Identified! WA - Seattle, White Male, 18-35, UP10814, 9 October 1984 - Mark Ashland

[sasha17]

On October 9, 1984, a man died by suicide and was found by two men walking their dogs in Carkeek Park. He was hanging in a maple tree off a trail in the park at 9:20 AM. It is believed he lived in the area, because his clothes seemed fairly well-kept. The rope was brand new. Investigators thought he bought his rope at a nearby store, but were unable to find which store.

The man was wearing a waist length leather jacket with a fur-like collar, velour black/purple/red pullover (size medium), Levis jeans (size 30-31), and Pro Wing sneakers. A red cigarette lighter was near his body. He was 5'11" and 160 to 180 pounds. He had shaggy brown/black hair with long sideburns and an olive complexion. One arm was more tan than the other, so he probably drove with his arm out the window. From the tan marks, it seemed he had worn a watch on his left wrist. NamUs reports a black wrist watch was found on his wrist but Doe Network says the watch was not found. He appeared clean with less than a 24 hour beard.

The original police report can be viewed here: 1984 Carkeek Park John Doe

NamUs #UP10814 - The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Doe Network Case File 371UMWA - The Doe Network: Case File 371UMWA

 

[sasha17]

"Mary Anderson", an unidentified woman who died by suicide in a hotel in downtown Seattle, may have been connected to this UID. She died 12 years later to the date, on October 9, 1996.

An article about Mary Anderson, this UID, and the possible connection - http://wahmee.com/misc_kcmeo.pdf

Mary Anderson's thread - WA - WA - Seattle, WhtFem 159UFWA, 33-45, alias 'Mary Anderson', Oct'96

http://www.wahmee.com/misc_kcmeo.pdf

The above story says there was a young man in his 20's who hung himself 12 years earlier at nearby Carkeek Park on the exact same date that this JD took her own life, October 9. The link below has his info and a drawing of him. His features look similar to hers to me. I wonder if it could have been her son? If the ages are right and she was in her between 40 & 50 in 1996, and he was in his 20's in 1984, then the years could be right for that relationship. If she was say 49 in 1996, she would have been born in 1947 , and if the John Doe was 20 in 1984, she would have been 17 at the time of birth. I just find it a real interesting fact that there was a UID suicide on the exact same date in the same area. Just thinking also that if the ages are on the other end of the scale, say she was really closer to 39 and he was closer to 29 at their times of death, then she would have been born in 57 and he in 1955 or thereabouts and they could have been siblings. It also said in the one story that he had olive skin, like Greek or Italian? like they think she is? Does anyone know if the dna's were ever compared?

I wonder if that could explain the maple leaves in the book she left behind. Was it a maple tree this young man hung himself on? Did she walk over to the park to say goodbye (or hello) is that why she had the gloves?
Just wondering if they ever checked dna on these two?

Seattle, Oct. 9, 1984
Case number: 84-1138
A suicide victim found hanging
in a tree off a trail in Carkeek
Park. In his 20s, he had long sideburns
and wore jeans, Pro Wing
sneakers and a black leather jacket
with a fur-like collar. He also wore a pullover
velour gray or purple shirt with reddish stripes. He
stood 5-foot-11 and weighed 160 to 180 pounds.



http://www.seattlepi.com/dayart/pdf/20030224unidentifieddead.pdf

 

[sasha17]

Cross referencing the thread for missing person Mark Lawrence Ashland who some have suggested could be this UID: WA - WA - Mark Lawrence Ashland, 27, Seattle, 4 Sept 1981

 

[HalesNTX]

Bumping ...

 

[HalesNTX]

On October 9, 1984, a man died by suicide and was found by two men walking their dogs in Carkeek Park. He was hanging in a maple tree off a trail in the park at 9:20 AM. It is believed he lived in the area, because his clothes seemed fairly well-kept. The rope was brand new. Investigators thought he bought his rope at a nearby store, but were unable to find which store.

The man was wearing a waist length leather jacket with a fur-like collar, velour black/purple/red pullover (size medium), Levis jeans (size 30-31), and Pro Wing sneakers. A red cigarette lighter was near his body. He was 5'11" and 160 to 180 pounds. He had shaggy brown/black hair with long sideburns and an olive complexion. One arm was more tan than the other, so he probably drove with his arm out the window. From the tan marks, it seemed he had worn a watch on his left wrist. NamUs reports a black wrist watch was found on his wrist but Doe Network says the watch was not found. He appeared clean with less than a 24 hour beard.

The original police report can be viewed here: 1984 Carkeek Park John Doe

NamUs #UP10814 - The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Doe Network Case File 371UMWA - The Doe Network: Case File 371UMWA

I now also have:

Doe Network Case File - 5360DMWA - Mark Lawrence Ashland

 

[JSolt1210]

UPDATE via Mark Lawrence Ashland's thread:

Update - I just received a phone call from the forensic pathologist from the Seattle medical examiner and they were able to lift 2 prints from the letter Mark sent my grandmother in 1981.

***She CONFIRMED they do match the prints of this John Doe***

Thank you everyone for following. We still can’t believe they were able to find these fingerprints.

 

[HalesNTX]

Here is the media release from the Medical Examiner's Office: Medical Examiner's Office identifies a man 35 years after his death in a Seattle Park – PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

My deepest sympathies to you and your loved ones, @HalesNTX

I'll alert the mods to get this thread marked as 'Identified!'

 

[HalesNTX]

My deepest sympathies to you and your loved ones, @HalesNTX

I'll alert the mods to get this thread marked as 'Identified!'

Thank you!

 

[Al Ka]

Rest In Peace Mr. Mark L. Ashland
===
Body found over 35 years ago in King County park finally ID'd

Meanwhile, a woman living out of state began to investigate what happened to her uncle, who had been missing since the early 1980s. As part of her search, she read a decedent’s profile on NamUs and the Doe Network and noted strong similarities to what she knew of her missing uncle.

The in the fall of 2019 she contacted Dr. Taylor to see if she could help. No DNA was available so a different approach was needed.

Taylor says she asked the family if they had kept any letters sent to them by their missing loved one. As it turns out, the man’s sister had kept a letter he sent to the family in 1981.

The family provided the letter to Dr. Taylor, and she turned it over to King County fingerprint experts. They were able to lift two faint latent prints off of the letter provided by the family.

A team of fingerprint experts compared the lifted prints to the print card of the dead man taken when his autopsy was conducted back in 1985. One print matched and provided a positive identification of the dead man after 35 years.

“The family is very grateful to finally know what happened to their missing loved one and to have the opportunity to formally grieve their loss,” said Dr. Taylor. “Mr. Mark L. Ashland was 30 years old when he died, and now, the family finally has answers as to what happened to him.”

Body found over 35 years ago in local park is finally ID'd

Man found dead at Seattle park in 1984 identified by fingerprints
1984 cold case death at Seattle's Carkeek Park solved through fingerprints