VA - Grateful Dead Fan - Unidentified male, 26 June 1995 - #1

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Helper said:
This fellow's eyes are the "wrong color", but there seems to be similarities. Aron Holmes Silverman went missing July 5, 1993 from Norfolk, Virginia, two years before this fellow was killed and not that far away. At 5'10", his height is in the appropriate range. He had long blonde hair. At 130 lb., he was slimmer than the deceased, but there is the two year time difference. Blue eyes vs. brown seems to be the major possible discrepency. Age seems to be about right.
Young Mr. Silverman played the guitar and apparently had a drug habit, so it doesn't seem unlikely he'd wind up at a Grateful Dead show.
Aron is No. 516DMVA on the Doe Network and NCMC No. 783972. You can read about him and see a photo at www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/silverman_aron.html.
Click to expand...
This man has long been thought to have drowned while at the waterfront showing off a boat. I'm from Norfolk and it was pretty much assumed that the extremely intoxicated fella tumbled in and didn't otherwise disappear.
 
I also agree that Jason Doe was probably a major Dead Head and his parents probably had'nt heard from him in a long time and they just figured that he went out on his own. I can't explain it any other way unless he was an orphan who grew up in group homes etc. As for the sneakers, he might have taken them from someone etc. It is just so sad that no one has ever claimed him as their own...he was just forgotten...but not by WS!:(
 
See posts number 51 & 53. Apparently Koss has NOT been ruled out. As I noted before, he disappeared just a few days before the East Coast GD tour began, and "Jason Doe" was heading south after the DC shows.
 
Helper said:
See posts number 51 & 53. Apparently Koss has NOT been ruled out. As I noted before, he disappeared just a few days before the East Coast GD tour began, and "Jason Doe" was heading south after the DC shows.
Click to expand...
Somehow I missed those two posts :-)

About the height thing... to me its to close really to be ruled out totally based on height alone.
 
I've always found this to be one of the saddest of the unidentifieds on Doe Network, for reasons others have already expressed.

I wanted to say that I found many postings in this thread and related ones a very high caliber. I like the approach some people have taken - working from the little info available, searching for and proposing possible matches and then eliminating ones that turn out to be incorrect. Methodical, fact-based, rational - I like it and believe in this process as a good bet for eventually finding the truth.
 
Here's a theory/lead to work from that we want to throw at you:

okay, pertaining to this theory we know the following as facts:

1. they were westbound on route 58 west of emporia VA
2. the driver ( M.E. Hager) was of Inman, SC for the purposes of this theory we'll presume that's where he was headed.
3. the note in the Doe's pocket while unknown if it was addressed to him had a 914 prefix on it presumably for a phone #. (unless they had the whole # all along and never called it which is really disturbing)
4. the Doe had VERY limited possesions on him at the time.

Here's our theory:

Our Doe was at RFK for both shows, perhaps Caroline O and T were supposed to meet with him on the 25th and didn't show up or perhaps they were supposed to meet the 26th. either way they could have had his possesions... Stay with me here, the reason we believe the note was to our doe is due to the following, the doe had VERY limited things in his possesion, the note had to be pretty important for someone with only 4 possesions on him while hitchhiking to have. Okay so with fonefinder we pull up 914 area codes in the vicinity of Washington, DC (RFK's location) and we come up with several near matches the closest of which being Chapel Hill, NC...

Now watch this...

Emporia, VA to Chapel Hill, NC from Mapquest:

1: Start out going NORTH on US-301 / S MAIN ST toward BRUNSWICK AVE.
2: Turn LEFT onto W ATLANTIC ST / US-58 BR.
3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARKET DR.
4: Turn LEFT onto US-58 W.
5: Merge onto I-85 S toward DURHAM NC (Crossing into NORTH CAROLINA).
6: Keep LEFT to take US-15 S / US-501 S via EXIT 174B toward CHAPEL HILL.
7: Merge onto E FRANKLIN ST.
8: End at Chapel Hill, NC US

Now look at this:

Emporia, VA to Inman, SC (driver's hometown):
1: Start out going NORTH on US-301 / S MAIN ST toward BRUNSWICK AVE.
2: Turn LEFT onto W ATLANTIC ST / US-58 BR.
3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARKET DR.
4: Turn LEFT onto US-58 W.
5: Merge onto I-85 S toward DURHAM NC (Crossing into NORTH CAROLINA).


