DNA Doe Project - General Discussion #3

[doggybag2355]

New case from Sonoma County, Californi

Salmon Creek John Doe 2022 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

 

[summergirl1]

It's probably the remains of someone who drowned at some point but whose remains ( at least all of them) were never found at the time, as other recent identification of remains found on beaches have been. I would think from the medical hardware they could tell some sort of PMI. But it's officially listed as uncertain.

 

[djanga]

I don’t think this John Doe has a NamUs profile or a Websleuths thread. I’m just wondering about the description on his DDP page: “the bone contained surgical hardware” — I wonder what that could be?

 

[doggybag2355]

I don’t think this John Doe has a NamUs profile or a Websleuths thread. I’m just wondering about the description on his DDP page: “the bone contained surgical hardware” — I wonder what that could be?

Unfortunately the vagueness is pretty par-for-the-course for these kinds of cases. I’ve literally probably seen over 100 cases where the circumstances are just “Decedent was located in _____ county” with no more elaboration or description. The beach ones are especially hard since it is literally just a bone found on the beach, there’s very little more info you can typically glean from that

 

[Caring1]

On November 8, 1974, a van travelling through Baker, California on the I-15 crashed into a truck and burst into flames. The driver of the van died immediately and so did one of his passengers, a hitchhiker he had picked up. Two other passengers in the van survived.

The hitchhiker was 20-30 years old, 5’5”, and weighed 130 pounds. He may have been using the name Terence but also went by the nickname Lee. He was reportedly picked up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but was heading to Reno, Nevada to pick up a paycheck for a dishwashing job. He also said that he was originally from Florida, but that he had recently lived in Indiana.

 

[summergirl1]

It surprises me how many of the bones found on beaches have turned out to be people who were presumed drowned a long time ago, but whose remains were never found/or not all of them were found. But when you think about it, it's not surprising at all. It's just another thing genetic genealogy has been helpful about.

 

[djanga]

It surprises me how many of the bones found on beaches have turned out to be people who were presumed drowned a long time ago, but whose remains were never found/or not all of them were found. But when you think about it, it's not surprising at all. It's just another thing genetic genealogy has been helpful about.

Yes, I think exactly the same. I used to live in Sussex County, Delaware, which has only 13 cases of unidentified individuals on Namus, 11 of which are bones found on a beach. I remember swimming there for the first time — the tides were crazy and could be very dangerous.

 

[doggybag2355]

Yes, I think exactly the same. I used to live in Sussex County, Delaware, which has only 13 cases of unidentified individuals on Namus, 11 of which are bones found on a beach. I remember swimming there for the first time — the tides were crazy and could be very dangerous.

Ocean county in New Jersey had dozens of cases like that

 

[summergirl1]

I came across some of the New Jersey cases searching for possible matches to a woman who disappeared in NJ in the early 1980s, although there's no evidence she drowned. It never occurred to me, until reading about some genetic genealogy identifications how likely those remains are to be of known drowning victims, long known to be dead, but no body/or not their whole body was found. I was thinking more along the lines of homicide victims or suicides.

 

[doggybag2355]

I came across some of the New Jersey cases searching for possible matches to a woman who disappeared in NJ in the early 1980s, although there's no evidence she drowned. It never occurred to me, until reading about some genetic genealogy identifications how likely those remains are to be of known drowning victims, long known to be dead, but no body/or not their whole body was found. I was thinking more along the lines of homicide victims or suicides.

Its almost impossible to tell unfortunately, at least with current technology. It's really reminiscent of the Salish Sea victims.

They're also in relative proximity to some really large population areas in the US.

 

[djanga]

Flagstaff Kowboy John Doe 1980 passed to active research

Flagstaff Kowboy John Doe 1980 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

 

[djanga]

Ashland John Doe’s 1977 relatives published on social media that he has been identified
His Namus was removed in November 2025

Ashland John Doe 1977 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org