UK UK- Edinburgh, Scotland, Male, white, 25-40, 6'2'', brown hair, hazel eyes, moustache, poss, street artist, found hanging, 22 December 1987 *Graphic*

[dotr]

UK Missing Persons Unit

missingpersons.police.uk

Spoiler: GRAPHIC POST MORTEM IMAGE

''Case 06-025161​

Gender
Male
Age Range
25 - 40
Ethnicity
White European
Height
188cm (6 Ft 2 Ins)
Build
Thin
Date Found
22 December 1987
Body Or Remains
Body
Circumstances
Male Found Hanging In Edinburgh. Believed To Be A Vagrant From Northern Scotland Who May Have Been Heading To The Edinburgh Festival To Work As A Street Artist.
Hair
Brown - Wavy
Facial Hair
Moustache
Eye Colour
Hazel
Distinguishing Features
Mark - Mole - Left Cheek

Scar - Unspecified - Right Finger

Clothing
Headwear - Woolly Hat - Grey - Unknown

Overcoat - Long - Black - Unknown

Jacket - Blazer - Brown - Unknown - Tweed

Jumper - Sweater - Green - Unknown

Jumper - Sweater - Grey - Unknown

Hose - Socks - Grey - Unknown

Footwear - Walking - Brown - Unknown - Red Laces

Trousers - Jeans - Blue - Unknown

Jewellery
Watch - 1 - Gents Avia (Found In Rucksack)

Chain - 1 - Silver With Catholic Medallion

Possessions
Rucksack, Plain Paper Sketchbook, Sketches Of: South Of Whiteley Bay: The 'Moorings' Pub Aberdeen: The 'Ferry Boat Inn' Pub Ullapool: Waverley Centre Edinburgh:Inverness: Edinburgh Town Centre, Keys
Known Not To Be
David Louis DUMOSCH''

 

[Bit of hope]

Thanks @dotr I'm sure I posted things about this UID elsewhere on WS. Maybe it was in a collective thread about this cold cases? I found it.

Good to know he is not David Louis DUMOSCH but who is he. Sad the student sleuths weren't able to find that out it seems.

How sketchbook could hold key to naming mysterious 'Edinburgh Man'

Cold Case Unit at a university picks up the trail after police work hits a dead end.

news.stv.tv

So he went to Whitley Bay and then went (back) to Edinburgh where he ended up. BTW this map is when cycling.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Whi...490219825a3f!2m2!1d-3.110403!2d55.9536124!3e1

I would like to see the sketches myself and the order, possible dates, they were put into the sketch book. If they represent places he had been in a certain order, he would have gone to Whitley Bay and then had to go back to Edinburgh where he was found. Could selling the sketches have been his "thing". Maybe he just used landmarks on postcards as an example for his sketches and it has nothing to do with his travels. Was involvement of others in his hanging ruled out?

 

[Bit of hope]

I'm not sure what they mean with The Edinburgh Festival. The International Edinburgh Festival?? It's in August. What made them think he was traveling there? I think it's kind of far fetched if there are no other reasons then they just thinking that. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Festival is in December but only dates back to 1993.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay

Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the last day of the year or New Year’s Eve and is generally regarded as the most important Scottish holiday. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Festival dates b...

www.edinburghfestivalcity.com

Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the last day of the year or New Year’s Eve and is generally regarded as the most important Scottish holiday. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Festival dates back to 1993 and has evolved to become one of the greatest outdoor celebrations of New Year’s Eve in the world. Hogmanay is technically just one day but the Hogmanay celebration in Edinburgh (as well as in other places in Scotland) lasts for about 3 days.

The Catholic Medallion. Why is there no picture of it available?

http://www.scottishgovernmentyearbooks.ed.ac.uk/record/23013/1/1988_10_SectarianisminScotland.pdf
The Historical Background
Most Catholics in Scotland are descendants of Irish immigrants. Most of the native Scots were and are Protestants. The Lowlands embraced the Reformation. The Highlands remained Catholic or Episcopalian until the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century but then converted to evangelical Calvinism. Small pockets of Catholicism and Episcopalianism remained in the western highlands and in parts of the north-east lowlands, such as Banff and Buchan. However, Scotland became and remains a predominantly Protestant country. The vast majority of Roman Catholicism Scotland came from Ireland and settled, first in the western Lowlands,and then spread to Edinburgh and West Lothian and parts of Fife. The bulk of the settlement coincided with the industrialization of Scotland. (t)

I'm really not sure why we (the public) should play the guessing game when obviously there is more information, but it's kept close to the vest.