THE SAME EXACT route... if the driver was on his way home to Inman, SC from the RFK show dropping our Doe off for whatever reason in Chapel Hill would have been a MAXIMUM 10mile detour for the driver. Moreover, route 58 is the most direct route from I95 to I85.

Here's an Image created with Google Earth and Photoshop of the possible travel path:
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/499/possibleul6.jpg

The reason we feel that this is jason's path is that it explains a number of things:

1. chapel hill is a 914 prefix number
2. it would explain why they exited I-95 and headed west-northwest after being presumably southbound on 95 (since the doe had RFK stubs in his pocket)
3. the Driver's hometown was Inman SC. I85 to 440 seems to be the only direct route.
4. Chapel hill is on the way to Inman which could explain why the driver offered the ride to the Doe in the first place.

Give us some feedback.
Doc and Kashmir
 
Here's a theory/lead to work from that we want to throw at you:

okay, pertaining to this theory we know the following as facts:

1. they were westbound on route 58 west of emporia VA
2. the driver (
M.E. Hager) was of Inman, SC for the purposes of this theory we'll presume that's where he was headed.
3.
the note in the Doe's pocket while unknown if it was addressed to him
had a 914 prefix on it presumably for a phone #. (unless they had the
whole # all along and never called it which is really disturbing)

4. the Doe had VERY limited possesions on him at the time.

Here's our theory:

Our
Doe was at RFK for both shows, perhaps Caroline O and T were supposed
to meet with him on the 25th and didn't show up or perhaps they were
supposed to meet the 26th. either way they could have had his
possesions... Stay with me here, the reason we believe the note was to
our doe is due to the following, the doe had VERY limited things in his
possesion, the note had to be pretty important for someone with only 4
possesions on him while hitchhiking to have. Okay so with fonefinder we
pull up 914 area codes in the vicinity of Washington, DC (RFK's
location) and we come up with several near matches the closest of which
being Chapel Hill, NC...

Now watch this...

Emporia, VA to Chapel Hill, NC from Mapquest:

1: Start out going NORTH on US-301 / S MAIN ST toward BRUNSWICK AVE.
2: Turn LEFT onto W ATLANTIC ST / US-58 BR.

3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARKET DR.
4: Turn LEFT onto US-58 W.
5: Merge onto I-85 S toward DURHAM NC (Crossing into NORTH CAROLINA).
6: Keep LEFT to take US-15 S / US-501 S via EXIT 174B toward CHAPEL HILL.

7: Merge onto E FRANKLIN ST.
8: End at Chapel Hill, NC US

Now look at this:

Emporia, VA to Inman, SC (driver's hometown):
1: Start out going NORTH on US-301 / S MAIN ST toward BRUNSWICK AVE.

2: Turn LEFT onto W ATLANTIC ST / US-58 BR.
3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARKET DR.
4: Turn LEFT onto US-58 W.
5: Merge onto I-85 S toward DURHAM NC (Crossing into NORTH CAROLINA).



THE SAME EXACT route... if the driver was on his way home
to Inman, SC from the RFK show dropping our Doe off for whatever reason
in Chapel Hill would have been a MAXIMUM 10mile detour for the driver.
Moreover, route 58 is the most direct route from I95 to I85.


Here's an Image created with Google Earth and Photoshop of the possible travel path:


http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/499/possibleul6.jpg


The reason we feel that this is jason's path is that it explains a number of things:

1. chapel hill is a 914 prefix number

2. it would explain why they exited I-95 and headed west-northwest
after being presumably southbound on 95 (since the doe had RFK stubs in
his pocket)
3. the Driver's hometown was Inman SC. I85 to 440 seems to be the only direct route.
4. Chapel hill is on the way to Inman which could explain why the driver offered the ride to the Doe in the first place.


Give us some feedback.
Doc and Kashmir
 
Could this kid be from Europe? I mean there are Grateful Dead fans in other countries.................
 
