CO CO - Garfield Co, WhtMale 35-65, 789UMCO, skeletal in tent, Sep'04

[JSolt1210]

Great work with the deciphering! One thing that doesn’t seem to fit is the currency he had on him was from 1999, so authorities assumed he had been deceased 5 years. Also just thinking, is it a bit unusual for a regular hiker to be a heavy smoker?

In regards to the currency, I think if he "kept to himself", as per the Vermont State Police report, then maybe he didn't go out enough to allow his cash to circulate. He could've restricted himself only to necessary purchases, using credit/debit or even EBT cards. Any cash he earned, he could've simply been storing at home until the day he decided to leave.

Even if this ends up not being Mark Husk, I'm sure this still applies to most loners.

 

[Traymar]

Just checking in... no updates?

 

[Eaps1987]

Hi guys, super new to this one so excuse me if this has been brought up. It’s unlikely they still have the towing records from that far back, but wouldn’t there have been an abandoned vehicle somewhere? At a trail head parking lot or a park? He had to get to the mountain somehow with all that gear. I was also wondering if anyone had seen more pictures of the cigarettes? Being a smoker I have noticed The bottom of the packs usually have a sticker from the state they were sold (although I don’t know when they started doing that). If his said Colorado then maybe a dead end, but if they’re from another state that could be a place to look into.

 

[websurfer]

Has anyone uploaded the recent forensic clay reconstruction of 789UMCO yet?

 

[websurfer]

Has anyone added the recent Forensic reconstruction of this case yet?

 

[JSolt1210]

Has anyone added the recent Forensic reconstruction of this case yet?

If you mean the following reconstruction, it was added on Page 12, Post #240:

They've added several facial reconstructions on his NamUs page, providing different angles and characteristics such as facial hair and glasses.
Unidentified Person Case

 

[Eaps1987]

Hi guys, super new to this one so excuse me if this has been brought up. It’s unlikely they still have the towing records from that far back, but wouldn’t there have been an abandoned vehicle somewhere? At a trail head parking lot or a park? He had to get to the mountain somehow with all that gear. I was also wondering if anyone had seen more pictures of the cigarettes? Being a smoker I have noticed The bottom of the packs usually have a sticker from the state they were sold (although I don’t know when they started doing that). If his said Colorado then maybe a dead end, but if they’re from another state that could be a place to look into.

I did a little more googling on this and it looks like the state tax stickers started being applied in the late 70s. So it’s likely the cigarettes might have had a state tax sticker on them. Would be interesting to see what state and start looking for
Missing people from there.

 

[carbuff]

I did a little more googling on this and it looks like the state tax stickers started being applied in the late 70s. So it’s likely the cigarettes might have had a state tax sticker on them. Would be interesting to see what state and start looking for
Missing people from there.

I'm pretty sure we discussed this at one point, so maybe there's something in the early part of the thread?

 

[Eaps1987]

I'm pretty sure we discussed this at one point, so maybe there's something in the early part of the thread?

I looked back and didn’t see anything about it, but thinking about it more I’m sure that the investigators would have put that in the case info if there was a state tax sticker. There’s so little clues to go on I don’t think they would hold that back.

 

[papijoe2002]

I’m uploading these images of his letter after editing them on my phone with an app in an attempt to clear up the writing (adjusting contrast, shadow, sharpening, etc.). I’m not sure how they’ll appear on a desktop.

In the first image, I think I see the word "CHOICE" on the second line from the bottom (I added it in). Since he mentions a "third choice" later on, it makes sense to me for a first or a second choice to appear beforehand. So now it looks like "CHOICE DO"... The word before that, though.. does it look like "FEWER" to anyone?

Also the "STINgy FOOL"... I feel like I see a "T" at the end so that instead of "FOOL" maybe it's "FAULT"? Could it say "TINy FAULT"? I suspect there's some ink bleed-through from the page(s) underneath. For example, the part that was once thought to read "FAVOR" or "FLAVOR", but which now looks more like "SAVED", also appears in the same spot on the second page, on the third line above "$25,000." Maybe ink bleed-through is responsible for what looks to be two separate letters—"gy"—so that "STINgy" is really "TINy." Maybe he's trying to be humorous and say he got himself into this "tiny" mess?

