TX Houston, Texas (Dec 14, 1994) – w/m “Willis Crane” Papers Found

[Nate_Bro]

Discovery​

An unidentified male was found on December 14, 1994 in a parking garage at 777 Polk Street in Houston, Texas.
Investigators estimated he had died 3–10 days earlier. The cause of death was heart disease. The body was already decomposed at the time of discovery.
Several papers found with the man contained the name “Willis Crane.” It is unclear whether this was the victim’s name or someone he knew.

Physical Description​

• Sex: Male
• Race: White
• Estimated age: 45–60
• Height: 6'0"
• Weight: 138 lbs (very thin build)
• Hair: Red/Auburn with gray
• Eyes: Brown
• Facial hair: Bushy beard and mustache
• Other features:
  • Scar on right knee
  • Approximately 3" red/gray hair length
  • Full upper denture (no information on lower teeth)

No fingerprints, dentals, or DNA were recorded in the available listing.

Clothing​

• Windbreaker: “Casual Club,” blue/red/green, size M
• Shirt: “Van Heusen” flannel, size M
• Jeans: “Lee,” W38 L30
• Shoes: “Nike AirMax,” size 9½ A
• White socks
• Blue cap with “Benson”
• White handkerchief

Jewelry / Personal Items​

• Yellow metal earring
• Plastic comb
• Key ring with two keys
• White metal barrette with a bird emblem (blue stones)
• Nail clippers
• Several papers bearing the name “Willis Crane.”

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=3623umtx

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[Nate_Bro]

I did a quick search for the name Willis Crane and the only record I could find that seems even remotely plausible is a census entry for a man by that name. That said, it seems likely investigators would have already checked that lead given the papers found with the victim.

Still, it’s interesting that the name appears multiple times among his belongings, which suggests it was probably relevant in some way, whether it belonged to the victim himself or someone he was connected to.

Maybe no next of kin available.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XPQ-CC65?lang=en

 

[alucardsdream]

I did a quick search for the name Willis Crane and the only record I could find that seems even remotely plausible is a census entry for a man by that name. That said, it seems likely investigators would have already checked that lead given the papers found with the victim.

Still, it’s interesting that the name appears multiple times among his belongings, which suggests it was probably relevant in some way, whether it belonged to the victim himself or someone he was connected to.

Maybe no next of kin available.
View attachment 652289

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XPQ-CC65?lang=en

I did a little more digging and found out that this Willis was actually a step-son of the man listed as the head of household...he had a different last name (not Crane) and died in 2016.

 

[Beekarina]

He was 6ft tall, only weighed 138 pounds and was wearing size 38/30 jeana????

Both measurements seem really off to me. I'm 6ft tall, and while someone could have very short legs and a much longer than average torso, that would be strange. A 30 inch inseam at 6ft is unusual.

Even more odd is the 38 inch waist for a very thin person???

These jeans would be falling off, and like cropped pants.......

Were they all the person owned? Maybe a homeless person who got the pants from a donation?

 

[DS2021]

He was 6ft tall, only weighed 138 pounds and was wearing size 38/30 jeana????

Both measurements seem really off to me. I'm 6ft tall, and while someone could have very short legs and a much longer than average torso, that would be strange. A 30 inch inseam at 6ft is unusual.

Even more odd is the 38 inch waist for a very thin person???

These jeans would be falling off, and like cropped pants.......

Were they all the person owned? Maybe a homeless person who got the pants from a donation?

I (male) was slim when I was 5 foot 8 170ish pounds as a teen. I cant imagine what someone at that height would look like at 138.

 

[DS2021]

I (male) was slim when I was 5 foot 8 170ish pounds as a teen. I cant imagine what someone at that height would look like at 138.

Apparently BMI wise thats healthy

 

[Nate_Bro]

I did a little more digging and found out that this Willis was actually a step-son of the man listed as the head of household...he had a different last name (not Crane) and died in 2016.

Thank you. I'm glad someone smarter than myself at genealogy took the time to check it up.

 

[doublestop]

I wonder if Willis Crane could be a company name, not a personal name. I agree that the pants size seems way off for someone of that height and weight.

 

[alucardsdream]

Thank you. I'm glad someone smarter than myself at genealogy took the time to check it up.

I've been obsessed with genealogy since I was a kid, so I'm always using Ancestry.com for one reason or another. "Willis Crane" doesn't appear to be a common name so I'm guessing it was some kind of alias he came up with.

 

[alucardsdream]

He was 6ft tall, only weighed 138 pounds and was wearing size 38/30 jeana????

Both measurements seem really off to me. I'm 6ft tall, and while someone could have very short legs and a much longer than average torso, that would be strange. A 30 inch inseam at 6ft is unusual.

Even more odd is the 38 inch waist for a very thin person???

These jeans would be falling off, and like cropped pants.......

Were they all the person owned? Maybe a homeless person who got the pants from a donation?

I'm not sure how accurate the weight is since it says the body was already decomposed when it was found so there could have been some animal activity as well...maybe that was just the weight of the remains that were left when the coroner got them? Although that doesn't explain the short inseam on the pants.

 

[The4TierBridge]

I'm not sure how accurate the weight is since it says the body was already decomposed when it was found so there could have been some animal activity as well...maybe that was just the weight of the remains that were left when the coroner got them? Although that doesn't explain the short inseam on the pants.

NamUs tells you this right next to the provided biometric data. For this specific case, #UP711 / 3623UMTX, weight and height were both measured from the recovered remains and not estimated.

 

[sprightly]

Sadly, not much to go on here. Based on everything described, he sounds like he was probably homeless and it doesn't seem like a whole lot was done since it was a natural death. But still, a reconstruction would be nice.

 

[alucardsdream]

NamUs tells you this right next to the provided biometric data. For this specific case, #UP711 / 3623UMTX, weight and height were both measured from the recovered remains and not estimated.

Right, but it also says the body was decomposed, so he could have weighed more than that when he was alive.

 

[The4TierBridge]

Right, but it also says the body was decomposed, so he could have weighed more than that when he was alive.

Yes. The measured number is only for recovered remains; this rarely reflects an accurate weight for the person in life.