*~Kashmir~* said:
Here's a theory/lead to work from that we want to throw at you:

okay, pertaining to this theory we know the following as facts:

1. they were westbound on route 58 west of emporia VA
2. the driver (
M.E. Hager) was of Inman, SC for the purposes of this theory we'll presume that's where he was headed.
3.
the note in the Doe's pocket while unknown if it was addressed to him
had a 914 prefix on it presumably for a phone #. (unless they had the
whole # all along and never called it which is really disturbing)

4. the Doe had VERY limited possesions on him at the time.

Here's our theory:

Our
Doe was at RFK for both shows, perhaps Caroline O and T were supposed
to meet with him on the 25th and didn't show up or perhaps they were
supposed to meet the 26th. either way they could have had his
possesions... Stay with me here, the reason we believe the note was to
our doe is due to the following, the doe had VERY limited things in his
possesion, the note had to be pretty important for someone with only 4
possesions on him while hitchhiking to have. Okay so with fonefinder we
pull up 914 area codes in the vicinity of Washington, DC (RFK's
location) and we come up with several near matches the closest of which
being Chapel Hill, NC...

Now watch this...

Emporia, VA to Chapel Hill, NC from Mapquest:

1: Start out going NORTH on US-301 / S MAIN ST toward BRUNSWICK AVE.
2: Turn LEFT onto W ATLANTIC ST / US-58 BR.

3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARKET DR.
4: Turn LEFT onto US-58 W.
5: Merge onto I-85 S toward DURHAM NC (Crossing into NORTH CAROLINA).
6: Keep LEFT to take US-15 S / US-501 S via EXIT 174B toward CHAPEL HILL.

7: Merge onto E FRANKLIN ST.
8: End at Chapel Hill, NC US

Now look at this:

Emporia, VA to Inman, SC (driver's hometown):
1: Start out going NORTH on US-301 / S MAIN ST toward BRUNSWICK AVE.

2: Turn LEFT onto W ATLANTIC ST / US-58 BR.
3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARKET DR.
4: Turn LEFT onto US-58 W.
5: Merge onto I-85 S toward DURHAM NC (Crossing into NORTH CAROLINA).



THE SAME EXACT route... if the driver was on his way home
to Inman, SC from the RFK show dropping our Doe off for whatever reason
in Chapel Hill would have been a MAXIMUM 10mile detour for the driver.
Moreover, route 58 is the most direct route from I95 to I85.


Here's an Image created with Google Earth and Photoshop of the possible travel path:


http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/499/possibleul6.jpg


The reason we feel that this is jason's path is that it explains a number of things:

1. chapel hill is a 914 prefix number

2. it would explain why they exited I-95 and headed west-northwest
after being presumably southbound on 95 (since the doe had RFK stubs in
his pocket)
3. the Driver's hometown was Inman SC. I85 to 440 seems to be the only direct route.
4. Chapel hill is on the way to Inman which could explain why the driver offered the ride to the Doe in the first place.


Give us some feedback.
Doc and Kashmir
Click to expand...
That was really good. Another thing I was thinking is there have been a lot of new prefixes added to area codes since this happened. If you knew which ones are to new to be considered that would help.
 
grievousangel said:
Kashmir, has his picture been distributed in Chapel Hill, NC?
Click to expand...
Good question. We plan on calling the local police to see if they can give us a heads up of where to look (if they cannot help us themselves).

Any other suggestions on the next course of action?

If this boy was from Europe, he definitely lost. I would think he isn't as his assumed age is pretty young. Too young to be solo in Washington DC.
 
I really feel that the number left on the note is the key. Even if the people who had the number in 95 don't have it anymore, there's always old phone books. Lots of work, but worth it
 
*~Kashmir~* said:
Here's a theory/lead to work from that we want to throw at you:

okay, pertaining to this theory we know the following as facts:

1. they were westbound on route 58 west of emporia VA
2. the driver ( M.E. Hager) was of Inman, SC for the purposes of this theory we'll presume that's where he was headed.
3. the note in the Doe's pocket while unknown if it was addressed to him had a 914 prefix on it presumably for a phone #. (unless they had the whole # all along and never called it which is really disturbing)
4. the Doe had VERY limited possesions on him at the time.

