Identified! Canada - Laurentian Hills, WhtMale 28-40, 334UMON, eyeglasses, Sep'01 - Name withheld

[Manwel]

Jumping into this thread after reading practically every post to offer some ideas:

*His port-mortem photo helpfully re-shared above by sunshiny day suggests, IMO, post-mortem bloating. I would expect his facial features shown are more fatty than he actually looked in life, so I would anticipate thinner face to go with projected weight and height.

*I agree about dental work. Those look like veneers/caps/crowns which suggests money and someone whose appearance mattered to them in some way.

*Given the appearance, height, and travel itinerary uncovered, it's possible this is a South American resident, but from a well-off nation, and that might explain the difficulty narrowing down his identity. I would look at Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, or Colombia. Moreover, it's quite common to find more light-complected residents in Argentina due to historical European expansion there.

*The right pinky ring significance could be related to professional status.

*Given that this itinerary included Costa Rica, Vancouver, and Ottawa area, this was likely a capable hiker. The inclusion of an Eagle Creek knapsack suggests day hiking. I tend to believe this person had more luggage in another location (with ID) and left that area for this day hike. A capable hiker would be able to cover 15-20 miles in a day.

*This person had a passport with them at some point to travel between Costa Rica and the U.S. To go from the U.S. to Canada pre-9/11 would require a passport only if not a U.S./Canadian citizen. U.S. and Canadian citizens would be able to travel back and forth with just an ID.

*First instinct about caffeine and diet pills: It was a suicide. Both bottles were both reported as empty. If this were someone taking them to power through a hike they would be half-full. Given that they had purchased energy bars at a GNC, that's most likely where they got the caffeine and diet pills. So they're recent purchases and totally empty. Best guess: They went on a global tour of major destinations and planned to die alone where they wouldn't be found easily. Why rural Ontario near Ottawa? Anyone's guess.

*W Hotels clue. That group was founded in 1998. In 2001 it had 14 locations according to this article. W NY; W Atlanta; W San Francisco; W Seattle; W Honolulu; W NY Court and Tuscany; W Westwood LA; 2 W New Orleans locations; W Sydney (the only international location); W Newark Suites; W Union Square; W Chicago City Center (August 2001). The Barclay Vancouver hotel visited by UID is not very high-quality compared to W and Sheraton. If UID was most interested in hiking, I would look at the Seattle W hotel, which has close access to Vancouver and may have been their border crossing point. Since they also stayed at a Toronto hotel, I would expect a flight from Vancouver to Toronto rather than cross-country road trip. (But you never know.) The missing link is the location of the Sheraton hotel, which may have been in the U.S. or Canada.

 

[Manwel]

But here's the counterpoint where this is potentially an American UID:

*Levi's pocket watch with compass on band (likely a clip-on kind)
*Eagle Creek knapsack
*Jockey underwear shorts (boxers are very American and the brand is most common to U.S.)
*Knows to shop at a GNC for pills
*The first Google result for Calvin Klein belts is Macy's.
*Fundamentals is an apparel brand available at Walmart.

In my opinion, this screams American no matter the nice denim available outside the United States and the Italian shoes that were "fairly worn." My read on this man, based on suspicion of suicide, is that he either had a terminal illness and wanted to end his life on his own terms, or he chose suicide due to mental health struggles or a cataclysmic event in his life. (9/11 didn't happen for another week so we can rule that one out.)

My thinking is that if he chose to travel as much as he did, it was a last hurrah. Therefore, it's possible that clothing items originating, seemingly, from Italy and London, would be items purchased while traveling there, not because he lived there. If he was a man of means, it's possible he was able to travel to both places previously. I still own a dress I acquired from a Primark store in London and I used to have boots from Cardiff. If I were found with them would people think I'm from the UK?

Say those items were not included in the list, would we still believe him to be European or South American? Possessing a brand of shirt from a Walmart store is pretty American to me. As is carrying an Eagle Creek bag. That's pretty common to outdoor stores in the U.S. like REI or Moosejaw. If I were a man from South America traveling around Canada with hiking plans, I likely would have brought my own because it's more difficult to track down items you need in foreign countries. Based on that, I would assume he's an American who acquired garments from abroad at an earlier time.

 

[carbuff]

I agree he's likely from the US. All the places he's been are places it's common for Americans to travel to. If he came to Canada for hiking, he wouldn't have needed a passport, so it wouldn't be surprising if it wasn't found.

