CANADA Canada - Halifax, NS, Male Skeletal 873UMNS, 18-23, in woods, Oct'04

[dotr]

Bumping, someone must be missing this well-dressed man.

 

[dotr]

Re post bump.
Rbbm.Just noticed that the UID's hair was not braided but in dredlocks, could that be significant in anyway, a hint of his occupation or of his home?

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/halifax-...man-found-dead-near-airport-in-2004-1.2047052

The RCMP responded to a report of human remains found in a wooded area off Highway 102 on Oct. 8, 2004.

Police say his body had been in the woods between five and seven days. They won’t say how he died, but do say there was evidence of an old injury, and that foul play is not suspected.

Photos

Police have released two sketches of a man whose body was found near the Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Oct. 8, 2004. (Halifax District RCMP)




“During the autopsy the medical examiner noted the man had a previously broken tibia,” says RCMP Det. Const. Michael Cheeseman.
Investigators have been unable to confirm the man’s identity but would like to return his remains to his family.
He is described as a physically-fit male, believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s, with unbraided, medium-length dreadlocks.

“We had evidence that he had dreadlocks from the photos at the scene and possibly that he had facial hair,” says RCMP forensic artist Sgt. Michel Fournier.
He was five-foot-eleven and weighed 160 pounds. Police say he appeared to have both ears pierced, although no jewelry was found.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

I just read this whole thread and did notice something, the articles mention that they haven't stated how he died and they don't suspect foul play, but his Doe Network profile now states his cause of death as suicide by hanging.

The decedent's skeletal remains were located near the Halifax International Airport behind the Petro-Canada near Highway 102 in a wooded area. He was hanging from a tree. source: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/873umns.html

Since investigators mentioned he may be a student, maybe they can check colleges in the area for drop out records during that semester. Specifically if there were any European students studying abroad.

I hope this case has gotten coverage in Europe seeing if anyone has a relative that studied/traveled to Canada and never returned.

 

[canteloupe]

Refreshing this thread.

One possibility for this UID is that he might have been part of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). The timing would make sense for him to have nicer clothes at the end of the growing season; this Nov. 2004 Maclean's article (published just a month after his death) discusses the uptick in retail sales in the early fall before SAWP migrants return home:

'A Simcoe discount store manager told University of Guelph researchers that the migrant workers' pre-return shopping spree is "literally like Christmas in September."'​

If he was a SAWP migrant in Nova Scotia, statistically he would most like be from Jamaica or Barbados. I don't have numbers from 2004, but this report--citing Human Resources Department Canada figures--identifies NS agricultural firms as receiving 88 total SAWP migrants, 16 from Jamaica and 72 from Barbados (p. 26). A Caribbean origin would fit adequately within the genetic profile the RCMP suggested a few years back.

Changing gears, I think his clothing will be most helpful for narrowing down his movements prior to October 2004. If collectors' sites are correct, the Real Madrid jersey corresponds to the 2003-2004 season. If new and genuine, he would have shelled out quite a bit (~$50-100 CAD) at just a handful of stores in Nova Scotia. It would be great to know the player to which the jersey corresponds. Probability suggests it will either be Beckham or Zidane. If the jersey is a knock-off, I'd start looking for his presence in a larger city, particularly Montreal. If the jersey number is Zidane's, then we might be looking for a French speaker. This is obviously a gross generalization, but Zidane--an acquired taste for many--was (and still is) quite popular in the Francophone world.

If the backpack contains his worldly possessions, then the clothes indicate he wasn't in Canada for a previous winter and didn't plan on staying for the next. Perhaps the RCMP didn't list his toiletries, but he also no additional socks or underwear, as well as no coat. As others have pointed out in this thread before, there were some warmish days the week prior to his death where the high reached the low 60s (F) with an average daytime temp of around 45-55F. He wasn't sleeping rough with this inventory and his clothes were folded and clean. I'd also love to know what the khaki item is on the table behind the burgundy Puma windbreaker pants as depicted in this photo from an RCMP presser.

Now, moving back to the SAWP potential, I read through several theses/dissertations that interviewed migrant workers, as I was curious about if/how the program ensures migrants return home. I found that the program will reallocate workers between provinces and farms should a variety of issues arise, including adverse weather that impact crops. This means someone might have initially arrived to work in an Ontario berry farm, but then be taken to BC or NS at the drop of a hat. Given how ridiculously expensive overseas calling cards were in 2004, a relocated laborer may not have been able to afford to communicate this change to family members.