Here's our theory:

Our Doe was at RFK for both shows, perhaps Caroline O and T were supposed to meet with him on the 25th and didn't show up or perhaps they were supposed to meet the 26th. either way they could have had his possesions... Stay with me here, the reason we believe the note was to our doe is due to the following, the doe had VERY limited things in his possesion, the note had to be pretty important for someone with only 4 possesions on him while hitchhiking to have. Okay so with fonefinder we pull up 914 area codes in the vicinity of Washington, DC (RFK's location) and we come up with several near matches the closest of which being Chapel Hill, NC...

Now watch this...

Emporia, VA to Chapel Hill, NC from Mapquest:

1: Start out going NORTH on US-301 / S MAIN ST toward BRUNSWICK AVE.
2: Turn LEFT onto W ATLANTIC ST / US-58 BR.
3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARKET DR.
4: Turn LEFT onto US-58 W.
5: Merge onto I-85 S toward DURHAM NC (Crossing into NORTH CAROLINA).
6: Keep LEFT to take US-15 S / US-501 S via EXIT 174B toward CHAPEL HILL.
7: Merge onto E FRANKLIN ST.
8: End at Chapel Hill, NC US

Now look at this:

Emporia, VA to Inman, SC (driver's hometown):
1: Start out going NORTH on US-301 / S MAIN ST toward BRUNSWICK AVE.
2: Turn LEFT onto W ATLANTIC ST / US-58 BR.
3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARKET DR.
4: Turn LEFT onto US-58 W.
5: Merge onto I-85 S toward DURHAM NC (Crossing into NORTH CAROLINA).


THE SAME EXACT route... if the driver was on his way home to Inman, SC from the RFK show dropping our Doe off for whatever reason in Chapel Hill would have been a MAXIMUM 10mile detour for the driver. Moreover, route 58 is the most direct route from I95 to I85.

Here's an Image created with Google Earth and Photoshop of the possible travel path:
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/499/possibleul6.jpg

The reason we feel that this is jason's path is that it explains a number of things:

1. chapel hill is a 914 prefix number
2. it would explain why they exited I-95 and headed west-northwest after being presumably southbound on 95 (since the doe had RFK stubs in his pocket)
3. the Driver's hometown was Inman SC. I85 to 440 seems to be the only direct route.
4. Chapel hill is on the way to Inman which could explain why the driver offered the ride to the Doe in the first place.

Give us some feedback.
Doc and Kashmir
Click to expand...
This was a prefix, not an area code. At this time, I don't believe Maryland had started making you dial an area code first for local calls...You'd just dial a 7 digit number unless it was long distance, then you'd dial 1 and the area code...The prefix, then the last four. At this time, I believe MD only had two area codes...301 and 410 (which I think came out around 1996)...Even when they came out, for the longest time no one ever gave a ten digit number as your number, unless you were speaking to someone who didn't grow up around there. You'd just give them your 7 digit number, and they'd know to dial 301 in front of it...

Anyhow, at this time, 914 was a prefix for Bethesda, MD, and Baltimore, MD. I vividly recall that because I knew people in both areas with those prefixes.

There is reason to believe this man is from the Baltimore, MD area, and that his family knows exactly what happened to him, they just chose not to claim his body. (Which is actually not as uncommon as one thinks)
 
but even if they didn't claim his body, wouldn't his friends or other family members wonder where he went? it's odd to think that people can really just fall through the tracks like that. they would have to come from a background where they were very isolated, or else shunned by everyone they knew and forgotten about.
i can think of 3 things off he top of my head that might make a family not claim a body:

1) drugs- esp. if there was a lot of theft involved, they may have written them off. but even then, it would take a lot to just forget the person altogether..
2) homosexuality- say they came from a very traditional, strictly religious, affluent home, and the family could not deal with the 'embarrassment'. maybe the kid was a dropout and considered a failure in the family's eyes.
3) they were impoverished, dysfunctional, & on drugs themselves.. maybe some are in jail, and no one even knows his identity is unknown, or they don't want to draw attention to themselves by contacting authorities...?