 

[AnnesCuthberts]

Unsure of copyright rules on this forum re: sharing old newspaper archives so I'll play it safe following these rules and summarise with a link to the articles so members of The British Newspaper Archives can view (requires a subscription). New members can view 3 articles for free.

Background/context:
Police believe that despite the fact he looked like a vagrant, that he may have been a down-on-his luck artist. Police believe the man could have lived in Hounslow or Staines. He had a khaki canvas hold-all where his notepad full of sketches (the ones of Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen, Whitley Bay and Ullapool) were found and police learned he'd been going door to door offering prints for sale.

The watch
His Avia watch had a cream face with raised ticks instead of numerals and inside the back cover are two jeweller's repair marks - 11/86 RJC & 6689 EL 5/86.

His keys
The keys were bought from the Hounslow locksmiths RC Love which had since closed down in reports from March 1988.

Timeline:
June/July 1987 - Seen in Ullapool
5 August 1987 - Hitched a lift from Dyce to Kintore, told the driver he was a street artist who specialised in children's portraits. Said he was going to Edinburgh for the Festival (stubs of Festival Fringe tickets were found in the deceased's pockets)
1 September 1987 - Elgin, seen in possession of an old black bicycle.
??? - A person thinks they spoke to him and he said he was going to Kelty to exhibit his work between 16-24 December
22 December 1987 - Deceased was found in Regent Road Gardens, police believe there is a good chance he travelled through Tayside and Fife.

Description:
He was aged about 30, around 6ft 2 inches tall and of slim build. His hair was dark brown, neck length and described as unkempt. He had a full beard and a gingery moustache. Wearing a grey woolen tammy, a long black overcoat and a brown tweed jacket. Also wearing two jerseys, one green and one black and grey. His jeans were described as dirty and his boots were well-worn and brown hiking boots.

Link to article 1: Dundee Courier - Thursday 18 February 1988
Link to article 2: Staines Informer - Friday 04 March 1988


As @Bit of hope points out, the Fringe is in August. (1987 ran from 7 August - 29 August). The stubs as reported in the Dundee paper seems to imply he did go, though they don't seem to be listed on the above case profile. Vice versa, no mention of the medallion in these articles. I wonder if it's still believed he could be from Hounslow or Staines?

 

[Bit of hope]

Unsure of copyright rules on this forum re: sharing old newspaper archives so I'll play it safe following these rules and summarise with a link to the articles so members of The British Newspaper Archives can view (requires a subscription). New members can view 3 articles for free.



Link to article 1: Dundee Courier - Thursday 18 February 1988
Link to article 2: Staines Informer - Friday 04 March 1988


As @Bit of hope points out, the Fringe is in August. (1987 ran from 7 August - 29 August). The stubs as reported in the Dundee paper seems to imply he did go, though they don't seem to be listed on the above case profile. Vice versa, no mention of the medallion in these articles. I wonder if it's still believed he could be from Hounslow or Staines?

Wonderful! Thank you!

 

[AnnesCuthberts]

Wonderful! Thank you!

No problem! I’ve found a couple more old articles that mention a little bit more about the watch I’ll summarise and link when I’m next on my PC, far too hard to try on mobile atm though unfortunately nothing really new apart from a very low quality photo of the face of the watch. However, snooping recent news…

A renewed appeal for information on “Edinburgh Man”, found in the city’s Regent Road Gardens almost 35 years ago, will also be made next year.

The faces of Scotland's mystery dead as sleuths ask for help to identify bodies

Student sleuths at Glasgow Caledonian University generate dozens of potential leads with help of facial reconstructions.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

I hope they’ll rerelease the photo of the watch or take a better photo of it + the markings, and I really hope they’ll share photos of his drawings. If he was selling his work door to door it’s possible someone remembers even his art style after this time especially if they purchased something.

