Identified! CA - Oakland, UnkUnk, mummified, in old convention center, Mar'22 - Joseph Edward Mejica

[Blurgle]

Construction crew finds mummified body in wall at old Oakland convention center

A construction crew discovered what authorities described Wednesday as a mummified body in the wall of a historic building undergoing a remodel in Oakland.

Deputies were dispatched to the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, near the city's downtown, after a worker noticed what appeared to be a human body in a wall that was being deconstructed, Lt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said.

"We found remains best described as mummified," he said. "The conditions in the walls were such that the body was preserved in good conditions."

Authorities plan on obtaining fingerprints to determine who the person is, how they got there and how long they've been there, Kelly said.

"Any theory is possible," he said. "It could be anything from someone who got in behind the wall and became trapped and died to someone put the person there. God only knows."

The convention center, named for the ship-building industrialist who later founded what became one of the nation's largest health insurance companies, Kaiser Permanente, opened in 1914 and was shuttered nearly a century later.

A redevelopment project approved in 2015 is turning the site into a mixed-use performing arts venue.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Mummified body found by construction worker in wall of Oakland convention center: "God only knows" - CBS News

from link - "CBS San Francisco reports the convention center is owned by the city of Oakland and was closed in 2005 when officials decided Oakland's operating costs for the building were too expensive to sustain. Despite being declared an Oakland-designated historic landmark, the structure has fallen into increasing disrepair."

i wonder if it was a transient who was squatting and fell in there?

 

[cvaldez1975]

I think this is on the wrong post

lol! it didnt copy and paste, that was the previous. i cant find DM but here is another link

Ack! Mummified Body Found Inside Wall of Old Oakland Convention Center

 

[Blurgle]

Now reported to be male.

Mummified body found in wall of old Oakland convention center

Construction crews working on a remodel of the old convention center in Oakland found a Brendan Fraser-themed surprise: a mummy.

A worker stumbled across the remains, buried in a wall at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, around 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oakland police spokesperson Kim Armstead told the Mercury News.

The bones likely belonged to an adult male and were in late stages of decay, officials said.

It’s unclear how or when the man’s body got into the wall, but it had likely been there for “several years,” Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raymond Kelly told the News.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

This is going to be very difficult for his family. I hope media will keep that in mind when reporting the findings and writing their headlines.

 

[Richard]

Oakland Kaiser Convention Center

...the building was used as a makeshift hospital during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. The space was home to the Roller Derby throughout the 1950s and 60s, and on December 28, 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke there to an audience of 7,000 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. It was also a regular venue for the Grateful Dead from the late 1960s to the 1980s...

LINK:

Kaiser Convention Center - Wikipedia

Information about "1915alco.jpg" on henry j. kaiser convention center - Oakland - LocalWiki

 

[summergirl1]

This was certainly an awful ending for whoever this was. I hope they are able to identify him quickly.

 

[Blurgle]

Mummified Body Found In Oakland Convention Center Wall Was Likely Three to Five Years Old, Foul Play Not Suspected

Mummified Body Found In Oakland Convention Center Wall Was Likely Three to Five Years Old, Foul Play Not Suspected

11 March 2022

The story of the mummified body discovered inside a wall at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland has taken a turn for the less dramatic, and perhaps more tragic.

On Wednesday we learned that construction workers who are just beginning a major adaptive reuse project at the old convention center by Lake Merritt had found a semi-preserved corpse inside one of the walls they were demo-ing. Police investigators and the county coroner have done some quick work, and while we may not know the identity of the deceased person for some time, there is a bit more information that makes this unlikely to be a sensational-type crime story.

Lt. Frederick Shavies announced via Twitter video Thursday that investigators believe that foul play was not a factor in the death. The age and race of the victim are still not known, but we now know that it was a man, and that he likely died between three and five years ago, likely on site near where the body was found.

"Based on the [position] the victim’s body was found in, this tragic death was most likely an accidental death caused by positional asphyxiation due to compression from the small space," Lt. Shavies said. Also, "Markings and biological evidence at the top of the opening indicate the victim may have been deceased near the top, and over time his body slowly decayed and slipped toward the bottom of the cavity space."

This explanation is confusing without a visual aid, but it sounds like we may be talking about a homeless person who was squatting in the abandoned convention center and who somehow met his end by falling into this wall cavity from above.

The historic building, we know, has been out of use and largely abandoned for the better part of 17 years.

Lt. Shavies further explained that there were no signs of trauma on the remains, and the person's limbs were not bound. Police are therefore not pursuing this as a case of foul play.

On Wednesday, Lt. Ray Kelly with the Alameda County Sheriff's Office told NBC News of the body, "Any theory is possible. It could be anything from someone who got in behind the wall and became trapped and died, to someone put the person there. God only knows."

