citizen_sleuth
Verified family member - Orie Donald Esh thread
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NamUs #UP808 / Doe Network 3000UMFL
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Black / African American
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 40
Estimated Age Range (Years): 25-35
Estimated Year of Death: 1982
Estimated PMI: 2 Months
Height: 5'9" (69 inches), Estimated (News reports say 5'8" to 5'10")
Weight: 132 lbs, Estimated (News reports say 130-160 lbs)
Cause of Death: Homicide by multiple gunshots
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: January 11, 1982
NamUs Case Created: January 18, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: West Palm Beach, Florida
County: Palm Beach County
Circumstances of Recovery: A hitchhiker found partial human remains in a wooded area 30 feet north of Okeechobee Blvd and 100 yards west of its intersection with SR 7. They alerted Royal Palm Beach police who notified the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
An autopsy revealed that the man, whose skeleton was found lying face down, was likely killed by at least one gunshot wound. Two shotgun shell casings were found at the scene, and the medical examiner recovered what appeared to be a deformed bullet in the man's right shoulder. It is believed he was shot in the back.
Inside the front pocket of the man's pants was a small amount of cash and part of an envelope addressed to "Rev. Ewing," believed to be a minister in Atlanta.
He was known to pick up aluminum cans along the same road he was found and was familiar to those in the area, yet nobody knew his name.
Inventory of Remains: N/A
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Physical Description
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Distinctive Physical Features: Healed nasal fracture. One crown noted along with several amalgam fillings.
Clothing and Accessories
- V-Neck pullover shirt, red or orange colored slacks size 30W 30L, black hightop lace-up boots, and floppy camouflaged hat (On the Body)
- A small amount of cash and part of an envelope addressed to "Rev. Ewing" (On the Body)
- Two shotgun shell casings (Near the Body)
News Coverage
Joanne Fanizza, "Driver finds skeleton of young man," Fort Lauderdale News, 12 January 1982, 3B.
The body, described by police as "bones and clothes," is believed to have been there four to six months.
[...]
"There were no wounds in the skull, but some bones (of the body) had been damaged somewhat," said sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Thompson. "We're trying to determine if it's a shotgun wound.
"We did recover some shotgun shells in the vicinity (of the remains), but that doesn't mean anything, because hunters are out there all the time," Thompson said.
[...]
"He had extensive dental work on his teeth, and they're in pretty good shape," Thompson said, adding that medical examiners hope to make an identification through dental records.
"Skeleton Discovered Near Road," Palm Beach Post, 12 January 1982, C3.
The skeleton of a man found near Okeechobee Boulevard and SR 7 yesterday is being treated as a "probable murder" by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies, Sgt. Tom Thompson said.
"We're not saying 100 percent that it's murder, but it's probably going to be a homicide case," Thompson said. He said the skeleton was found yesterday morning by an unidentified hitchhiker, who notified Royal Palm Beach police, who called the Sheriff's Office.
Thompson described the dead man as a black male, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 inches tall, at least 22, with extensive dental work. He was wearing rust-colored or red pants, a V-neck pullover of uncertain color, black high-top boots, laced up, and a floppy hat like those worn with military camouflage suits. He had a small amount of cash in his pockets.
An autopsy established that the body had been there at least two months, Thompson said. The skeleton was found about 30 feet north of Okeechobee Boulevard 100 yards west of its intersection with SR 7.
The skeleton was on its back and had no obvious injuries to the skull, but some bones were damaged, Thompson said. Some shotgun shells were found nearby, but Thompson said hunting is not unusual in the area.
A guard will be posted at the scene and a crew will begin cutting the underbrush today in a search for more clues, Thompson said.
Thompson also said the description does not fit any of the local missing persons reports which detectives have checked so far. The description is being sent to other police agencies.
"Bones of murder victim found," Miami Herald, 13 January 1982, 2B.