He could have bought the clothing while traveling, but things like Italian shoes are often imported and sold in the US. Very little American clothing is actually made here.

 

[Ozoner]

Jumping into this thread after reading practically every post to offer some ideas:

*His port-mortem photo helpfully re-shared above by sunshiny day suggests, IMO, post-mortem bloating. I would expect his facial features shown are more fatty than he actually looked in life, so I would anticipate thinner face to go with projected weight and height.

*I agree about dental work. Those look like veneers/caps/crowns which suggests money and someone whose appearance mattered to them in some way.

*Given the appearance, height, and travel itinerary uncovered, it's possible this is a South American resident, but from a well-off nation, and that might explain the difficulty narrowing down his identity. I would look at Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, or Colombia. Moreover, it's quite common to find more light-complected residents in Argentina due to historical European expansion there.

*The right pinky ring significance could be related to professional status.

*Given that this itinerary included Costa Rica, Vancouver, and Ottawa area, this was likely a capable hiker. The inclusion of an Eagle Creek knapsack suggests day hiking. I tend to believe this person had more luggage in another location (with ID) and left that area for this day hike. A capable hiker would be able to cover 15-20 miles in a day.

*This person had a passport with them at some point to travel between Costa Rica and the U.S. To go from the U.S. to Canada pre-9/11 would require a passport only if not a U.S./Canadian citizen. U.S. and Canadian citizens would be able to travel back and forth with just an ID.

*First instinct about caffeine and diet pills: It was a suicide. Both bottles were both reported as empty. If this were someone taking them to power through a hike they would be half-full. Given that they had purchased energy bars at a GNC, that's most likely where they got the caffeine and diet pills. So they're recent purchases and totally empty. Best guess: They went on a global tour of major destinations and planned to die alone where they wouldn't be found easily. Why rural Ontario near Ottawa? Anyone's guess.

*W Hotels clue. That group was founded in 1998. In 2001 it had 14 locations according to this article. W NY; W Atlanta; W San Francisco; W Seattle; W Honolulu; W NY Court and Tuscany; W Westwood LA; 2 W New Orleans locations; W Sydney (the only international location); W Newark Suites; W Union Square; W Chicago City Center (August 2001). The Barclay Vancouver hotel visited by UID is not very high-quality compared to W and Sheraton. If UID was most interested in hiking, I would look at the Seattle W hotel, which has close access to Vancouver and may have been their border crossing point. Since they also stayed at a Toronto hotel, I would expect a flight from Vancouver to Toronto rather than cross-country road trip. (But you never know.) The missing link is the location of the Sheraton hotel, which may have been in the U.S. or Canada.

Are there accounts of people commuting suicide using caffeine pills? Wouldn't that cause of death be obvious in an autopsy?

 

[Manwel]

Are there accounts of people commuting suicide using caffeine pills? Wouldn't that cause of death be obvious in an autopsy?

According to someone familiar with the case who posted earlier in the thread, LE confirmed cause of death was overdose from caffeine pills. I actually know someone who attempted suicide using caffeine pills. He didn't take enough and just caused a really bad rapid heart rate that scared him and he was sweating for a few hours. But for people who take enough, it can basically induce cardiac arrest. Some literature from NIH suggests this is a rare form of suicide because massive doses affect the gastrointestinal tract and people often vomit up the pills. It's possible, then, he took them over a period of several hours perhaps? But it can't have been a pleasant experience in final hours if this was his decision.

Then again, someone shared a detail about how he had a bloody nose when found. I don't recall where in the thread I saw that but there were details about a bloody nose? Can someone confirm if I saw that correctly? If so, that makes me wonder if he tried to snort the pills in a crushed form instead. That would potentially alter how the body processes the drug and likely reduce the gastric effects.

 

[Manwel]

I agree he's likely from the US. All the places he's been are places it's common for Americans to travel to. If he came to Canada for hiking, he wouldn't have needed a passport, so it wouldn't be surprising if it wasn't found.

He could have bought the clothing while traveling, but things like Italian shoes are often imported and sold in the US. Very little American clothing is actually made here.

Yeah. That's a good point. The Replay shoes seem like they might have been available at a Macy's, too.

If the UID is not Jerald Gelb, and since people have suggested that identity and received no confirmation over the years, I guess we have to assume it's not. So I'm really surprised there aren't many other seemingly relevant hits in NamUs.

