CANADA Canada - Toronto, Male, blue Roots sweater, cargo pants, Don River, Jul'02

[dotr]

July 14 2021
Toronto Police Service :: News Release #50407
''Case #: 2002-133898
The Toronto Police Service is requesting the public’s assistance with identifying a man found deceased.

On Friday, July 26, 2002, the remains of an unidentified man were found in the area of the Don River at the Queen Street Bridge.

The man is described as 30 to 40 years old, 5'5", 217 lbs., with long black hair and a slight moustache. He was wearing a red t-shirt, a blue "Roots" sweater, brown cargo style pants, a black belt, white socks, and black and white running shoes. He had some loose change with him when located.

Recently the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service and Office of the Chief Coroner, with the assistance of both the Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, undertook to have three variations of artist renditions completed of this man. Hopefully this will assist in someone recognizing him and bring some resolution to both his family and the investigation.'

 

[dotr]

Toronto police release sketches of unidentified man found dead 19 years ago

Three artist renditions of man found deceased. (Toronto Police Service)

''The man has yet to be identified and the cause of death is unknown.

On Wednesday, police released three different artist renditions of the man.

Anyone who recognizes him is asked to contact police at 416-808-7411 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).''

 

[dotr]

rbbm.
HUNTER: They found this John Doe in the Don. Do you know him? | Toronto Sun

Do you know this unidentified man? Photo by HANDOUT /TORONTO POLICE
'' My friend, criminologist, and author Michael Arntfield, calls these poor souls “the missing missing.”

No one has ever reported them missing. If a body is found, whether by homicide, suicide, misadventure or natural causes, there may be no way of identifying the dead.

In Ontario, there are about 108 bodies without names. The oldest of these date to the early 1970s.''

''Detectives believe the man had been dead several days. There was no tell-tale bullet or stab wounds to point to a definitive cause of death.


Toronto Police Det. Mary Vruna told me there were “no obvious signs of foul play” and that the man’s sad, lonely demise was “consistent with drowning.”


“How he ended up in the water is unknown,” Vruna said.


The veteran investigator noted that the reason several drawings were produced of the victim was because cops weren’t sure whether the man was light or dark-skinned.''

''Back to Arntfield and the “missing missing.” Likely, that man floating in the river was never reported as missing. If his family isn’t looking for him, neither will the cops.

“Not to sound crude, but they are an endangered species, and it’s incumbent upon society and the police to keep an eye out for people who are living on the margins,” Arntfield told the Toronto Sun last year.

He was talking about the majority of serial killer victims. It doesn’t appear the man found in 2002 was one of them.''

 

[Al Ka]

3425UMON - Unidentified Male

Date of Discovery: July 26, 2002
Location of Discovery: Toronto, Ontario
Estimated Date of Death: A few days prior to discovery.
State of Remains: Unknown
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 30-40 years old
Race: Unknown
Sex: Male
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 217 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Heavy build, shoulder-length hair, moustache. Full gold crown lower right first molar, a dental implant replacing upper right central incisor, multiple amalgam restorations.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Red t-shirt with indistinguishable white lettering, blue Roots brand sweater, brown cargo-style pants, black belt, black and white running shoes, and white socks.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Money $1.85

Circumstances of Discovery
On July 26, 2002, a male, believed to be between the ages of 30 to 40 years old, was found in the Don River, north of the Queen Street East Bridge. His post-mortem weight was recorded as being 217 lbs; however, this measurement may not represent his actual living weight due to post-mortem changes noted at autopsy. His appendix was present. He is thought to have been dead for a few days.

3425UMON

 

[SaintGertrude]

A shame that a fashion profiler hasn't given people an idea of the kind of person who would be wearing these clothes.
I wish there was more info on this and photos of what he was wearing but perhaps there is a link somewhere.

Is someone able to give a bit more info on the Don River as it is not the first time a body has turned up here including a couple of murders:-
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/sharmini
The Unsolved Murder of Simone Sandler

Do police automatically do a text with DNA sample in cases Doe cases like this and run it on the missing peoples and criminal database just in case.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

A shame that a fashion profiler hasn't given people an idea of the kind of person who would be wearing these clothes.
I wish there was more info on this and photos of what he was wearing but perhaps there is a link somewhere.

Is someone able to give a bit more info on the Don River as it is not the first time a body has turned up here including a couple of murders:-
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/sharmini
The Unsolved Murder of Simone Sandler

Do police automatically do a text with DNA sample in cases Doe cases like this and run it on the missing peoples and criminal database just in case.

BBM. Roots would have only been available in Canada at that time, as it did not start being sold en masse in the US and other countries until the mid-aughts. It's definitely on the more pricey side, IIRC a sweatshirt is around $80-120 CAD at present and is kind of a "status symbol" in parts of Canada. I wish they would have released photos of this decedent's clothing, it would have definitely been able to help figure out what type of person he was based off how he styled the hoodie. IMO I'd say this decedent is probably at least middle class solely based off the fact he owned a Roots hoodie in 2002.

 

[SaintGertrude]

BBM. Roots would have only been available in Canada at that time, as it did not start being sold in the US and other countries until the mid-aughts. It's definitely on the more pricey side, IIRC a sweatshirt is around $80-120 CAD at present and is kind of a "status symbol" in parts of Canada. I wish they would have released photos of this decedent's clothing, it would have definitely been able to help figure out what type of person he was based off how he styled the hoodie. IMO I'd say this decedent is probably at least middle class solely based off the fact he owned a Roots hoodie in 2002.

Is there a common theme with people wearing Roots hoodies, for example someone into hip hop music. What would his clothes style lean towards.

 

[SaintGertrude]

Is there a common theme with people wearing Roots hoodies, for example someone into hip hop music. What would his clothes style lean towards.

