CA CA - Riverside, WhtMale, pre-30s, UP134825, traffic accident, picture avil, multiple tattoos, June 2 1978

[Deleted member 306806]

This was added to NAMUS on December 12 2024. Photos of decedent and his multiple tattoos.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

Biological Sex: Male
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group Adult - Pre 30

Height 5' 11"(71 inches) , Measured
Weight180 lbs, Measured

Date Body Found June 2, 1978
NamUs Case Created December 12, 2024
Location Riverside, California
Circumstances of Recovery Decedent was a passenger of a vehicle that was involved in a traffic collision.

Hair Color Blond/Strawberry
Left Eye Color Hazel
Right Eye Color Hazel

Tattoo: Left arm: Jesse with heart and banner, Left upper arm: Enjoy, Lower left stomach: Flower tattoo, Right knee: Cross tattoo, Right arm: GEMINI, misc tattoos to right upper chest of a design.

 

[HmmMysterious]

Photo from NamUs

 

[Megsc]

I wonder what happened to the driver of the car

 

[Sweetluv]

Where did the actual photos of "Vernon" come from?
Did he have a wallet on him with no ID , but his picture inside of it?

 

[ProudSuggestion3528]

There is a PM photo in the Images and Document section, just a heads up.

 

[ProudSuggestion3528]

No Rule outs/exclusions for Riverside County John Doe (June '78)

 

[Sweetluv]

Photo from NamUs

View attachment 554622

Railway Express Agency is the logo on his shirt

 

[Deleted member 306806]

I wonder what happened to the driver of the car

Maybe someone with a Newspapers subscription or Genealogy database subscription can search the clippings.

I searched Google News Archives and searched NAMUS for the missing people with first, middle, last, and nickname "Vernon". No viable matches in the timeframe.

 

[Deleted member 306806]

His tattoos are interesting, from the NAMUS photos:

1 and 3. Jesse in a heart. Probably a girlfriend or wife, but possibly a child.
2. "Gemini"
3. A symbol. I am intrigued at what this symbol means.
4. Staggered letters spelling "Mark"
5. The word "Enjoy" with a symbol/underline.
6. A simple cross
7. "Mark" again - this time on hand or knuckles.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Where did the actual photos of "Vernon" come from?
Did he have a wallet on him with no ID , but his picture inside of it?

I bet he was previously arrested and they found the photos when they ran his prints. Maybe he used a fake name.

 

[Sweetluv]

Railway Express Agency ceased in 1975, but this accident happened in 1978. I wonder how old that picture is?

 

[Deleted member 306806]

Railway Express Agency ceased in 1975, but this accident happened in 1978. I wonder how old that picture is?

I wonder if he got the shirt second hand, and the photos are arrest photos. Obviously prior to the car accident.

 

[dulcinea]

There is a PM photo in the Images and Document section, just a heads up.

In that photo his hair appears to be quite wavy/curly. It also looked like he could have freckles, but it's possible those are just injuries/discolorations/markings from the accident.

There are two other photos posted that I assume came from his wallet. One is the one posted above. The other is a profile of the one posted above. It reminds me of a mugshot layout.

Clear photos, potential mugshots, identifiable tattoos...this feels so solvable.

 

[ProudSuggestion3528]

In that photo his hair appears to be quite wavy/curly. It also looked like he could have freckles, but it's possible those are just injuries/discolorations/markings from the accident.

There are two other photos posted that I assume came from his wallet. One is the one posted above. The other is a profile of the one posted above. It reminds me of a mugshot layout.

Clear photos, potential mugshots, identifiable tattoos...this feels so solvable.

I agree with you. I feel this can be solved easily but if not, maybe Riverside co can use genetic genealogy.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

This tattoo reminds me a bit of the old rune 'Fehu'.

Medieval Rune Letter F stock vector. Illustration of denmark - 179951669

Illustration about Black Simple Medieval Runes Alphabet Letter F. Illustration of denmark, black, letter - 179951669

www.dreamstime.com

 

[victoriarobinson642]

I submitted him to the Doe Network along with some reconstructions I did of his tattoos.

 

[Deleted member 306806]

I submitted him to the Doe Network along with some reconstructions I did of his tattoos.
View attachment 554662View attachment 554663View attachment 554664View attachment 554665View attachment 554666View attachment 554667View attachment 554668

Nice job!

 

[dulcinea]

Anybody know what the tattoo with three dots represents?

 

[catbrig]

Hello there, everyone! First time posting....

I've been obsessing over this case for the last hour after seeing it on one of the FB groups I follow.
Here's what I've got at this point. May be nothing, buy I'm throwing it out there. I believe the REA shirt is a red herring, and JD got it second-hand like Palisades mentioned.

Found this post on a Railway Express Agency Fangroup page:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10157757025782887&set=gm.627284387993106
Vernon Needham was the manager of the agency in Munice, Indiana. So he maybe donated his work clothes after that location closed. Looked at the Indiana State PD's Missing Persons Bulletin and NAMUS, but nothing fit.

Other than a mugshot, why would a dude in the 70s have these types of photos? (Just assuming they were found on his person)

I've been trying to look up old newspaper articles for Riverside and surrounding areas that mention an auto collision. Nothing yet. May have been a bus accident. Given the little info we know, we don't know what kind of vehicle he was a "passenger" of.

 

[catbrig]

View attachment 554636
This tattoo reminds me a bit of the old rune 'Fehu'.
View attachment 554637

Medieval Rune Letter F stock vector. Illustration of denmark - 179951669

Illustration about Black Simple Medieval Runes Alphabet Letter F. Illustration of denmark, black, letter - 179951669

www.dreamstime.com

I agree it does look very similar to fehu. With Nordic runes in mind, could "M A R K" be something other than "Mark" in English?