AL AL - Opelika, Blk Male, 18-25, St Louis Cardinals jersey, homicide, found in creek 22 Sep 90

[HopeRains]

For this young man, I was unable to find a case on Namus or a thread here. Please modify accordingly if such exists.

Opelika Police Need Help Solving Cold Case Homicide

Map showing Opelika, AL; Interstate 85; close proximity to GA (<30 miles to border).

Link to 1990 St Louis Cardinals Schedule: Complete Schedule for the 1990 St. Louis Cardinals

 

[HopeRains]

Opelika police asking help in identifying victim in 33-year-old cold case

The Opelika Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a victim in a 33-year-old cold case.

www.wtvm.com

 

[Hochman]

Cold Cases | Opelika, AL

The Opelika Police Department understands that unsolved crimes leave a heavy burden on families and the community. That's why we continue to showcase our Cold Cases. By keeping these cases in the public eye, we hope to generate new leads and bring closure to those who deserve it. Even a small...

www.opelika-al.gov

Larger Sized Reconstruction

Not a big fan of this new recon, i feel it could've been better.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Not a big fan of this new recon, i feel it could've been better

Was there a previous one?
Do you think this one was done by a computer?

 

[Hochman]

Was there a previous one?
Do you think this one was done by a computer?

No, there wasn't a previous one that I know of. I just worded my sentence poorly.

I believe the recon was made digitally.

 

[HmmMysterious]

Cold Cases | Opelika, AL

The Opelika Police Department understands that unsolved crimes leave a heavy burden on families and the community. That's why we continue to showcase our Cold Cases. By keeping these cases in the public eye, we hope to generate new leads and bring closure to those who deserve it. Even a small...

www.opelika-al.gov

Larger Sized Reconstruction
View attachment 418620

Not a big fan of this new recon, i feel it could've been better.

He kinda looks like Charles Hall III even though Charles disappeared about a decade before.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

OPELIKA, Ala. — Police in Alabama are trying to solve the cold case mystery of a man found dead near I-85 who was wearing six socks on each foot.

Children playing in the woods found the decomposed body of a young man on Sept. 22, 1990 about one-tenth of a mile from I-85 in Opelika, which is about 15 miles west of the Georgia border

The victim was wearing a white St. Louis Cardinals jersey with red pinstripes, Jordache jeans and black Ellesse shoes. Opelika Police also reported one strange detail: The man was wearing six pairs of socks on each foot. His shoes were a size six, so detectives believe he may have been trying to fit into the size 8 shoes that he was wearing. One pair of socks had the Arizona state logo on them.

Police hoping to solve cold case mystery of man found dead wearing 6 socks on each foot

The medical examiner determined that the man was between the ages of 18 and 25 years old and died from a single gunshot wound.

www.wsbtv.com

 

[Hochman]

Alabama police seek identity of dead man found "wearing 6 pairs of socks on each foot" in 33-year-old cold case

Investigator believe that the unidentified victim could have been wearing the six pairs of socks on each foot because his shoes were much larger than his feet.

www.cbsnews.com

Secondary Composite

 

[Hochman]

Cold Cases | Opelika, AL

The Opelika Police Department understands that unsolved crimes leave a heavy burden on families and the community. That's why we continue to showcase our Cold Cases. By keeping these cases in the public eye, we hope to generate new leads and bring closure to those who deserve it. Even a small...

www.opelika-al.gov

Scene Photos

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Alabama police seek identity of dead man found "wearing 6 pairs of socks on each foot" in 33-year-old cold case

Investigator believe that the unidentified victim could have been wearing the six pairs of socks on each foot because his shoes were much larger than his feet.

www.cbsnews.com

Secondary Composite
View attachment 422362

Much better, IMO.

 

[HopeRains]

I'm not seeing any mention of PMI on this young Doe, and Namus case is either not yet entered/not yet viewable.

St Louis Cardinals played Atlanta Braves 4 games over Labor Day weekend (Aug 30 - Sep 2) in Atlanta. I specifically mention this given close proximity of body discovery to the GA border.