Palm Beach County Medical Examiner Hugh Dortch Jr. determined that the man was killed by a shotgun blast. Although the remains do not establish how many times the victim was shot, Dortch said, two shell casings were found at the site.
From pellet holes and a few pellets that remained in the bones, Dortch concluded the man was shot from behind in the right shoulder.
Rich Pollack, "Was skeleton a Broward man?," Fort Lauderdale News, 27 January 1982, 3B.
The skeleton found two weeks ago in heavy underbrush in suburban West Palm Beach remains a mystery, but detectives now say their search for the apparent murder victim's identity may be narrowing.
"We have reason to believe he may be from Broward County," said Detective Jack Wehrhahn of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
The site of the grisly discovery, just west of State Road 7 on Okeechobee Boulevard, is readily accessible to traffic from Broward County, Wehrhahn said.
Add to that Wehrhahn's belief that the victim, who was killed by a shotgun blast at least two months ago, is not from Palm Beach County. Investigators have checked missing person reports from all over the county, Wehrhahn said.
Still, detectives have little to use other than recovered clothing, a sketchy physical description and a piece of an envelope with a return address from an Atlanta minister.
The county medical examiner and a Florida Atlantic University forensic anthropologist believe the victim was a black man in his late 20s or early 30s.
They also estimate he was between 5-feet-8 and 5-feet-10 and between 130 and 160 pounds. Because the body was decomposed, Wehrhahn said, detectives are unable to determine whether the victim had a beard or mustache.
[...]
Inside the man's pockets, detectives said, was a small amount of cash and an envelope that had the name "Rev. Ewing" written on it. Detectives have been unable to track down the letter's sender.
Wehrhahn said it will be all but impossible for detectives to make an arrest in the case without knowing the victim's identity.
"Even if I knew who the killer was, I wouldn't have a case unless I know who the victim is," Wehrhahn said.
"When we find out who the victim is, we've got a person to deal with. Then we can start looking for why someone would want to kill him."
Tony Wharton, "Detective Sculpts for New Clues," Palm Beach Post, 21 April 1982, C2.
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Black / African American
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 40
Estimated Age Range (Years): 25-35
Estimated Year of Death: 1982
Estimated PMI: 2 Months
Height: 5'9" (69 inches), Estimated (News reports say 5'8" to 5'10")
Weight: 132 lbs, Estimated (News reports say 130-160 lbs)
Cause of Death: Homicide by multiple gunshots
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: January 11, 1982
NamUs Case Created: January 18, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: West Palm Beach, Florida
County: Palm Beach County
Circumstances of Recovery: A hitchhiker found partial human remains in a wooded area 30 feet north of Okeechobee Blvd and 100 yards west of its intersection with SR 7. They alerted Royal Palm Beach police who notified the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
An autopsy revealed that the man, whose skeleton was found lying face down, was likely killed by at least one gunshot wound. Two shotgun shell casings were found at the scene, and the medical examiner recovered what appeared to be a deformed bullet in the man's right shoulder. It is believed he was shot in the back.
Inside the front pocket of the man's pants was a small amount of cash and part of an envelope addressed to "Rev. Ewing," believed to be a minister in Atlanta.
He was known to pick up aluminum cans along the same road he was found and was familiar to those in the area, yet nobody knew his name.
Inventory of Remains: N/A
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Physical Description
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Distinctive Physical Features: Healed nasal fracture. One crown noted along with several amalgam fillings.
Clothing and Accessories
- V-Neck pullover shirt, red or orange colored slacks size 30W 30L, black hightop lace-up boots, and floppy camouflaged hat (On the Body)
- A small amount of cash and part of an envelope addressed to "Rev. Ewing" (On the Body)
- Two shotgun shell casings (Near the Body)
News Coverage
Joanne Fanizza, "Driver finds skeleton of young man," Fort Lauderdale News, 12 January 1982, 3B.
The body, described by police as "bones and clothes," is believed to have been there four to six months.
[...]