 

[branmuffin]

According to someone familiar with the case who posted earlier in the thread, LE confirmed cause of death was overdose from caffeine pills. I actually know someone who attempted suicide using caffeine pills. He didn't take enough and just caused a really bad rapid heart rate that scared him and he was sweating for a few hours. But for people who take enough, it can basically induce cardiac arrest. Some literature from NIH suggests this is a rare form of suicide because massive doses affect the gastrointestinal tract and people often vomit up the pills. It's possible, then, he took them over a period of several hours perhaps? But it can't have been a pleasant experience in final hours if this was his decision.

Then again, someone shared a detail about how he had a bloody nose when found. I don't recall where in the thread I saw that but there were details about a bloody nose? Can someone confirm if I saw that correctly? If so, that makes me wonder if he tried to snort the pills in a crushed form instead. That would potentially alter how the body processes the drug and likely reduce the gastric effects.

I have a vague recollection of someone who thought images of UID showed blood but not really certain.

 

[Ark]

According to someone familiar with the case who posted earlier in the thread, LE confirmed cause of death was overdose from caffeine pills. I actually know someone who attempted suicide using caffeine pills. He didn't take enough and just caused a really bad rapid heart rate that scared him and he was sweating for a few hours. But for people who take enough, it can basically induce cardiac arrest. Some literature from NIH suggests this is a rare form of suicide because massive doses affect the gastrointestinal tract and people often vomit up the pills. It's possible, then, he took them over a period of several hours perhaps? But it can't have been a pleasant experience in final hours if this was his decision.

Then again, someone shared a detail about how he had a bloody nose when found. I don't recall where in the thread I saw that but there were details about a bloody nose? Can someone confirm if I saw that correctly? If so, that makes me wonder if he tried to snort the pills in a crushed form instead. That would potentially alter how the body processes the drug and likely reduce the gastric effects.

This is why I'm swaying away from the notion he committed suicide. Based on the clues so far, that he was clearly not a transient and was at least somewhat wealthy, traveled a fair bit, seemed to take good care of himself, I really don't think he committed suicide at all. I can't believe he purposely overdosed on caffeine pills when A) It's very hard to do, B) There are far better and easier ways to do it, especially if you have a bit of money (That didn't mean to sound bleak, but it's true.). Just looking at the guy and reading all about this, I cant believe he would have chosen that way to go, and i would deem this an accidental overdose. He had bought energy bars as well... If you were going to go on a hike and commit suicide at some point along the way, why would you bring things that would help you... To me, that doesn't make sense one bit.

This is just my opinion, and I may be way off track as I haven't read every single post of this thread, and it also gets us no closer to solving who he is (which is obviously the main task), but I just wanted to throw my two cents in to the suicide theory. My theory is, he was a bit of a go getter, constantly had caffeine pills and fat loss pills as a way to maintain his weight but still be energetic (I remember reading somewhere that that was quite common once upon a time, maybe still is?) he had a rough night the night before, bought energy bars and a load of caffeine pills, took a load to try and pull him through the hike, and his heart just gave out.

He most likely wasn't from the area, maybe only there a couple of days and is why he wanted to do said hike despite how he was feeling, and pushed himself way beyond his limit. He's short for a man though so he would definitely be easy to narrow down on NamUS etc, so it looks like he was just never reported, which sucks. Looks so identifiable.

Aaaaanyway, just felt compelled to post all my speculative theory on this guy.

 

[Ark]

Has this guy been considered.?
http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,4643,7-123-1589_31786_32000-213609--,00.html
Glenn R. Hustin

Missing from: Middleton, Mich.
Birth: April 28, 1970
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 120 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

Glenn R. Hustin was last seen at his residence on Feb. 5, 2001. He disappeared one week prior to a scheduled court date in Gratiot County to testify as a witness

I also kind of want to bring back this guy in to the discussion. The photo on NamUS doesn't seem to have a date on when it was taken (unless i'm wrong), so it could be a younger version of Glenn. Whats interesting for me anyway to note with Glenn is that he wore a silver "mood" ring.

If you look at the ring listed here: Deep River John Doe could one not be easily mistaken for the other?? (Note: I don't know if this is the exact ring that was found with the UID? Because to me that looks like a mood ring, not a ring with an aquamarine stone.)

He was from Michigan, just over the border, the height fits, he had money, and he had a reason to move about a bit (Avoid his court date).