I still can't make heads or tails of the bottom, though, and that was the whole point of editing the images. I feel like I see: "ANG [??] CAJYOW $25 RD" or "$25,000" as in the second page. What do you all think?

The first page tells us his "first choice" and the second page tells us his "third choice" so I knew at the bottom of the first page MUST be his "second choice". I stared at that word for hours and somehow it never occurred to me that it was the word "choice". Good job!

 

[papijoe2002]

So the bottom of the first page must be his "second choice" for what to do with his remains. If that word is indeed"choice" then maybe the word before it is "second"? Maybe the word after "choice" is "would"? As in "second choice would be...."

 

[papijoe2002]

The words at the bottom of page one need to relate to final arrangements. I'm looking for words like: ashes, urn, cremated, funeral, head stone, buried, cemetery etc....

 

[JSolt1210]

The first page tells us his "first choice" and the second page tells us his "third choice" so I knew at the bottom of the first page MUST be his "second choice". I stared at that word for hours and somehow it never occurred to me that it was the word "choice". Good job!

Thank you!

So the bottom of the first page must be his "second choice" for what to do with his remains. If that word is indeed"choice" then maybe the word before it is "second"? Maybe the word after "choice" is "would"? As in "second choice would be...."

Agreed! In fact I think I now see the word "BE", which I added in red. I added other letters I think are there in green (see attached pic), following your format.

I'm having trouble, though, seeing "SECOND" before "CHOICE" on the first page. Maybe he didn't write sequentially, using the actual words "first... second... third." He doesn't use "first" in the first paragraph, for example.

I'm thinking it was more like:
"I would like for you to claim the body, etc.
Another/Next choice would be to..., etc.
Third choice is to take them up in a glider."

The words at the bottom of page one need to relate to final arrangements. I'm looking for words like: ashes, urn, cremated, funeral, head stone, buried, cemetery etc....

Yeah, I'm with you. I just can't think of a second choice that both makes sense and fits the last two lines of the first page. Or, if the last line of the first page is an address, legal signature or even inheritance as speculated above, then the second choice would have to be only one word!

I think the second choice has to be cremation, though I don't know how he wrote it. The first choice is clearly "claim the body, no services or much real ceremony," which suggests the traditional burial of an intact body. The third choice is "take them up in a glider." What is "them" in that context if not ashes? If he uses a pronoun to refer to the ashes, then that means "ashes" (or cremation, burning, etc.) must've been referenced earlier. Assuming there are no missing pages, the only logical spot for that reference is in the "second choice."

Also, above the word "CHOICE," I think I can now make out an "R" so that it reads "[...] ER TO [...]." Not sure if that helps.

 

[papijoe2002]

Yes I agree.Because of "them" I think that one of two words at the bottom of the first page needs to be either "ashes" or "remains"

 

[Traymar]

Thank you!



Agreed! In fact I think I now see the word "BE", which I added in red. I added other letters I think are there in green (see attached pic), following your format.

I'm having trouble, though, seeing "SECOND" before "CHOICE" on the first page. Maybe he didn't write sequentially, using the actual words "first... second... third." He doesn't use "first" in the first paragraph, for example.

I'm thinking it was more like:
"I would like for you to claim the body, etc.
Another/Next choice would be to..., etc.
Third choice is to take them up in a glider."



Yeah, I'm with you. I just can't think of a second choice that both makes sense and fits the last two lines of the first page. Or, if the last line of the first page is an address, legal signature or even inheritance as speculated above, then the second choice would have to be only one word!

I think the second choice has to be cremation, though I don't know how he wrote it. The first choice is clearly "claim the body, no services or much real ceremony," which suggests the traditional burial of an intact body. The third choice is "take them up in a glider." What is "them" in that context if not ashes? If he uses a pronoun to refer to the ashes, then that means "ashes" (or cremation, burning, etc.) must've been referenced earlier. Assuming there are no missing pages, the only logical spot for that reference is in the "second choice."

Also, above the word "CHOICE," I think I can now make out an "R" so that it reads "[...] ER TO [...]." Not sure if that helps.

