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

[Carovb5]

It wouldn't be Steven Kirchhoff because he died in January 1978:

Steven Dick Kirchhoff (1955-1978) - Find a Grave...

www.findagrave.com

UPDATE: Never mind. I reread Carovb5's post with the Charley Project link, and Steven is missing presumed dead. I don't think they look alike, but he's not definitively ruled out.

On the grave, his mom’s name can be seen: Marga. Probably a stupid question (i’m not from the US) but is Mark sometimes used as a short for Marga? Or is Mark only used for males?

Grave seen here: Steven Dick Kirchhoff - CV Crime Stoppers

 

[Nannydrew]

Could that be Daniel Hoffer who went missing in 1975? or Rickey Enochs?

 

[hootdings]

is Mark sometimes used as a short for Marga? Or is Mark only used for males?

Grave seen here: Steven Dick Kirchhoff - CV Crime Stoppers

I've never heard Mark as shorthand for Marga.

 

[hootdings]

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

I searched newspapers.com and GenealogyBank.com for automobile accidents in the Riverside area for June 1-3, 1978, using a variety of search terms, and only found news of two fatal accidents, both of which only mentioned one fatality and they were both older men whose identities were known. Struck out there.

 

[hootdings]

The discoloration of those photos is a bit of a hindrance. Here's my half-assed attempt at color correction...

 

[Rosiedayme]

My first time on this page. I not even sure how I got here, however I found this photo with some links. As I not certain if it looks as the same man but here’s a something I found.

 

[Sweetluv]

.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

I guess that's where they found his mugshot.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

 

[LaMonadeLO]

Railway Express Agency is the logo on his shirt

And Wiki says that REA ceased doing business in 1975, so he likely worked there sometime in the early 1970's. I wonder if anyone has reached out looking for ex-REA employees to see if anyone remembered him or know if any old records exist. Unlikely of course. More likely that someone that worked there would recognize him. Not sure how anyone would even do that unless perhaps they belonged to the Riverside History pages on Facebook.

 

[Deleted member 306806]

.

You deserve the gold star for sleuthing this case! Great background information in the article.

He is not up on the Riverside County Sheriff's Unidentified page. Riverside Country Sheriff has an active Facebook page. I cannot tell if there has been posts about the UID.

 

[hootdings]

Nice work Sweetluv

 

[Sweetluv]

Thanks..but I honestly can't take all the credit! I have been researching this UID, and stumbled upon these articles on a Facebook page. The articles answer alot of questions we have all been asking.

 

[Susanna Richmond]

I stayed at a home for runaways in Riverside called Satellite in late 1978, I believe after the accident that took this kids life. He may have been through there at some point. It's now called Operation Safehouse. Also did anyone find out if the Vernon (manager) from Muncie have any kids named Mark,

 

[Susanna Richmond]

Almost all the kids hitchhiked back then. They would run away from the home and hitchhike around Riverside or back to where they came from. Or just around the Inland Empire area.

 

[Susanna Richmond]

At Satellite, they would take the clothes you came in and lock them up. They would give you donated clothes that they had there.

 

[rosesfromangels]

I think you are on the right track Susanna. The subject could have been traveling from town to town for many years, or he could have aged out of foster care. You are right, hitchhiking was extremely common at that time.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[xxlemos1234]

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.

 

[xxlemos1234]

I know someone posted about this man and he only had two daughters but he had to get the shirt from somewhere could this be an uncle cousin grandpa ? Neighbor?

 

[xxlemos1234]

Maybe left without telling anyone