They also played the Chicago Cubs 3 games in Chicago (Sep 7 - Sep 9) winning the 1st and 3d game, losing the 2nd. Specifically mentioning this as per google search it is considered to be one of the most bitter rivalries within the sport and is also referred to as the Route 66 rivalry and The I-55 rivalry. I did previously provide the link to the 1990 season in my first post. Sports rivalries and smack talk can most definitely get violent and I do wonder if this played a role in his death, the timing of which would be closer to this series of games.

6 pairs of socks on each foot would lead me to believe the shoes were too big, particularly given the weather of the time period and that wearing 6 pairs of socks would absolutely not be comfortable if one was wearing the approximate size shoe. Autopsy likely included info on foot length.

 

[lightofmine99]

I cannot find this young man on NamUs. Not sure why he would not be on NamUs.

 

[iulia]

His NamUs profile was made public today:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

#UP109309
ME/C Case Number 900903675
Biological Sex Male
Race/Ethnicity Black/African American
Estimated Age Group Adult - Pre 30
Height 5' 7"-5' 9"(67-69 inches) , Estimated
Weight 130-140 lbs, Estimated

Type Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found September 22, 1990
NamUs Case Created October 3, 2023

Location Found Map​

Location Opelika, Alabama
County Lee County
Found On Tribal Land No

Circumstances of Recovery The victim was discovered in a shallow creek, in a wooded area, beside the roadway bridge - 1 mile from an interstate highway and major US highway.

Condition of Remains Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction

Hair Color Black
Left Eye Color Unknown
Right Eye Color Unknown

Clothing
LARGE STARTER BRAND-WHITE WITH RED STRIPES CARDINALS BASEBALL SHIRT/JORDACHE JEANS/ BLACK ATHLETIC SHOES/6 PAIRS SOCKS/2 PAIRS UNDERWEAR/

 

[Susikatze]

It may be the first recon basically being the postmortem but it appears he had FAS or some other congenital disorder. But the second recon does not look like that, so it may just be the bloated and swollen features by decomposition that were present in the postmortem.

Anyhow, I hope he gets his name back. This is someones son.

 

[lightofmine99]

Opelika John Doe 1990 has been added to the Doe Network!

4258UMAL (ARCHIVE)

 

[beavt]

Alabama police seek identity of dead man found "wearing 6 pairs of socks on each foot" in 33-year-old cold case

Investigator believe that the unidentified victim could have been wearing the six pairs of socks on each foot because his shoes were much larger than his feet.

www.cbsnews.com

Secondary Composite
View attachment 422362

This composite looks a lot like Marcell Byers, but circumstantially very unlikely.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[phantomstrider]

Added to the Doe Network https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=4258umal

 

[Hannahgmq]

Doe’s secondary composite looks strikingly similar to Dwayne Edward Martin, who is listed as having disappeared in 1987 from Arkansas, but his Namus page gives no information on the circumstance of his disappearance or where the date December 11 1987 came from. Doe network gives more information and that cocaine is believed to play a role in his vanishing, but this information is from unconfirmed witnesses and journalist articles not law forces. The secondary composite is also not on the doe network, likewise there is no photos of the doe on Namus at all currently. Certainly looking into letting DN know about a second photo to add to Doe’s file, if anyone knows a way to suggest to Namus to add these photos to his file please let me know, it would be great use in future if there’s potential matches.

 

[Hannahgmq]

Doe’s secondary composite looks strikingly similar to Dwayne Edward Martin, who is listed as having disappeared in 1987 from Arkansas, but his Namus page gives no information on the circumstance of his disappearance or where the date December 11 1987 came from. Doe network gives more information and that cocaine is believed to play a role in his vanishing, but this information is from unconfirmed witnesses and journalist articles not law forces. The secondary composite is also not on the doe network, likewise there is no photos of the doe on Namus at all currently. Certainly looking into letting DN know about a second photo to add to Doe’s file, if anyone knows a way to suggest to Namus to add these photos to his file please let me know, it would be great use in future if there’s potential matches.View attachment 623969View attachment 623970

Also similar to the first sketch with the moustache is Dock Odell Thompsons JR, disappeared from Florida in 1989, but he disappeared with his father, which doesn’t really circumstantially line up.