CA CA- Cadiz Dry Lake, WhtMale, 17-25, UP2600, skeletal remains with no skull/head. December 1985.

[cheemsg]

This young man's skeletal remains, minus skull and jaw, were found in the Cadiz Dry Lake area. He is believed to have died less than a year before he was found.
He has a height estimate of 5'8 and is believed to have had dark hair.
DNA is available.
(This case is quite obscure, no DoeNet or anything else to go off)

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[PatLaurel]

UP has zero exclusions.

This MP went missing not far from where the skeletal remains were found. "Per family, the missing person had not been seen in months. Rumors indicate the missing person may have been killed."

More possible matches:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Melt71]

Now a DNA Doe Project case, announced on social media today and listed as pending case John Cadiz Doe 1985.

 

[djanga]

According to his DDP profile, he is also a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children case. I am wondering if he has a profile on their website as well.

 

[djanga]

As his skull was not located there is no facial reconstruction, I found his profile on National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, but it does not have additional information.

 

[The4TierBridge]

As his skull was not located there is no facial reconstruction, I found his profile on National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, but it does not have additional information.

Could you please provide the link you found? I can find 0 NCMEC posters for Cadiz CA or Dec 12 1985.

 

[djanga]

Could you please provide the link you found? I can find 0 NCMEC posters for Cadiz CA or Dec 12 1985.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a poster either, but I did find him on their map of cases.

ArcGIS Web Application

ncmec.maps.arcgis.com

It looks like this, in case the link is not working:

 

[djanga]

I wonder: if they did not discover his head, how did they determine that his head hair was black?

 

[Melt71]

Now a DNA Doe Project case, announced on social media today and listed as pending case John Cadiz Doe 1985.

DDP's page was updated on 8 December 2025 and shows this case is now Active.