with all those thousands of people who followed the dead for all those years, it's amazing no one has stumbled upon his image who recognizes him yet. he could have been a new GD convert... or, maybe he just existed in the shadows his whole life...?

also.. wondering if he could be from canada. he looks like he could be french canadian to me.
 
reb said:
but even if they didn't claim his body, wouldn't his friends or other family members wonder where he went? it's odd to think that people can really just fall through the tracks like that. they would have to come from a background where they were very isolated, or else shunned by everyone they knew and forgotten about.
i can think of 3 things off he top of my head that might make a family not claim a body:

1) drugs- esp. if there was a lot of theft involved, they may have written them off. but even then, it would take a lot to just forget the person altogether..
2) homosexuality- say they came from a very traditional, strictly religious, affluent home, and the family could not deal with the 'embarrassment'. maybe the kid was a dropout and considered a failure in the family's eyes.
3) they were impoverished, dysfunctional, & on drugs themselves.. maybe some are in jail, and no one even knows his identity is unknown, or they don't want to draw attention to themselves by contacting authorities...?

with all those thousands of people who followed the dead for all those years, it's amazing no one has stumbled upon his image who recognizes him yet. he could have been a new GD convert... or, maybe he just existed in the shadows his whole life...?

also.. wondering if he could be from canada. he looks like he could be french canadian to me.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily...Lots of people really have 'no one left' family-wise in their life, or have families that are completely estranged or completely apathetic...He could have moved around a lot in his life, not necessarily keeping long-term friends. He could have been shuffled state-to-state by relatives, who were relieved when he turned 18. He could have had parents in prison, dead, and aged out of foster care. He also could have had parents who were very poor, do not understand the legal system, and never bothered to report him missing (this is actually very common in 'doe' cases)...

For every missing child out there reported by the family, there is another child who is not reported missing. Often times a throw-away (like parents know they have run off but don't bother to search for them), often times the parents just up and moved and abandoned the kid, often times given to another relative/friend to raise and the parent doesn't follow up on the care...Often times these kids grow up in homes where they are taught to steal, lie, prostitute, deal drugs, etc...

I know of a runaway up this way, who was beat last year half to death. She was 15. Her mother was dead, and the father lived on disability. They were dirt poor, had no vehicle, no phone in the house, and the girl went to school with the same clothes on quite often...When she was 13, she met an older guy who introduced her to prostitution...She left home shortly after w/ this guy and was hooking down in DC...The father went to payphones to report her missing, and used payphones to try to keep up w/ the progress of the investigation...She was found and brought back home, but ran off soon after. Same story...She returned six months late...Ran off again, and this time the police started harassing him about his parenting, and he slowly stopped calling the police when she ran off...When she was found beat almost to death last year, there was no missing person report on her...She was found two states over when this happened, and no one recognized her picture in the paper...Until she woke up out of a coma, they had no idea who she was...

I've talked to medical examiner's who say families read of deaths in papers of their relatives, but don't call the ME's to claim the bodies. To do so, means they are financially responsible for the burial cost, and many don't have the means, and they don't want to have to go through Social Services for 'indigent death' benefits...Police have showed up at doors like this to inform the relatives of the death, only to have doors not answered and phone calls not returned...

Just because he was wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt does not mean he was a dead follower. This could have been the only concert he ever went to...
 
many good points you make there.. & obviously you know your stuff. and i agree,, he may not have been a GD follower at all. and yes i was also thinking of he burial cost issue too. lots of families don't want to pay that (or can't)... and figure they're already buried, so what's the point? or, don't even know their kid is dead, if they don't use the internet or makre an effort to look up missing persons cases. i am wondering if his info/picture was sent to any foster care organizations in MD (& surrounding areas), who may have had him in their system in the 70's or 80's? do they usually keep fairly decent records.. or is that a lost cause? and why do authorities think he might be from baltimore or MD?
 
marylandmissing said:
This was a prefix, not an area code. At this time, I don't believe Maryland had started making you dial an area code first for local calls...You'd just dial a 7 digit number unless it was long distance, then you'd dial 1 and the area code...The prefix, then the last four. At this time, I believe MD only had two area codes...301 and 410 (which I think came out around 1996)...Even when they came out, for the longest time no one ever gave a ten digit number as your number, unless you were speaking to someone who didn't grow up around there. You'd just give them your 7 digit number, and they'd know to dial 301 in front of it...