"There were no wounds in the skull, but some bones (of the body) had been damaged somewhat," said sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Thompson. "We're trying to determine if it's a shotgun wound.
"We did recover some shotgun shells in the vicinity (of the remains), but that doesn't mean anything, because hunters are out there all the time," Thompson said.
[...]
"He had extensive dental work on his teeth, and they're in pretty good shape," Thompson said, adding that medical examiners hope to make an identification through dental records.
"Skeleton Discovered Near Road," Palm Beach Post, 12 January 1982, C3.
The skeleton of a man found near Okeechobee Boulevard and SR 7 yesterday is being treated as a "probable murder" by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies, Sgt. Tom Thompson said.
"We're not saying 100 percent that it's murder, but it's probably going to be a homicide case," Thompson said. He said the skeleton was found yesterday morning by an unidentified hitchhiker, who notified Royal Palm Beach police, who called the Sheriff's Office.
Thompson described the dead man as a black male, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 inches tall, at least 22, with extensive dental work. He was wearing rust-colored or red pants, a V-neck pullover of uncertain color, black high-top boots, laced up, and a floppy hat like those worn with military camouflage suits. He had a small amount of cash in his pockets.
An autopsy established that the body had been there at least two months, Thompson said. The skeleton was found about 30 feet north of Okeechobee Boulevard 100 yards west of its intersection with SR 7.
The skeleton was on its back and had no obvious injuries to the skull, but some bones were damaged, Thompson said. Some shotgun shells were found nearby, but Thompson said hunting is not unusual in the area.
A guard will be posted at the scene and a crew will begin cutting the underbrush today in a search for more clues, Thompson said.
Thompson also said the description does not fit any of the local missing persons reports which detectives have checked so far. The description is being sent to other police agencies.
"Bones of murder victim found," Miami Herald, 13 January 1982, 2B.
Palm Beach County Medical Examiner Hugh Dortch Jr. determined that the man was killed by a shotgun blast. Although the remains do not establish how many times the victim was shot, Dortch said, two shell casings were found at the site.
From pellet holes and a few pellets that remained in the bones, Dortch concluded the man was shot from behind in the right shoulder.
Rich Pollack, "Was skeleton a Broward man?," Fort Lauderdale News, 27 January 1982, 3B.
The skeleton found two weeks ago in heavy underbrush in suburban West Palm Beach remains a mystery, but detectives now say their search for the apparent murder victim's identity may be narrowing.
"We have reason to believe he may be from Broward County," said Detective Jack Wehrhahn of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
The site of the grisly discovery, just west of State Road 7 on Okeechobee Boulevard, is readily accessible to traffic from Broward County, Wehrhahn said.
Add to that Wehrhahn's belief that the victim, who was killed by a shotgun blast at least two months ago, is not from Palm Beach County. Investigators have checked missing person reports from all over the county, Wehrhahn said.
Still, detectives have little to use other than recovered clothing, a sketchy physical description and a piece of an envelope with a return address from an Atlanta minister.
The county medical examiner and a Florida Atlantic University forensic anthropologist believe the victim was a black man in his late 20s or early 30s.
They also estimate he was between 5-feet-8 and 5-feet-10 and between 130 and 160 pounds. Because the body was decomposed, Wehrhahn said, detectives are unable to determine whether the victim had a beard or mustache.
[...]
Inside the man's pockets, detectives said, was a small amount of cash and an envelope that had the name "Rev. Ewing" written on it. Detectives have been unable to track down the letter's sender.
Wehrhahn said it will be all but impossible for detectives to make an arrest in the case without knowing the victim's identity.
"Even if I knew who the killer was, I wouldn't have a case unless I know who the victim is," Wehrhahn said.
"When we find out who the victim is, we've got a person to deal with. Then we can start looking for why someone would want to kill him."
Tony Wharton, "Detective Sculpts for New Clues," Palm Beach Post, 21 April 1982, C2.