As is also true for migrant farm labor in the US, employers also have a significant amount of discretionary power to terminate employment and force repatriation without much recourse for the terminated employee. So, what happens when a migrant laborer is terminated and can no longer remain in Canada? Well, I found the very first footnote in this 2016 MA thesis (p. 3) particularly interesting:

Under the SAWP, farm owners are empowered to send home workers without cause or reason, as such the threat of arbitrary repatriation is pervasive for all SAWP workers. Fear of repatriation is amplified when workers get sick or injured, as “medical repatriation” is common practice (see Orkin et al. 2014). For Jamaican workers, the liaison often facilitates speedy repatriations. In my experience, repatriated workers in Norfolk County were dropped off at a rural and desolate bus stop in the middle of the night (2-3 a.m.) where they were left alone to wait for the bus to the airport.​

I've added the bold emphasis to the last line. The UID was not just found near the primary highway exchange for the airport, but adjacent to route where the airport bus stops are located. Could he have lost his passport or it confiscated by an employer (against the law, but, sadly, not uncommon practice)? Could he have lost or been robbed of a secondary backpack or bum bag with his papers and other expected items, like toiletries? You find yourself jobless, facing repatriation, without documentation, and lacking a cell phone or funds to purchase a calling card. You lack the means or knowledge to contact your consulate and may be distrustful of the RCMP. A despondent individual in this situation might resort to suicide (though I am naturally concerned about this COD without explicit evidence of intentionality, given historical precedent).

Why has no one come looking for him? Well, perhaps they didn't know that he left to begin with, or assumed he remained in Canada--potentially without proper documentation--and have not wanted to undermine his chance at success. Perhaps they did reach out, but to the wrong province. Perhaps he enrolled in the program under a false name. Perhaps anyone who might look for him was caught up in anyone of the geopolitical or climatological crises that hit the Caribbean. Maybe he had no home to which return after Hurricane Ivan, which hit the Caribbean two weeks before he is estimated to have hanged himself. Ivan left 15,000 people homeless, killed 17 (this number is likely way too low), and disrupted commercial air travel to the island for weeks.

Hopefully these sources and thoughts are helpful for others looking to resolve this UID's identity.

 

[MtMommaBear74]

What about Terrance Deon Williams as a match?

http://http://charleyproject.org/cases/w/williams_terrance.html

He fits timeline - disappeared earlier in year than when John Doe was found, appearance is similar (stats match fairly closely, mixed ancestry,same hairstyle and beard, Very similar clothing, ALSO seems to have slightly crooked nose mentioned in John Doe profile) Circumstances may also match - He might be lying low - perhaps he fled to Canada? It is not mentioned that the John Doe has gold caps but they may have been lost postmortem as teeth often are.

Long story short, I seen the cold case on RCMP WEBSITE, LAST WEEK. I was trying to find and email and or phone number to make complaints regarding how police had dealt with a man who plowed thru Residential school protestors. (First Nations in US CLOSE TO CANADIAN BORDER)

I scrolled to the bottom of the COLD CASES BEFORE going back to copy and paste phone and email. I seen the black man, THINKING this shouldn’t be a COLD CASE. I MEAN THIS IS IN NOVA SCOTIA!

So how did I come across the name Terrance Dean Williams, on the Black and missing website, just quickly going thru the states. Using the year, using boots, and dread locks. And I knew I FOUND HIM! I have emailed everyone pertaining to him.

Thank you for posting this.. I am not crazy! Or there is someone as crazy as I am. Because I still believe it is him!

 

[dotr]

Long story short, I seen the cold case on RCMP WEBSITE, LAST WEEK. I was trying to find and email and or phone number to make complaints regarding how police had dealt with a man who plowed thru Residential school protestors. (First Nations in US CLOSE TO CANADIAN BORDER)

I scrolled to the bottom of the COLD CASES BEFORE going back to copy and paste phone and email. I seen the black man, THINKING this shouldn’t be a COLD CASE. I MEAN THIS IS IN NOVA SCOTIA!

So how did I come across the name Terrance Dean Williams, on the Black and missing website, just quickly going thru the states. Using the year, using boots, and dread locks. And I knew I FOUND HIM! I have emailed everyone pertaining to him.

Thank you for posting this.. I am not crazy! Or there is someone as crazy as I am. Because I still believe it is him!

Thread for TW..

FL - FL - Terrance Williams, 27, & Felipe Santos, 23, Collier Co, 2003 & 2004

This man seems happy, not angry or evil. Even with his criminal record, he doesn't seem like a person who would willingly disappear or not speak to his family. I don't think we can infer things from a person's photo. I doubt the person(s) he committed aggravated robbery on thought he was a...

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