PA PA - Bedford, 'Mr. Bones' WhtMale 30-35, 585UMPA, 30-06 rifle, gold dental wk, camping equip, Oct'58

[tuppence]

It always amazes me when something like this happens that NO ONE notices that this guy has disappeared.

I can almost understand when a runaway becomes an underage prostitute or falls victim to violence -- no one has heard from them, so as far as the family knows, they have just run away and disappeared.

But here's someone who obviously had money, likely had a job, family, a house/apartment, etc.

When the boss calls Monday because he never showed up for work, what happens? When the rent comes due or the taxes on the house or whatever, what happens?

When he misses his next scheduled dental appointment, what happens?

It's like no one can put two and two together. It's amazing to me that someone can just vanish and not leave any kind of physical presence besides what he took with him into the woods.

in one of the articles it said they thought he had been 'on the lam' for a couple years based on the condition of his gear and the fact that he hadn't had any dental work in a couple years. Someone may have missed him earlier... Also one more recent article said they thought he had more likely been killed in 1956 although another said more likely spring of 58. Still if it was 1956 and he had been wandering for 2 years then it might have been 1954 when he went missing.

 

[tuppence]

I posted the above information after having spoken with the officer in charge of the cold case investigation. I do not know exactly how they determined who the doctor was, but evidently, they did. Contact lenses were not as prevalent or popular in 1958 as they are today. They were rather rare and expensive.

I am not sure if there were some kind of markings on the lenses themselves that helped to trace them, or if maybe it was something much more simple, like a case or container for the lenses which had the doctor's name and address attatched.

The problem that investigators had is that the eye doctor was not sought until some years after the young man's body was found, and by that time the doctor had sold his business and died.

This case is now 50 years old and still unsolved.

It seems very plausible that he lived in the Chicago area before he went missing. Contacts are not like glasses - they accumulare crud/wear down and need to be replaced. Even hard lenses which would be what I think he must have had back then.

So perhaps looking for someone reported missing in the Chicago area from 1954-1958.

I say 1954 because some articles thought he might have been traveling around for a couple years before he died based on his gear and 1956 was the earliest death estimate.

I wonder if the doctor had an assistant/secretary who is still alive? Did the doctor share an office or building with someone? Since they have a sketch now maybe it would refresh someones memory.

 

[anthrobones]

I'm not going to re-read the entire thread, but was Ronald Tammen ever thought to possibly be this UID?

 

[MaryLiz]

I'm not going to re-read the entire thread, but was Ronald Tammen ever thought to possibly be this UID?

Good question. I know it was mentioned in the Ron Tammen thread about a possible connection but I don't know if it was ever checked out.

 

[MaryLiz]

On reading the info again, this PA UID was thought to be 6'4" and 200 lbs. Ron Tammen was 5'10" and 175 pounds. So I don't know since this guy was about 6 inches taller than Ron Tammen. It's not impossible though.

 

[rozey]

bump........

 

[shadowangel]

I still "look in on" this case once in a while, checking news archives to see if there's anyone who fits this guy's description. I've found a few possibles, but nothing that really seems to fit.

This case reminds me of the current "Mountain Lake Mystery" in western Virginia, in which human remains and several tantalizing clues were found at the bottom of dry lakebed in September. The items found with the remains indicate a person of wealth who died in the '20s or '30s.

 

[PFF]

I don't claim to be a expert on hunting-but I'd give 1 1/2 cents worth!
If "John Doe" was a hunter and died by accident-wouldn't he have had hunting clothes? Would any experienced Hunter wear a "leather jacket"?
If he was a one of those pre 1960's/70's students who "tuned out" the world and devoted themselves to poetry {the books} -why would he have a 1903
hunting rifle? lastly how did he get there-no car & no motorcycle {Leather Jacket{?}-hitchhiked or took a bus??? As the saying goes-curiouser and curiouser!!!!

 

[Richard]

...If "John Doe" was a hunter and died by accident-wouldn't he have had hunting clothes? Would any experienced Hunter wear a "leather jacket"?
If he was a one of those pre 1960's/70's students who "tuned out" the world and devoted themselves to poetry {the books} -why would he have a 1903 hunting rifle? lastly how did he get there-no car & no motorcycle {Leather Jacket{?}-hitchhiked or took a bus??? As the saying goes-curiouser and curiouser!!!!

These are all good questions. I have a feeling that this guy was NOT a hunter. It would seem much more likely that he was simply traveling lightly by car or motorcycle and camping as he went.

What became of his vehicle? Well, if he had parked it somewhere and then was killed or killed himself, it was either stolen or towed away by police.

It is also possible that his vehicle broke down and that he was camped out trying to think of his next move.

The rifle was actually a fairly recent commercially made hunting rifle and not a Model 1903 US "Springfield" Army rifle.