 

[dotr]

No problem! I’ve found a couple more old articles that mention a little bit more about the watch I’ll summarise and link when I’m next on my PC, far too hard to try on mobile atm though unfortunately nothing really new apart from a very low quality photo of the face of the watch. However, snooping recent news…

The faces of Scotland's mystery dead as sleuths ask for help to identify bodies

Student sleuths at Glasgow Caledonian University generate dozens of potential leads with help of facial reconstructions.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

I hope they’ll rerelease the photo of the watch or take a better photo of it + the markings, and I really hope they’ll share photos of his drawings. If he was selling his work door to door it’s possible someone remembers even his art style after this time especially if they purchased something.

Thanks for the links!
Ws thread..

UK - UK - *GRAPHIC IMAGES* Scotland Cold Case Cops Appeal To Find Families Of 21 Bodies

Started thread for Michael.. https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/uk-michael-bell-27-3255dmuk-isle-of-skye-scotland-may-1983.628525/#post-17655043 Thx @dotr.

www.websleuths.com

 

[Bit of hope]

What went down in December? If there was somebody who wanted to exhibit his work, it must have been pretty good, at least good enough for someone who liked his style or it fitted in a theme. Most artist have a certain style, especially if they do this for a living. It's weird none of the sketches have ever been made public (not 100% sure) because someone might recognize his style "Oh that is a typical/that is typical for ....??" But maybe he had just an average talent....Kelty isn't exactly a world city, but it's in Fife, like LE expected he traveled through.

Where there also sketches of children's portraits left in his portfolio, that he didn't sell?

Did he came to late, having traveling problems, was his work not approved after all, did the promise for an exhibition didn't come through, did the exhibition-building burned down? Totally unexpected but there was this, already in 1984:

The Art Centre in Kelty, Fife, was established in 1984 by John & Ann Dodds. Specializing in high quality bespoke picture framing, it has established a wide and varied clientele including many professional artists.

Maybe he made arrangements with the Dodds's and Mr. MacCallum liked other things.

I guess it was taken over in 1987, because:

The Work of Art Centre - Issuu

For over 35 years in the small village of Kelty in Fife an independent framers and gallery has been creating bespoke frames for clients in Fife and further afield – with many loyal clients from Perthshire to the Borders and from Lothian to the Highlands and islands.

issuu.com

The Art Centre on Main Street is run by Staig MacCallum, who has been a picture framer since 1987, and working alongside him is Jason Nellies – a childhood friend who had a change in career which gave him the opportunity to learn the trade using the expertise that Staig has gained in his 30 plus years in the business.

It makes me sad, thinking about him.

ETA
Correction: 4 Walls Magazine Issue 44


Maybe Mr. Dodds is still around and has a good memory.

 

[AnnesCuthberts]

Misc findings
- The watch was an Avia 17-jewel wristwatch, the strap was brown and a low quality photo was shared with the media (seen here, WARNING: contains graphic photo of the deceased, I should have included this warning with a previous article too, my apologies)
- The police initially believed the man to have been from America but from reports it seems they had a specific man in mind which was later ruled out.
- Specifically one of the jewellers marks on the watch were laid out as follows:
6689 E L
5/86
- The above info was circulated in trade magazines at the time.

Articles:
Aberdeen Press and Journal - Saturday 06 February 1988 (warning, contains graphic photo of the deceased)
Edinburgh Evening News - Saturday 06 February 1988
Aberdeen Press and Journal - Friday 08 January 1988


Think this is about all I can eke out from my own searches on the BNA. Great work looking into the Kelty angle @Bit of hope, I really would love to see his art one day, he sounded passionate about his work. I'd love to know if anyone ever came forward if they saw the details of the watch on the news. The E L 5/86 and 11/86 RJC seem like possibly dates and initials of the persons who serviced the watch, though the 6689 is meaningless to me, possibly more of meaning to the person who serviced it though. Even then he could have obtained the watch secondhand after those dates if it wasn't him who took the watch to be serviced (and that's assuming that they are dates), but it would be nice to know if the watch gave them any leads. It seems leads did dry up from how PC Szymanski said they've ran out of clues in the Staines Informer article.

