Australia AUS - VIC, WhtMale 20s-30s, 4008UMVIC, found hanging in Dandenong Ranges National Park w/purple scarf, Mar'06

[lightofmine99]

Ferny Creek John Doe (2006)
a.k.a Purple Scarf Doe
4008UMVIC (DN)

Reconstruction (left), pants brand (middle), sock cap brand (right).​

Circumstances
He was found by Anthony Nimbs, a ranger at Parks Victoria. He was surveying the area for space for a fuel-reduction burn, near the intersection of Mount Erin Road and Janesdall Avenue, Ferny Creek. Nimbs found a rope hanging from a tree, where he then discovered a human skull on the floor. The decedent was found hanging from a noose on a tree. (per DN).

According to the coroner's report for the John Doe, the death is estimated to have occurred between February 1999 and the year 2000. Additionally, a pair of handcuffs and a bottle of "packaged water" were found within the vicinity of the skull, and the noose had duct tape wrapped around it. Investigators theorized the Doe wore handcuffs to prevent himself from stopping the probable suicide attempt. Investigators were unable to obtain fingerprints from the handcuffs. When reading the report myself, I was unable to ascertain if the remaining body was still hanging from the noose somehow, or if the body had fallen to the ground below the rope. Interestingly, the recreation displays a sock cap or beanie, and there is a photo of the cap's brand on Doe Network, but it is not mentioned directly.

The coroner stated that while there is evidence highly suggesting suicide, they are unable to definitively say for sure due to the lack of a full post-mortem examination (as he was skeletonized).

The report states that the Victoria Missing Persons Unit was unable to match the decedent to any missing persons cases.

Spoiler: INFORMATION

Case Numbers:

• Doe Network: 4008UMVIC
• NamUs: N/A
• ME/C:

Overview:

• Location: Ferny Creek, Victoria, Australia.
  • Dandenong Ranges National Park
• Date Body Found: March 18, 2006.
• Doe Network Created: April 10, 2024.
• Tribal Land: NO
• PMI: 7 years (Nov 1999 - 2000) est.
• State of Remains: SKELETONIZED
• Cause of Death: SUICIDE (debated)

Physical:

• Sex: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
• Age: Adult, 20s-30s
• Height: 167 to 180 cm (5'6' - 5'11")
• Weight: UNKNOWN
• Hair: UNKNOWN
• Eye: UNKNOWN

Identifiers:

• Dentals: UNKNOWN
• DNA: Available
• Prints: N/A
• Marks / Features: N/A

Personal Affects:

• Clothing:
  • faded purple scarf
  • "Country Road" branded pants
  • Shoes (sandals)
  • Sock cap
  • found with socks on
• Jewelry: NONE
• Add'l Items:
  • handcuffs
  • bottle of "packaged water"

Links
Doe Network: 4008UMVIC (Archive)
Daily Mail Article 2022 (Archive)
AFP Profile (gives different est. death date)
Victoria Corner's Court Report
The Age Article (2018)

 

[Bobban]

I wonder if they have looked at Max Castor for this one. Max was a 19 year old Swedish backpacker who dissapeared after walking the great ocean road. He was last seen in Warrnambool on the 31st of March 2005 when he went to a postal office and sent home all his possessions in multiple boxes including his passport, plane ticket to Sweden and a letter where he tells his family goodbye. Later a possible sighting of him at Wye River on 5th of April.

The clay reconstruction has a striking resemblance with the square chin and heavy brow bone however the nose protrudes more than Max's.

(Above photo taken closer to his dissapearance, he was said to possibly have been sleeping rough at the time and had visibly lost wheight)

The sock cap looks to have white stripes on the outside and contain light colourd hairs in the photo. Max seems to have owned a similair sock cap:

Max's family are in sweden, I wonder if their dna has been submitted to any database in Australia/Victoria.

 

[Tower]

I wonder if they have looked at Max Castor for this one. Max was a 19 year old Swedish backpacker who dissapeared after walking the great ocean road. He was last seen in Warrnambool on the 31st of March 2005 when he went to a postal office and sent home all his possessions in multiple boxes including his passport, plane ticket to Sweden and a letter where he tells his family goodbye. Later a possible sighting of him at Wye River on 5th of April.

The clay reconstruction has a striking resemblance with the square chin and heavy brow bone however the nose protrudes more than Max's.
View attachment 564703
(Above photo taken closer to his dissapearance, he was said to possibly have been sleeping rough at the time and had visibly lost wheight)

The sock cap looks to have white stripes on the outside and contain light colourd hairs in the photo. Max seems to have owned a similair sock cap:
View attachment 564702

Max's family are in sweden, I wonder if their dna has been submitted to any database in Australia/Victoria.

They speculate the death took place much earlier than Max disappeared, but that wouldn’t be the first time estimated dates were wrong.

 

[Bobban]

@Tower for a long time the unknown man's death was reported to have been in 1999-2000 but as recently as 2023 it looks to have changed to between November 2005 and March 2006.

 

[Tower]

@Tower for a long time the unknown man's death was reported to have been in 1999-2000 but as recently as 2023 it looks to have changed to between November 2005 and March 2006.

Thank you. It’s always good to keep an open mind when someone remains unidentified. It’s amazing how far off height estimates, date of death estimates and other reported details can be in these cases.

 

[Bobban]

@Tower Agreed and hopefully as science, technology and investigation techniques get more and more advanced information will only get more accurate.

 

[obvioussand]

I wonder if the police have cross-referenced with the case of Robert Howell Cameron?

He was last sighted in February of 2002, around Melbourne Central Station. I know the estimation of John Doe's passing is between 1999 - 2000, but I do feel there's a small chance it could be an incorrect or overlooked estimation. It would only take just over an hour to get to Ferny Creek from Melbourne Central Station, if he were dependent on public transport (he had abandoned his car in Melbourne a few months prior).

He was 179cm tall, and 29 years old when he was last seen, which fits exactly into the profile of the John Doe. Not to mention the uncanny resemblance to the John Doe recreation sculpture, especially in the jawline.

Robert was from Queensland, so his case's jurisdiction is held by the Queensland police which could have entirely been looked over. Judging by the information available of Robert's case, it sounds like his life may have been spiraling leading up to his disappearance as well as no family or friends ever had reached out to public media, his case seems to be extremely low-profile.

I know the odds are pretty low, but something gives me a weird gut-feeling on this one. I wonder if a DNA sample from Robert's family could solve these two cases.