Yes! Could it be something like "whatever choice would be" - best or easier? In other words, leaving it up to Lib or whomever, to go with whatever choice would be - best, easiest, cheapest? That could fit with just having one word.

Then he could be tossing in the glider idea for levity after that... I don't know. This haunts me!

 

[JSolt1210]

Yes! Could it be something like "whatever choice would be" - best or easier? In other words, leaving it up to Lib or whomever, to go with whatever choice would be - best, easiest, cheapest? That could fit with just having one word.

Then he could be tossing in the glider idea for levity after that... I don't know. This haunts me!

Yeah, I know what you mean! Ugh, I feel like I just look hard enough, I'll eventually see something!

Hmmm, what if the line with "choice" reads:
"CHOICE WO[ULD] BE THRI[FTY]"
This still fits what we seem to agree is his concern for others not spending too much money on him.

I feel like the general gist of his letter is something like:

Dear Lib, I'm reaching the end of my journey. If you don't find me before it's too late, then I want you to claim the body—but please, no services or ceremony. Now, you know I'm not stingy. So if a long time passes before you find me, then do whatever is easy and cheap with my remains. Of course, if you really want to go all out for me, then take them up in a glider and scatter them to the wind. I promise not to get sick on you!

I was trying to work on the last line, which to me looks like "YOW $25,000", and I found that "YOW" was an abbreviation for "Your Other Warehouse," which Home Depot acquired in 2001... which means that at the projected time of the disappearance, it was its own separate company. Where did YOW have locations? Was he an employee? Is he referring to a life insurance policy he had through them under that amount? Is he saying something like, "Don't spend any money on me... but of course, if you want to, then there's $25,000 you can use to rent a glider and scatter my ashes to the wind"?

 

[Traymar]

Yeah, I know what you mean! Ugh, I feel like I just look hard enough, I'll eventually see something!

Hmmm, what if the line with "choice" reads:
"CHOICE WO[ULD] BE THRI[FTY]"
This still fits what we seem to agree is his concern for others not spending too much money on him.

I feel like the general gist of his letter is something like:

Dear Lib, I'm reaching the end of my journey. If you don't find me before it's too late, then I want you to claim the body—but please, no services or ceremony. Now, you know I'm not stingy. So if a long time passes before you find me, then do whatever is easy and cheap with my remains. Of course, if you really want to go all out for me, then take them up in a glider and scatter them to the wind. I promise not to get sick on you!

I was trying to work on the last line, which to me looks like "YOW $25,000", and I found that "YOW" was an abbreviation for "Your Other Warehouse," which Home Depot acquired in 2001... which means that at the projected time of the disappearance, it was its own separate company. Where did YOW have locations? Was he an employee? Is he referring to a life insurance policy he had through them under that amount? Is he saying something like, "Don't spend any money on me... but of course, if you want to, then there's $25,000 you can use to rent a glider and scatter my ashes to the wind"?

Yes, sounds possible. I looked up YOW and found this article from 2001 at the time of the sale. They were based in Baton Rouge and had a Las Vegas location, as well. Maybe worth looking into?

Home Depot buys "Your Other Warehouse"

 

[JSolt1210]

Yes, sounds possible. I looked up YOW and found this article from 2001 at the time of the sale. They were based in Baton Rouge and had a Las Vegas location, as well. Maybe worth looking into?

Home Depot buys "Your Other Warehouse"

Oh wow, great find! Las Vegas is about a 10.5-hour drive away from Sleep Cat Peak, which can be doable—perhaps for like a weekend getaway?

Up to now I guess I had been identifying him more with Mark Husk from Vermont, but I have to remember that that's not definite. And Las Vegas is a LOT closer to Colorado than Vermont is.

 

[carbuff]

The glider comment has always sounded to me like it refers to some past incident when he and Lib were up in a glider and he threw up on him/her.

 

[JSolt1210]

The glider comment has always sounded to me like it refers to some past incident when he and Lib were up in a glider and he threw up on him/her.

Or maybe even in a roller coaster, or anything involving heights and motion which gave him nausea. But you're right—the comment sounds too specific and likely references an actual incident, or at least something he was known for (becoming easily nauseated).