I really hope the fresh appeals next year can give the police new leads to go on. He seems so well-travelled, surely more people would have remembered him, especially given how open he was to discussing his art on his travels. If the ticket stubs imply he was at the Fringe, could he have sold some pieces there? December does seem the more crucial month to his plans though. Just like you bit of hope, I'm wondering what happened with this art exhibition? So many questions now I've had time to digest it all!!

 

[Bit of hope]

This is a drawing of the medaillon he was wearing. It's in the video embedded in here How sketchbook could hold key to naming mysterious 'Edinburgh Man'

If anybody can post an actual picture of the watch then please do.

 

[Bit of hope]

From this site Edinburgh Man — Locate International

Found On: 22nd December 1987​

Edinburgh Man was found hanging in Regent Road Gardens, Edinburgh. No fingerprints or DNA were taken and no dental records were held. He is buried at Mortonhall Cemetery.

To me it's obvious what needs to be done!

 

[Bit of hope]

From article above (Feb 6, 1988), the watch. At the time LE hoped to get further in the investigation to make an appeal about the watch and the "repair" marks (6689 EL, and underneath 5/86) and circulate the information in a jewelers trade magazine.



Sadly it doesn't seem to have taken them any further.

If this watch indeed belonged to him it must have been important to him, because the watch seems to be repaired twice. When he was found he didn't wear the watch, it was found in his rucksack. Did it broke down again? No info about if the watch was still working.

A potential problem with the watch is that he might have gotten it as payment for one of his sketches. He might not even have been aware of the repair marks within the watch.

Based on the lack of pictures I'm afraid LE lost the watch, the medaillon, the stubs, the sketches, actually all evidence, including identifiers (DNA, fingerprints, dental records) or it is still displaced and somewhere on a shelf?

I tend to give LE some slack, because it were different times, but hé, where are we working with?

 

[Bit of hope]

It's not known if the watch was silver or gold colored. I also can't see a little knob (called a watch crown) to wind up the watch in the paperclipping picture.

 

[Bit of hope]

From Staines Informer - Friday 04 March 1988
His keys
The keys were bought from the Hounslow locksmiths RC Love which had since closed down.

I tried to find an add for the locksmith from those days, didn't find it, but I found this:

Richardsons | About Richardsons, The History Of Richardsons In Feltham

In 1967 the Business was joined by their son, X. X had previously been working for R C Love Limited of Hounslow, which was then a large specialist ironmonger and tool dealer. During his time at R C Love’s he had passed all the National Institute of Hardware Exams.

Did R C Love Limited of Hounslow solely operate in Hounslow or did they have more businesses in other cities? Like in Staines? Is that the reason LE thought he might have been from Hounslow or Staines?

The locksmith was already around in the late 60's, so maybe it was just an old set of keys he carried, something from better times in his life, but that's not very likely.

The fact that he had keys means he had something to use the keys for. A house, a holiday cottage of a friend, a garage, a studio, his parent's house, a significant other's house? What kind of keys were they? A front door key, a bike key, a car key, etc.? Was there anything attached to it, like a keychain/keyring? I know, all kind of questions probably no one knows the answers to.

 

[Bit of hope]

Sorry for asking, but to be sure, what are stubs? Is it some kind of programming, a piece of paper, a flyer? A ticket slip? Where do you need a ticket for on Fringe? I thought it's an open festival on the streets, no entree needed?

 

[Bit of hope]

How lovely. Here is the Fringe poster of 1987. 1987 Poster


If somebody is able to read the text underneath. Found it. It says: Poster designed by Stephen Martin (15) Camphill High School, Paisley. The Fringe society is financially supported by The Scottish Arts Council, and the Edinburgh District Council etc. Artwork by TEVIOT Edinburgh

Item Details​

After Teviot Edinburgh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 1987
Offset lithograph on paper
Unsigned
Published by The LAS Group, The Scottish Arts Council, and the Edinburgh District Council
Printed by Macdonald Printers, Edinburgh

It isn't of much help, but interesting.