs Case Created: November 14, 2010
Last Known Location: Plainfield, New Jersey 07060
County: Union County

Circumstances of Disappearance
Aaron was supposedly driving someone else's vehicle and the vehicle was found on the Driscoll Bridge. Aaron was wearing a black hooded sweater, blue jeans, black shoes and a green baseball cap.

Circumstance Notes
Missing Persons Unit
Contact the Unit
(609) 882-2000 ext 2554
e-mail: missingp@gw.njsp.org
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Plainfield Police Department :
Detective Bailey
(908)753-3041
NJSP Missing Persons Unit
(800) 709-7090

Physical Description
Hair Color: Brown
Head Hair Description: short and straight
Aaron seemed to wear a baseball style hat most of the time. It was usually worn slightly askew as seen in one of his pictures.

Facial Hair Description: none at the time of his disappearance
Eye Color: Blue

Distinctive Physical Features
Artificial body part/aid: Aaron supposedly had either 2 to 4 top teeth that were not his own according to an ex - girlfriend of his. She was not sure how many but said it was the top front ones. Not sure if a partial or implants. Obtaining dentals through Law enforcement from the adoptive father has been unsuccessful.

Piercing: tongue and ears pierced

Other distinctive physical characteristic: mole under right eye

Clothing and Accessories
Accessories: green baseball cap
Clothing: black hooded sweater,
blue jeans
Footwear: black shoes

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I wonder if Aaron had any tattoos?
I know none have been officially listed.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Sunset on Sunday, 11/11/2007 was before 5pm. Nov 11th is also Veteran's Day. There would be a lot less traffic because it was a Sunday and a holiday. If Aaron did jump, it is possible nobody saw him because of the setting sun, it being dusk or so little traffic.

The sound the fisherman heard could have been river debris bumping against the pilings. It could also have been a particularly heavy vehicle traveling across the bridge. I cannot imagine a human body making enough sound to be heard by a fisherman when it bumps into something.

Aaron Watkins | Echoes Path

Aaron, who was living with his Supervisor at a construction job, left home with his roommate’s borrowed vehicle. The plan was to visit an acquaintance’s house and pick up some belongings. This vehicle was later located on the Driscoll Bridge after Aaron’s supervisor reported him missing. Authorities believe it is possible that Aaron committed suicide, but his body has never been located and no one saw him jump from the bridge.

A state police dive team spent several days searching the Raritan River, but no evidence was ever found. A fisherman interviewed later stated he heard a “thumping sound” at the bottom of the bridge, but it is unknown if this is related to Aaron’s disappearance.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Links to billboard info.

Missing Person Aaron Watkins 10 years later Billboard to go live

10 Years Later, Billboard Erected For Missing Garwood Man

 

[Roselvr]

As 2020 is coming to a close, I am still heart broken over not having answers or even a body to put to rest for Aaron's sake. On October 5 of this year, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and now fear not getting answers until after I am gone. I want these answers for his siblings and Aaron before my passing! " Crying" !

I'm so sorry.

Please do your DNA at ancestry. It will be going on sale for $59 for Valentine's day. Once it comes back, send me a message, I'll tell you how to back it up to add to FTDNA and GEDmatch where genealogists are uploading John and Jane Doe DNA for identification. It would help you if he's some how a John Doe that hasn't been entered in NamUs

 

[dotr]

Last updated November 14, 2020; medical conditions added, details of disappearance updated.
Aaron John Watkins – The Charley Project

• ''Missing Since 11/11/2007
• Missing From Elizabeth, New Jersey
• • age 18 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'6 - 5'8, 140 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, black shoes and a green baseball cap.''
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

''Details of Disappearance
Watkins was last seen in Elizabeth, New Jersey on November 11, 2007. He left home driving his roommate's 1997 Jeep to visit an acquaintance and collect some of his belongings from that person's home. He has never been heard from again. The Jeep was found abandoned on the Driscoll Bridge, with his phone inside, at 6:45 p.m. that same day. A search of the Raritan River below turned up no sign of Watkins, and no one saw anybody jump off the bridge.

Watkins was adopted at the age of nine. He had a troubled history and ran away from home multiple times as a teenager, and he was reportedly using both street drugs and prescription drugs, as well as alcohol, at the time of his disappearance. Although he had threatened suicide, his biological mother doesn't believe he would have taken his own life.

He was working in the construction field at the time of his disappearance. He lived in Plainfield, New Jersey and that city's police are investigating his case.''

 

[Savemecastiel]

Bump

 

[cme31887]

I

I'm so sorry.