Interesting that his clothes were possibly on the pricey side yet - Additional Personal Items: Money $1.85

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

Is there a common theme with people wearing Roots hoodies, for example someone into hip hop music. What would his clothes style lean towards.

Most of the people I know that currently wear them or have worn them over the last ten or so years have been ice hockey players, Chinese/Taiwanese immigrants (brand is popular there now) or people whose parents are really really wealthy. However, I'm in my late 20's and I've never really seen anyone older than maybe 33 wear this brand - it feels like it's kind of like a Hollister or Abercrombie where older people wouldn't be caught dead with the logos. I am also in the US so I couldn't tell you what the fashion landscape in Toronto was at the time, but I would think that if the jeans or anything were a distinctive style LE would have talked specifically about them. Personally I am curious about the shoes - that would be the biggest tell to what kind of person he was when combined with the hoodie.
Here's a 2013 article that talks a bit about the brand: Roots: The Canadian Heritage Label You Need to Know About Now

 

[SaintGertrude]

Most of the people I know that currently wear them or have worn them over the last ten or so years have been ice hockey players, Chinese/Taiwanese immigrants (brand is popular there now) or people whose parents are really really wealthy. However, I'm in my late 20's and I've never really seen anyone older than maybe 33 wear this brand - it feels like it's kind of like a Hollister or Abercrombie where older people wouldn't be caught dead with the logos. I am also in the US so I couldn't tell you what the fashion landscape in Toronto was at the time, but I would think that if the jeans or anything were a distinctive style LE would have talked specifically about them. Personally I am curious about the shoes - that would be the biggest tell to what kind of person he was when combined with the hoodie.
Here's a 2013 article that talks a bit about the brand: Roots: The Canadian Heritage Label You Need to Know About Now

If he was wealthy I am surprised that he doesn't appear on any unclaimed monies lists or missing persons lists.
Unless down on his luck he must have had an apartment somewhere either owned or rented and a bank account at least.

 

[SaintGertrude]

Distinguishing Marks/Features: Heavy build, shoulder-length hair, moustache. Full gold crown lower right first molar, a dental implant replacing upper right central incisor, multiple amalgam restorations.

A dental amalgam is a metallic restorative material composed of a mixture of silver–tin–copper alloy and mercury. The unset mixture is pressed (condensed) into a specifically prepared undercut tooth form and contoured to restore the tooth's form and function.

 

[dotr]

The Roots clothing and cargo pants in 2002 suggests a person from mid or uptown Toronto. Roots is/was ''respectable'' comfort wear for a reasonably trendy middle- upper $$ person. imo.
There is a Roots store in the Eaton's Center (Downtown Toronto) which is fairly close to the water.
Roots - Store Locator

Yelp
ROOTS - EATON CENTER

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

The Roots clothing and cargo pants in 2002 suggests a person from mid or uptown Toronto. Roots is/was ''respectable'' comfort wear for a reasonably trendy middle- upper class person. imo.

Yep, this sounds correct. Do we have any specifics on the cargo pants?

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

If he was wealthy I am surprised that he doesn't appear on any unclaimed monies lists or missing persons lists.
Unless down on his luck he must have had an apartment somewhere either owned or rented and a bank account at least.

I almost wonder if he was someone who the family just assumed left to start over somewhere... We sadly see that all too often with these cases.

 

[dotr]

Toronto police share sketches, ask for help IDing man found dead in 2002

An artist sketch of a man found dead in Toronto near the Don River and Queen Street Bridge in 2002. - Toronto Police Service image

Toronto police are asking for the public's help identifying a man found dead in the city in 2002.

Three different artist sketches of the man have been released. He was found dead in the area of the Don River and Queen Street Bridge on Friday, July 26, 2002.

Two more sketches of the man. - Toronto Police Service images


He is described by police as between 30 and 40 years old, 5'5" and 217 pounds with long black hair and a slight mustache. He was wearing a red T-shirt, blue Roots sweater, brown cargo pants, black belt, white socks and black-and-white running shoes, and had some loose change with him.

 

[SaintGertrude]

The Roots clothing and cargo pants in 2002 suggests a person from mid or uptown Toronto. Roots is/was ''respectable'' comfort wear for a reasonably trendy middle- upper $$ person. imo.
There is a Roots store in the Eaton's Center (Downtown Toronto) which is fairly close to the water.
Roots - Store Locator

Yelp
ROOTS - EATON CENTER

Someone suggested that it may mean a 'roots sweater' as in a logo sweater worn by someone who works in the Canadian equivalent to the bodyshop. I think this would be too obvious to match with a missing person though.

 

[SaintGertrude]

Toronto police share sketches, ask for help IDing man found dead in 2002

An artist sketch of a man found dead in Toronto near the Don River and Queen Street Bridge in 2002. - Toronto Police Service image

Toronto police are asking for the public's help identifying a man found dead in the city in 2002.

Three different artist sketches of the man have been released. He was found dead in the area of the Don River and Queen Street Bridge on Friday, July 26, 2002.

Two more sketches of the man. - Toronto Police Service images


He is described by police as between 30 and 40 years old, 5'5" and 217 pounds with long black hair and a slight mustache. He was wearing a red T-shirt, blue Roots sweater, brown cargo pants, black belt, white socks and black-and-white running shoes, and had some loose change with him.

To me the sketch doesn't look dissimilar to the e-fit of the man police wanted to speak with about the Cinderella murders - Margaret McWilliam, 21, Toronto, 27 Aug 1987
Homicide- Missing Persons Unit are going to have a look at the link I am referring too but probably a bit vague.

Crosspost: CANADA - Canada - Margaret McWilliam, 21, Toronto, 27 Aug 1987 'Cinderella Murder'

Here is the river victim and then a the e-fit.

E-fit - Margaret McWilliam Case