 

[Julessleuther]

Bumping

 

[Richard]

I have found a possible match... it looks good to me. He is ex military, the son of a prominent family could explain his dental and contacts, college educated, worked for an Anthean (Phonetic) Museum which could explain the books.
Many clues would be explained by this man.
See what you think.

David B. MacDonald missing from Hartford, Conn.

The 25 year old son of a Hartford couple has been missing since April 10, 1956. He is David B. MacDonald, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herman A. MacDonald, Gilcreast Road, Londonderry. David Left Hartford, Conn. April 10th at 9 A.M. to keep an appointment in Cambridge, Mass. He was carrying about $265.00 with him. No one has seen nor heard from him since. Married and his wife expecting a child, the missing man had resided in Hartford the past three years. There are no clues to his whereabouts and there was no previous indication of unusual conduct in his daily life.

David attended Mt. Herman School in Wakefield Mass. and the University of Connecticut. He served in the Korean War and had been employed by the Wardsworth Anthean Museum in Hartford.

He frequently visited his family in the family home in Londonderry. His father is the former Mayor of Beverly, Mass. and was first secretary to Governor Cox and Fuller. He was also at one time Commissioner of Public Works in Massachusetts and chairman of the tax board. His mother's family, the Youngs, settled in Londonderry, in 1745 in their 105 acre farm.

The last person to see David before his disappearance was the teller in the bank at Hartford where he cashed his check. Police of several states have been working on the case, but have had no luck finding him nor any leads that the of which family is aware. All of his family has since moved away from the area. His sisters have also been married compounding the difficulties David would have should he be trying to locate them.
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/703dmct.html

-----------------------------------
Four years ago, the above information about a man missing since 1956 was submitted as a possible match with the Unidentified Man known as "Mr. Bones". There has been a recent closure of the case of David MacDonald:

Fifty year Old Disappearance Resolved

​

In 1956, 26 year old David MacDonald of Hartford seemngly disappeared on his way to Massachusetts on a business trip. He had last been seen withdrawing 255 dollars from a bank near where he worked. The Korean War Veteran had a job at the Wadsworth Anthenium museum and left behind a pregnant wife. In January of 2008, the nephew of Macdonald was contacted by an individual who claimed that Dave Macdonald had recently died and that started a life under a different name in Seattle, Washington. Few details are available but fingerprints from Macdonald's military records matched the man's body. More details to come.


--------------------------------
Strangely, this thread was the only place on Websleuths that I could find any discussion of David MacDonald's now solved disappearance.

"Mr. Bones" remains unidentified.

 

[shadowangel]

meggilywiggly of The Charley Project posted about the resolution of Macdonald's disaapperance back in January of last year. Her site was instrumental in resolving the case.
I still believe that the identity of 'Mr Bones' will be discovered one day soon. Too many clues, too much available info for it not to be solved.

 

[Richard]

It is October again, and it is now 51 Years since "Mr. Bones" along with his books, rifle, and all of his camping gear was found. So far as I know, he is still unidentified.

 

[:+:MrTT:+:]

It is October again, and it is now 51 Years since "Mr. Bones" along with his books, rifle, and all of his camping gear was found. So far as I know, he is still unidentified.

I spent an hour or so, reading the postings on this thread, i was hoping to be able to see a picture of this key, or any information on what it was connected to......so i went on the assumption perhaps, but only speculating it was a door key....i found a place in Manhattan, an six story apartment building, that was built in 1910, and sold in 2007.

Its located at the following link.
http://www.natefind.com/sold/195-avenue-a-manhattan-10009/74299

the only way to know for sure i guess, would be to get a hold of someone, and ask if back then, if this apartment building had the words
Active 195 Avenue A stamped on its keys, or any particular keys?
​

 

[Venom Goose]

Bumping...

 

[shadowangel]

Reading on the case recently posted by Richard about the man found in '68 got me to thinking about our old friend Mr. Bones. I found an article from February of 2007 which mentions the possibility of a Canadian connection. This article also mentions Jack Kerouac. We made that connection here back in 2005.

Richard--When you spoke to the cold case detective back then, did he mention the name of the optometrist who made/sold the lenses? I've stumbled upon a faint trail of info, and having that name would help tell me if I'm on any kind of track.

 

[Richard]

...Richard--When you spoke to the cold case detective back then, did he mention the name of the optometrist who made/sold the lenses? I've stumbled upon a faint trail of info, and having that name would help tell me if I'm on any kind of track.

I recall the officer stating that they knew who the optometrist was but that by the time they looked into that angle, the man had died and his business had been sold. They did not tell me what his name was, and I have not learned it through any other channels either.

It is possible that they still have the information as to who the optometrist is in their files.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

There is more information on him on this NamUs link.He is listed as European ancestry like the Boy in the box found in February 1957.


https://identifyus.org/cases/full_report/8011

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Has anything else new been found out about him to help find out where he came from and who he is?

 

[Redwood146]

If Mr Bones was indeed wealthy maybe family members did not report him missing because it meant they would have a great share of the family wealth?