Please do your DNA at ancestry. It will be going on sale for $59 for Valentine's day. Once it comes back, send me a message, I'll tell you how to back it up to add to FTDNA and GEDmatch where genealogists are uploading John and Jane Doe DNA for identification. It would help you if he's some how a John Doe that hasn't been entered in NamUs

I did my DNA through 23&me Christmas before last and tried to upload it to GEDmatch.com and tried again today. Same response.... This site can't be reached. I can't figure out how to download it.

 

[PayrollNerd]

There is a lot of good information about uploads on this particular thread:

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/has-anyone-done-their-dna-for-genealogy.323643/page-24

To be able to upload to GEDmatch, you'll go to the site where you tested. (Ancestry, 23andMe, etc.) Download your raw DNA file. It comes to you in an email. Save it to your desktop. Do not open it. Go to GEDmatch and upload it. It doesn't take too long for the table of matches to populate. Maybe 24 hours or so.

I went and found the upload tab for you:

Uploading your DNA to GEDmatch after Downloading from your testing company

1. Log into GEDmatch
2. Click on "Generic uploads (23andMe, FTDNA, AncestryDNA and most others)"
3. Fill in the form with as much information as you have
4. Click on the Browse button at the bottom of the page
5. Find the title of the raw data you just downloaded from the testing company. Hint: look for the correct download date
6. Highlight the title then click on open at the bottom of the page where the title occurs. The title will now appear next to your GEDmatch browse button.
7. Click the upload button and wait until you see the word "Finish."

 

[cme31887]

I did all that and still get. This site can't be reached. It may be temporarily down or moved. Has done that every time I have tried. I read and followed all instructions and still get that.

 

[PayrollNerd]

@Roselvr
Can you think of anything else that would help with an upload to GEDmatch? I logged on to my account to verify the site is active and working. Thanks!

 

[cme31887]

I finally got it to go through on GEDmatch.com That took so many tries my brain is now fried!!!

 

[Caring4Many]

Bumping after listening to the Vanished podcast

 

[cme31887]

New age progression out at NCMEC.

 

[cme31887]

Have you seen this child? Aaron Watkins

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Have you seen this child? Aaron Watkins


Aaron's age progression to 32-years-old.

Please may answers come to light for his family.

 

[pseudonym19]

I went to high school with Aaron years ago. I was a freshman and he was a senior. I have always been curious about what had happened to him.

 

[cme31887]

With each passing day and still no answers I'm sorry to say that I will no longer be able to assist Aaron's siblings in finding the answer to what happened to their brother. I was, yet again, diagnosed with a separate cancer and am currently undergoing Chemo/ radiation for Non Small Cell lung cancer with a subtype of Large Cell ( undifferentiated) carcinoma. I was found cyanotic after being in bed for 3 straight days with friends and family unable to make contact via phone. When they did come I spent 12 days in the hospital and had a sudden appearance of a 7cm. mass which required a CT needle guided biopsy. Between the hospital discharge time and the biopsy it had doubled to 14cm. 3 weeks...ugg I'm literally on my deathbed and maybe some day some way someone will be able to post that he/ or his body has been found. Until then. Peace to all and NEVER give up!

 

[cme31887]

With each passing day and still no answers I'm sorry to say that I will no longer be able to assist Aaron's siblings in finding the answer to what happened to their brother. I was, yet again, diagnosed with a separate cancer and am currently undergoing Chemo/ radiation for Non Small Cell lung cancer with a subtype of Large Cell ( undifferentiated) carcinoma. I was found cyanotic after being in bed for 3 straight days with friends and family unable to make contact via phone. When they did come I spent 12 days in the hospital and had a sudden appearance of a 7cm. mass which required a CT needle guided biopsy. Between the hospital discharge time and the biopsy it had doubled to 14cm. 3 weeks...ugg I'm literally on my deathbed and maybe some day some way someone will be able to post that he/ or his body has been found. Until then. Peace to all and NEVER give up!

 

[Ursamajr]

With each passing day and still no answers I'm sorry to say that I will no longer be able to assist Aaron's siblings in finding the answer to what happened to their brother. I was, yet again, diagnosed with a separate cancer and am currently undergoing Chemo/ radiation for Non Small Cell lung cancer with a subtype of Large Cell ( undifferentiated) carcinoma. I was found cyanotic after being in bed for 3 straight days with friends and family unable to make contact via phone. When they did come I spent 12 days in the hospital and had a sudden appearance of a 7cm. mass which required a CT needle guided biopsy. Between the hospital discharge time and the biopsy it had doubled to 14cm. 3 weeks...ugg I'm literally on my deathbed and maybe some day some way someone will be able to post that he/ or his body has been found. Until then. Peace to all and NEVER give up!

Thinking of you @cme31887 - I hope your treatment went well.