Just food for thought.

EDIT - I've read more about him and deemed that this most likely is not him (teeth for one are very dissimilar, and that's really the key factor along with some other lifestyle things i've read. I got too excited about the ring... )

 

[sunshiny day]

Death in woods still a mystery 18 months later

This is an interesting news article.

 

[dotr]

Death in woods still a mystery 18 months later

This is an interesting news article.

Thanks for the link!
Wondering now about the condoms (new info for me) and if the uid got lost along his way to a wooded "meeting site" imo.
Death in woods still a mystery 18 months later
Feb 17 2003 by Gloria Galloway
''The man -- a well-tanned, fit, Caucasian who appears to have been in his 30s -- had walked for an hour and a half from Highway 17 in early September, 2001, to a trail that most of Deep River's 4,200 residents don't know exists.''

"He was found lying across the seat in an outhouse," said Detective Tracy Brants of the Deep River detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. "He had an emergency blanket on him, and it looked like he had gone to sleep there for the night."
''The man's outdoor clothes were of good quality. His Pepe jeans, which probably cost more than $100, were held up by a Calvin Klein belt. On the pinky finger of his right hand he wore a silver ring with an aqua-coloured stone.''

''His luggage was fastened with a sticker from a Costa Rican domestic airline that caters mostly to U.S. and Canadian tourists. He was also carrying condoms distributed by a limited number of health agencies in Toronto.''

''And it's just plain odd that a stranger would have been in that part of the woods. "It's not well known even among the locals," Det. Brants said.''

 

[Manwel]

Thanks for the link!
Wondering now about the condoms (new info for me) and if the uid got lost along his way to a wooded "meeting site" imo.
Death in woods still a mystery 18 months later
Feb 17 2003 by Gloria Galloway
''The man -- a well-tanned, fit, Caucasian who appears to have been in his 30s -- had walked for an hour and a half from Highway 17 in early September, 2001, to a trail that most of Deep River's 4,200 residents don't know exists.''

"He was found lying across the seat in an outhouse," said Detective Tracy Brants of the Deep River detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. "He had an emergency blanket on him, and it looked like he had gone to sleep there for the night."
''The man's outdoor clothes were of good quality. His Pepe jeans, which probably cost more than $100, were held up by a Calvin Klein belt. On the pinky finger of his right hand he wore a silver ring with an aqua-coloured stone.''

''His luggage was fastened with a sticker from a Costa Rican domestic airline that caters mostly to U.S. and Canadian tourists. He was also carrying condoms distributed by a limited number of health agencies in Toronto.''

''And it's just plain odd that a stranger would have been in that part of the woods. "It's not well known even among the locals," Det. Brants said.''

Is the emergency blanket new information? I don't recall seeing that before and now I'm even more confused. This guy is such a mystery. An emergency blanket makes me think he was prepared for an overnight situation, or at least an emergency, so if he was suicidal that doesn't make sense. But he died from an overdose of caffeine pills and at least one resource says the bottles were empty. To me that says intentional overdose. He'd otherwise need to be popping those things every day like an idiot and I still find that hard to believe.

 

[Ozoner]

Is the emergency blanket new information? I don't recall seeing that before and now I'm even more confused. This guy is such a mystery. An emergency blanket makes me think he was prepared for an overnight situation, or at least an emergency, so if he was suicidal that doesn't make sense. But he died from an overdose of caffeine pills and at least one resource says the bottles were empty. To me that says intentional overdose. He'd otherwise need to be popping those things every day like an idiot and I still find that hard to believe.

I've been trying to think of other reasons why Deep River John Doe might have been popping caffeine pills. Dieting and travel can both cause constipation; maybe he was severely constipated. Caffeine is a stimulant, so he might have taken a large number of caffeine pills in order to cure a severe case of constipation. That could also be why he was in the outhouse. (I'm sure that this theory is a long shot, but I'm trying to think outside the box, speak.)

 

[branmuffin]

Death in woods still a mystery 18 months later

This is an interesting news article.

It's interesting because it's the first time I've heard he was carrying condoms. The fact the article says the condoms were distributed by a limited number of health agencies makes me wonder if they were from downtown agencies distributing to gay men.

The high levels of caffeine in his system may have been to stave off fatigue from non stop traveling and a requirement for attentiveness in his job. High doses of caffeine can also enhance sexual arousal.

