CA CA - Los Angeles, WhtMale, 15-18, UP4367, gunshot wound to head, thought to be runaway from out of state, Sept'80

[BrownBear]

2515UMCA - Unidentified Male

Reconstruction of the victim by NCMEC.

Date of Discovery: September 26, 1980
Location of Discovery: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Estimated Date of Death: Hours prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 15-18 years old
Race: Hispanic
Sex: Male
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Hair Color: Black with a faint mustache
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: He was well-built.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Not available.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery
The victim was located at a residence located at 2152 Ewing Street in Los Angeles at approximately 1:30 AM. He was transported to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead after succumbing to a gunshot wound to the head.

He is believed to be a runaway from out of state

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Los Angeles County Coroner
Agency Contact Person: Betsy Magdaleno
Agency Phone Number: 323-343-0512
Agency E-Mail: idunit(at)coroner.lacounty.gov
Agency Case Number: 1980-12419

NCIC Case Number: U031798540
NamUs Case Number: 4367
NCMEC Case Number: 1184162
Former Hot Case Number: 1436

Information Source(s)
NamUs
Los Angeles County Coroner
NCMEC

Admin Notes
Added: 2/22/09; Last Updated: 5/29/19

 

[BrownBear]

11 Exclusions
MP37753 David Schwarzschild 08/02/1979 San Francisco CA
MP30551 Patrick Wright 12/08/1975 San Francisco CA
MP25116 Robert Sotelo 08/25/1978 Ventura CA
MP23542 Eloy Garcia 02/04/1978 Santa Clara CA
MP22913 Donald Dumas 07/14/1971 Los Angeles CA
MP17638 Jose Espinoza 04/13/1977 Los Angeles CA
MP17622 Daniel Hoffer 05/28/1975 Los Angeles CA
MP14858 Donald Ewalt 10/04/1979 Imperial CA
MP1752 Christopher King 08/02/1974 San Bernardino CA
MP1165 Tom Starkel 12/05/1979 Los Angeles CA
MP1396 Anthony Balthazar 03/24/1980 Santa Cruz CA

 

[John/Jane Doe]

He looks a bit like John Colonna Aponte. John would have been 18 years old in 1980.

John Colonna Aponte – The Charley Project

 

[Westy27]

Pablo Flores is another possibility. Pablo would have been 16 in 1980.

234DMTX - Pablo Flores

 

[citizen_sleuth]

NamUs #UP4367

Demographics​

Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group: Adolescent
Estimated Age Range (Years): 15-18
Estimated Year of Death: 1980
Estimated PMI: N/A
Height: 5'7" (67 inches), Measured
Weight: 130 lbs, Measured

Circumstances​

Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: September 26, 1980
NamUs Case Created: September 9, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Los Angeles, California
County: Los Angeles County
Circumstances of Recovery: On 09/26/1980 the decedent was found with a gunshot wound to his head. Transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered
Condition of Remains: Recognizable face

Physical Description​

Hair Color: Black
Head Hair Description: Black
Facial Hair Description: Light/thin mustache
Eye Color: Brown
Distinctive Physical Features: N/A

 

[beavt]

Chris Michael Jennings, MP59994, was last seen in Rathdrum, Idaho on 9/7/1980 at the age of 16. His height is listed as 5’7” and weight of 150 with brown hair and brown eyes. Circumstances include possible run away and he was driving a Ford Mustang. His descriptors include: a light brown mole on the left side of his upper lip and a 1/2” scar on his right eyebrow. Bravo to the artist for this UID, stunning resemblance! Attaching a younger photo of Chris where you can see both the scar of his right eyebrow as well as the faint mole of his left upper lip as well as an older pic where again the mole is evident, but his bangs are covering the right eyebrow:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

 

[DD Byrd]

Echo Park in the 80s, with its heavy gang activity, is not somewhere I'd imagine Chris would have ended up - particularly so close to his missing date. I think he is near a party area at the time, one with bodies of water close to the road.

This doe has black hair according to DMEC, and IMO a flatter nose bridge. As for being thought "out of state, he might have been wearing something of a specific gang-affiliation or was tattooed, possibly more "out of country." LAPD gang units weren't as vigilant in tracking tattoos as they would later become, so it may not have been recorded, like his clothing. Or the house he was at might have been known for street kids. In any event, curious for the profile to mention "runaway," with no way to tell if that was opinion or there was something else about him.

 

[beavt]

Echo Park in the 80s, with its heavy gang activity, is not somewhere I'd imagine Chris would have ended up - particularly so close to his missing date. I think his body is near a party area at the time, one with bodies of water close to the road.

This doe has black hair according to DMEC. As for being thought "out of state", my guess is he was either wearing something of a specific gang-affiliation or was tattooed, possibly "out of country." LAPD gang units weren't as vigilant in recording tattoos as they would later become, so it may not have been recorded.

Interesting. I appreciate your perspective.

 

[beavt]

I received a call back from the detective working Chris’s case and they are pursuing it.