FL Fl - Miami, WhtMale 40-50- Wedding band "Ligia Garcia Dic 25/65"- UP1239- May 5, 1985

[PatLaurel]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

0 Missing Person Exclusions

 

[PatLaurel]

3245UMFL

Date of Discovery: May 5, 1985
Location of Discovery: Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Estimated Date of Death: 1985
State of Remains: Decomposed
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 40-50 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 132 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Three 1" scars on lower abdomen.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available. Partial upper plate.
Fingerprints: Unknown.
DNA: Unknown.

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Short-sleeved shirt; Lord Futurista trousers with a belt; possibly a white or gray industrial-type uniform; dark tie and red jockey shorts.
Jewelry: Yellow-metal wedding band with the name "Lugio Garcia" "Dic 25/65" (possible abbreviation of "Diciembre 25, 1965") inscribed on the inside band and a yellow metal chain with a medallion.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery​

The decedent was located in a burned suitcase at a drainage canal at Northwest 107th Avenue, north of Northwest 138th Street.

Two men were driving a pickup truck toward a dump at dusk when they spotted it in a remote area and summoned police.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: District 11 Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Brittney McLaurin
Agency Phone Number: 305-545-2400
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 1985-01243

NCIC Case Number: U170333816
NamUs Case Number: 1239
Former Hot Case Number: 856

 

[PatLaurel]

I believe the medallion depicts the Santo Niño de Atocha in the arms of the Virgin Mary, I'm not 100% sure, though.

 

[PatLaurel]

The brand "Lord Futurista" is a Colombian brand of men's clothing. According to the link below, much of its production was exported mainly to the United States. So, the trousers could have been bought anywhere. MOO JMO

LORD FUTURISTA - Diccionario Abierto de Español

Almacenes de Ropa para Hombre en Bogotá - Cundinamarca

 

[PatLaurel]

Quick update: I believe I may have found this UIP's identity. There's no DNA but there's a daughter who hopefully, if still living, can rule her father in or out.
I sent the info to the ME handling the case.

MOO JMO

 

[MagicCityMan]

Quick update: I believe I may have found this UIP's identity. There's no DNA but there's a daughter who hopefully, if still living, can rule her father in or out.
I sent the info to the ME handling the case.

MOO JMO

The name inscribed in the wedding band is Ligia which is a name I have definitely heard in the Colombian community.

 

[PatLaurel]

The name inscribed in the wedding band is Ligia which is a name I have definitely heard in the Colombian community.

That along with "Lord Futurista" colombian brand and the "Santo Niño de Atocha" medallion (a Saint Pablo Escobar was devoted to), it all pointed to Colombia. And that's where I found "him", his arrival in the US with his wife (matching name) and then their divorce less than a year prior to his death. After 1985 there's no trace of this person. Too many coincidences to not be our John Doe.

MOO JMO

 

[PatLaurel]

There is also an unclaimed property notice dated 1993 and it lists both the husband and wife. It made me wonder if she is also a Jane Doe somewhere?

MOO JMO

 

[Susikatze]

There is also an unclaimed property notice dated 1993 and it lists both the husband and wife. It made me wonder if she is also a Jane Doe somewhere?

MOO JMO

Possible. Or she returned to Colombia after the divorce. Or remarried and never claimed the property. Or passed away before 1993 or was in a nursing home and we just have not found the records for that.

 

[PatLaurel]

Possible. Or she returned to Colombia after the divorce. Or remarried and never claimed the property. Or passed away before 1993 or was in a nursing home and we just have not found the records for that.

All valid points but also so self-evident that I didn’t feel the need to mention them. In fact, there are even more obvious reasons I could have mentioned, but I assumed they went without saying.
It was Florida, the 80s and a Colombian man...

MOO JMO

 

[PatLaurel]

Turns out the person I thought was the UIP isn't him after all.
After months of digging, I finally decided to share what I’d found (99% sure they were the same person) only to find him and his ex-wife on Facebook right after. Should’ve just started there.

I lost track of him after 1985 because he remarried, and later records listed a different spouse, which threw me of for a long time. The switch from Colombian to American name order didn’t help either. Plus, his wife went back to her maiden name after the divorce, and there’s barely any record of her.

Anyways... He passed in 2018, and she was still alive in 2021.

I really thought this was our John Doe. The age, height, hair color, wife’s name, all the Colombian ties matched. Big letdown, but back to the search.

All this left me with one question though: what’s the story behind that wedding ring? Stolen, found, bought secondhand… or just a weird coincidence?

MOO JMO

P.S. Hardest part now... telling the ME my research was a total fail.

 

[MagicCityMan]

Turns out the person I thought was the UIP isn't him after all.
After months of digging, I finally decided to share what I’d found (99% sure they were the same person) only to find him and his ex-wife on Facebook right after. Should’ve just started there.

I lost track of him after 1985 because he remarried, and later records listed a different spouse, which threw me of for a long time. The switch from Colombian to American name order didn’t help either. Plus, his wife went back to her maiden name after the divorce, and there’s barely any record of her.

Anyways... He passed in 2018, and she was still alive in 2021.

I really thought this was our John Doe. The age, height, hair color, wife’s name, all the Colombian ties matched. Big letdown, but back to the search.

All this left me with one question though: what’s the story behind that wedding ring? Stolen, found, bought secondhand… or just a weird coincidence?

MOO JMO

P.S. Hardest part now... telling the ME my research was a total fail.

Well, I for one commend you for putting in the work. I had never even heard of this Doe before.

 

[PatLaurel]

Well, I for one commend you for putting in the work. I had never even heard of this Doe before.

Thanks, I really appreciate that. I’m pretty disappointed in myself right now, but I’ll get past it...

MOO JMO