Caffeine overdoses causes extreme agitation, vomiting and cardiac arrest. Is it possible that John Doe was not alone out there? And if he went into cardiac arrest, his unknown companion panicked and took his I.D since his identity could have exposed the person with him?

It's just such an odd case. There are several cases out there where you'd think the UID would have been identified years ago. This is one of them. I don't think we're ever going to find a match in US Missing files because I don't think he's an American. He's familiar with both the US and Canada but as an international visitor. IMO

 

[dotr]

.

 

[Ozoner]

It's interesting because it's the first time I've heard he was carrying condoms. The fact the article says the condoms were distributed by a limited number of health agencies makes me wonder if they were from downtown agencies distributing to gay men.

The high levels of caffeine in his system may have been to stave off fatigue from non stop traveling and a requirement for attentiveness in his job. High doses of caffeine can also enhance sexual arousal.

Caffeine overdoses causes extreme agitation, vomiting and cardiac arrest. Is it possible that John Doe was not alone out there? And if he went into cardiac arrest, his unknown companion panicked and took his I.D since his identity could have exposed the person with him?

It's just such an odd case. There are several cases out there where you'd think the UID would have been identified years ago. This is one of them. I don't think we're ever going to find a match in US Missing files because I don't think he's an American. He's familiar with both the US and Canada but as an international visitor. IMO

I think the homosexuality angle is very likely. I'm not so sure he's from outside North America; he may well be an American who was never reported missing. It may not be politically correct, but there are some families that will disown someone who comes out of the closet, so if he was a gay male, he may have been estranged from his family. It may also be that he had no close relatives who were still living.

ETA: It's entirely possible that a report was taken but not entered into any online databases; we've seen that before.

 

[branmuffin]

I think the homosexuality angle is very likely. I'm not so sure he's from outside North America; he may well be an American who was never reported missing. It may not be politically correct, but there are some families that will disown someone who comes out of the closet, so if he was a gay male, he may have been estranged from his family. It may also be that he had no close relatives who were still living.

ETA: It's entirely possible that a report was taken but not entered into any online databases; we've seen that before.

Yes, I can see that possibility, unfortunately.

 

[dotr]

Do not think that this mp has been suggested so far, some details match up, although he does not look quite like the pm of the UID male..
rbbm.
Missing Persons - Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Kevin Dillon

''Date Reported Missing: July 23, 1998
Missing From: St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Age at time of Disappearance: 48 years

Kevin Dillon was reported missing from St. John’s, NL by a family member on July 23, 1998. On July 17, 1998 items were found on a cliff in Middle Cove and identified as belonging to Kevin Dillon. On July 24, 1998 Kevin’s car was located on Middle Cove Beach along with his wallet, keys, and glasses. Kevin is described as 5’4”, 120lbs, with short brown hair and blue eyes.''

Deep River John Doe

Sex Male
Race White
Location Deep River, Ontario
Found September 5, 2001
Unidentified for 19 years
Postmortem interval 2-3 days
Body condition Recognizable face
Age approximation 28 - 40
Height approximation 5'3 - 5'4
Weight approximation 130 pounds

 

[dotr]

?
MM-0124
MM-0124

MAILLO Hugues Jean Joseph

• Missing since: October 1, 1993
• Missing from: Montréal , France

MAILLO Jean Joseph was last seen in Montréal, France on October 1, 1993.

• Race: Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Age: 30
• Height: 170 cm
• Weight: 65 kg
• Eye Color: Blue
• Hair Color: Brown curly

 

[dotr]

?
The Doe Network: Case File 1133DMNET

van Leent, circa 1989

Stephanus Franciscus Marie van Leent
Missing since December 8, 1989 from Groningen, Netherlands.
Classification: Missing

• • Date Of Birth: June 3, 1967
  • Age at Time of Disappearance: 22 years old
  • Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 168 cm; Thin build.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. dark blond hair, balding; blue/grey eyes, glasses. Shoe size 40. He speaks fluent French and English.
  • Dentals: He has a broken right front tooth
  • AKA: Steven van Leent

Circumstances of Disappearance
On December 8th, 1989 van Leent, a law student disappeared from Groningen, Netherlands. In 1990, he was possibly sighted in a youth-hostel in Bretage, France.

For the family he left a letter behind that he the wide world withdrew. He has a preference for France where he studied French at the Catholic University in Paris''.