The county medical examiner will now perform an autopsy and dental exam, and eventually we may know the man's identity. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Oakland police’s homicide unit at 510-238-3821, or call the tip line at 510-238-7950.

The Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center was built in 1914, and as SFist discussed Wednesday, the building's long history includes serving as a makeshift hospital during the 1918-19 flu pandemic.

KPIX had a piece last night about how the discovery of the body was bringing new attention to the building and the many things that happened there over the last century, including an Elvis concert, many Grateful Dead concerts, and a 1962 speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The 1,500-seat theater and 5,000-seat arena space are now under renovation, and Orton Development is turning it into a performance venue in cooperation with the city.

 

[Magnum P.E.]

Sounds like he fell into or was stuck in a place where natural air currents dried him out and somewhat preserved his body, like a big food dehydrator (sorry if that grosses anyone out).

 

[cvaldez1975]

Mummified Body Found In Oakland Convention Center Wall Was Likely Three to Five Years Old, Foul Play Not Suspected

Mummified Body Found In Oakland Convention Center Wall Was Likely Three to Five Years Old, Foul Play Not Suspected

11 March 2022

The story of the mummified body discovered inside a wall at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland has taken a turn for the less dramatic, and perhaps more tragic.

On Wednesday we learned that construction workers who are just beginning a major adaptive reuse project at the old convention center by Lake Merritt had found a semi-preserved corpse inside one of the walls they were demo-ing. Police investigators and the county coroner have done some quick work, and while we may not know the identity of the deceased person for some time, there is a bit more information that makes this unlikely to be a sensational-type crime story.

Lt. Frederick Shavies announced via Twitter video Thursday that investigators believe that foul play was not a factor in the death. The age and race of the victim are still not known, but we now know that it was a man, and that he likely died between three and five years ago, likely on site near where the body was found.

"Based on the [position] the victim’s body was found in, this tragic death was most likely an accidental death caused by positional asphyxiation due to compression from the small space," Lt. Shavies said. Also, "Markings and biological evidence at the top of the opening indicate the victim may have been deceased near the top, and over time his body slowly decayed and slipped toward the bottom of the cavity space."

This explanation is confusing without a visual aid, but it sounds like we may be talking about a homeless person who was squatting in the abandoned convention center and who somehow met his end by falling into this wall cavity from above.

The historic building, we know, has been out of use and largely abandoned for the better part of 17 years.

Lt. Shavies further explained that there were no signs of trauma on the remains, and the person's limbs were not bound. Police are therefore not pursuing this as a case of foul play.

On Wednesday, Lt. Ray Kelly with the Alameda County Sheriff's Office told NBC News of the body, "Any theory is possible. It could be anything from someone who got in behind the wall and became trapped and died, to someone put the person there. God only knows."

The county medical examiner will now perform an autopsy and dental exam, and eventually we may know the man's identity. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Oakland police’s homicide unit at 510-238-3821, or call the tip line at 510-238-7950.

The Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center was built in 1914, and as SFist discussed Wednesday, the building's long history includes serving as a makeshift hospital during the 1918-19 flu pandemic.

KPIX had a piece last night about how the discovery of the body was bringing new attention to the building and the many things that happened there over the last century, including an Elvis concert, many Grateful Dead concerts, and a 1962 speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The 1,500-seat theater and 5,000-seat arena space are now under renovation, and Orton Development is turning it into a performance venue in cooperation with the city.

BBM that is what i was thinking when they said they didnt think it was foul play.

 

[Cagle]

Mummified Body Found In Oakland Convention Center Wall Identified as Missing Homeless Man

The body that was found by a construction worker last month and was initially described as "mummified" because of its state of apparent preservation inside a wall has finally been identified by the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau as Joseph Edward Mejica. Mejica was last seen alive on August 22, 2020 in the vicinity of Sixth and Fallon streets in Oakland.

After not being able to contact him, Mejica's mother reported him missing, saying he was known to frequent homeless camps in Oakland and that he would occasionally steal copper wire from construction sites to sell for cash — a detail that might provide a clue as to what he was after in the empty convention center property.

 

[YaYa_521]

Mummified Body Found In Oakland Convention Center Wall Identified as Missing Homeless Man

Rest in peace, Joseph.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Sincere condolences to Joseph's family.

 

[Blurgle]

Rest in peace, and condolences to his poor mother and the rest of his family.

 

[Richard]

Joseph Edward Mejica

LINK:

California coroner identifies 'mummified body' found in abandoned convention center as missing homeless man

Coroner identifies decayed body found inside convention center wall – SFBay

 

[SunSun]

Poor guy, what an awful thing. His obituary, I believe.

Joseph Mejica 1979 - 2022

 

[mtlupy]

RIP Joseph.

 

[Melt71]

RIP Joseph.