Identified! NY - Harlem, BlkMale 1609UMNY, 20-30, USMC Tattoo, Jun'97 Leroy Bernard Matthews

[Roselvr]

Sadly, Rose, we may never know. Heavy sigh.

Apearn and I are going to reach out to try to help his family give him a real burial. We'll keep everyone posted if we hear.

 

[Alleykins]

Apearn and I are going to reach out to try to help his family give him a real burial. We'll keep everyone posted if we hear.

Do you know who it is? Have I missed something? :thinking:

 

[apearn]

I have no idea who it is yet. I'd like to make sure he gets a proper burial though.

 

[taramarie]

I have no idea who it is yet. I'd like to make sure he gets a proper burial though.

I’m curious if your Travis leads are what propelled his case forward. I’ve been on the edge of my seat to learn more about him. Whatever the case, I hope he’s resting peacefully with his name back and knowing his family has answers.


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[Roselvr]

Do you know who it is? Have I missed something? :thinking:

No. My partner is gonna reach out to the ME to let them know we want to raise money.

 

[Alleykins]

No. My partner is gonna reach out to the ME to let them know we want to raise money.

Gotcha. I was wondering, too, if it turned out to be the Travis apearn mentioned.
Thank you to both of you for your diligence on this case.

 

[Roselvr]

Gotcha. I was wondering, too, if it turned out to be the Travis apearn mentioned.
Thank you to both of you for your diligence on this case.

I wonder too because of the timing. If the person called, then they looked up his military records, grabbed his prints from his file.

It also could be due to prints matching.

Apearn is a rock star to this case. She's done so much. If it wasn't for her we wouldn't know where and when the tattoo was done

 

[apearn]

Apearn is a rock star to this case.

Nope. I'm just stubborn.

I’m curious if your Travis leads are what propelled his case forward.

I don't know if the Travis leads panned out. Hopefully we can get some info and find out.



Regardless of who he was, I'd really like to be sure his family is able to take him home and properly bury him if they wish to. That was my purpose with this all along.

 

[Alleykins]

Nope. I'm just stubborn.



I don't know if the Travis leads panned out. Hopefully we can get some info and find out.



Regardless of who he was, I'd really like to be sure his family is able to take him home and properly bury him if they wish to. That was my purpose with this all along.

I think the USMC should help out, too.

 

[apearn]

I think the USMC should help out, too.

They would, assuming that part is correct and depending on his type of discharge.

A lot of things could have happened in the 20 years he's been unidentified so there may be a delay in finding his next of kin and/or issues with paying out any life insurance, etc. etc.

I guess we will know if we ever get the info on who he was.

 

[Alleykins]

They would, assuming that part is correct and depending on his type of discharge.

A lot of things could have happened in the 20 years he's been unidentified so there may be a delay in finding his next of kin and/or issues with paying out any life insurance, etc. etc.

I guess we will know if we ever get the info on who he was.

I was thinking it would be contingent on what type of discharge, too.

 

[Roselvr]

They would, assuming that part is correct and depending on his type of discharge.

A lot of things could have happened in the 20 years he's been unidentified so there may be a delay in finding his next of kin and/or issues with paying out any life insurance, etc. etc.

I guess we will know if we ever get the info on who he was.

I had updated his Hart Island memorial page saying he's probably been identified, I then left a message for family saying we wanted to do a Go Find Me to help with expenses. I left our FB page links so they could contact us. I got an email from Hart Island staff saying my message was removed because it was not a story about the deceased and his memorial page couldn't be used as a "message board" to leave notes for family.

Long story short, staff told me that if our guy was military, the city will disinter for free and arrange for a military burial. Military burials are considered federal, they are free to veterans. NYC will make arrangements to transfer the remains of veterans.

Apearn and I talked a little before she had to go to work; while some things may be covered, I know a veteran headstone is; there will be expenses driving him from Hart Island to whatever funeral home he will go to as well as expenses from the funeral home he's going to.

The staff member said we might consider raising money to help maintain the Hart Island database which isn't a bad idea. I think if there is any extra (assuming we do raise money); I'd like to donate something there too since he's had a memorial there.

I know the ME can't give us the contact of family but they should be able to take our contact info to give the family.

Hart Island is NY's potters field. Family can not go to his grave site to visit him; they're only allowed to go to a gazebo on the island

 

[DaisyChains]

If you find out who he was I would like to attend his memorial and/or funeral out of respect. My dad was a marine and grandfather as well. Semper Fi. As long as it is OK with the family. Keep us updated and thank you everyone for your amazing work!

 

[apearn]

If you find out who he was I would like to attend his memorial and/or funeral out of respect. My dad was a marine and grandfather as well. Semper Fi. As long as it is OK with the family.

Me too.

 

[jpicker5]

Just read on the Wikipedia unidentified to identified page he has been identified, no name listed yet. Perhaps still finding family? ??

 

[Beamie]

He's been identified. Kan anyone find anymore info??

 

[pass-thru]

If he has in fact been identified, how come this thread has not been moved to "identified"?

 

[Roselvr]

If he has in fact been identified, how come this thread has not been moved to "identified"?

Probably because LE haven't released any info yet

 

[apearn]

Wow.....Part of me never thought I'd see that yellow "Identified!" tag on this case.

 

[DogRescuer]

(I have tried to subscribe to this thread via the Thread Tools but it isn't showing up on my list of Subscriptions, so I am leaving a comment instead. Sorry about butting in, please keep up the great work, I'll keep quietly following.)