Anyhow, at this time, 914 was a prefix for Bethesda, MD, and Baltimore, MD. I vividly recall that because I knew people in both areas with those prefixes.

There is reason to believe this man is from the Baltimore, MD area, and that his family knows exactly what happened to him, they just chose not to claim his body. (Which is actually not as uncommon as one thinks)
Click to expand...
I know. We checked all the 914 prefixes
914 is a NY area code. I know because it was my area code growing uphttp://www.websleuths.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

I don't think he was from Baltimore as he was traveling in the opposite direction. (of course I could be way off)
I was on this tour and in the parking lot of the RFK show (I didn't get in. My last show was 06-22-95 in Albany) I know that if I lost my ride at a show and needed a ride home, I'd scan the lot for liscense plates that are close to my home. JD chose someone from South Carolina
 
*~Kashmir~* said:
...I was on this tour and in the parking lot of the RFK show (I didn't get in. My last show was 06-22-95 in Albany) I know that if I lost my ride at a show and needed a ride home, I'd scan the lot for liscense plates that are close to my home. JD chose someone from South Carolina
Click to expand...
Actually, there is reason to believe that this young man hitched his ride on I-95, on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, rather than getting a ride from the RFK parking lot.

The guy who picked him up was driving south from another state, where he had been to see his fiance. The driver was a Grateful Dead fan, but he definitely was NOT at the RFK concert that weekend.

On his way south, the driver stopped briefly at his father's Northern Virginia home, and was seen there with the hitchhiker. Not finding his father at home, the driver left a note stating that he was continuing south to his Mother's home in Inman, SC.

Nobody in the driver's family knew the hitchhiker, although they were very helpful in the investigation into his identity and hope for a resolution in the case.

It was speculated that the driver may have seen the hitch hiker wearing his new Grateful Dead T-Shirt (it was a 1995 Summer Tour shirt which listed all of the concerts for that tour) and picked him up because of the common interest in music, and for company during his long ride south. Neither the driver, nor the hitchhiker were headed in the right direction to attend the next concerts. They were headed south, while the Grateful Dead (and their fans) were headed Northwest.

There have been a number of proposed possibilities concerning the identity of the hitchhiker, but to date nothing has matched. In 1996 (a year after the accident which killed the two men) I corresponded with a College girl in North Carolina, who knew a boy named Jason, and who thought that the dead boy might be her friend. I passed her name and number on to the chief investigator of the case for follow-up, but do not know how the tip was handled or resolved. Her college was on the route mentioned above.

The observation that he was traveling very light, with no backpack, luggage, etc. might very well indicate that someone else had his belongings and that he may have missed a planned ride with them. In fact, the note from the two Carolines seems to indicate that he missed connecting with them.

Back in 1996, there was a Grateful Dead Forum on AOL, and one GD fan reported having a tool box which a young man named Jason had left with him in his camper/van during the RFK concert, but failed to retrieve at the subsequent concerts.

Regarding the phone number... Police had the complete phone number, but with no area code. 914 is definitely the "prefix", as I have seen a photo of the note. This prefix could be found in quite a few different area codes, but in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area, it was an active one for Northern Virginia in 1995.

Marylandmissing makes some good observations about phone numbers. Back in 1995, You did have to dial a 1, then the 3 digit area code, followed by the 7 digit number - but only when dialing a LONG DISTANCE number.

In 1995, in the Washington Metropolitan area, there were portions of THREE Area Codes which could be dialed as local numbers WITHOUT dialing the area code first. Portions of Virginia's area code 703, and Maryland's area code 301, and All of The District's area code 202 were like that.

So, unless this young man had obtained the note somewhere other than Washington DC, it was most likely a Virginia number which he could call locally simply by dialing the 7 digits.
 
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