Identified! IA - Des Moines, WhtMale 92UMIA, 28-48, numerous tattoos, Feb'84 - John Clifton Downey,

[madamx]

Yay he was Identified! Thanks for making him an Identified thread. I read in the article that they did not know where his remains where though? sad

This is the second time I've seen it requested so I started a thread here: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ingerprint-Technology&p=13414717#post13414717

(MODS please move thread if not in the appropriate forum thanks)

 

[Alleykins]

So had John Clifton Downey been reported missing?

I haven't been able to find his name in any MP databases, so if he were reported, it never went beyond the local area or wasn't pursued. One case I came across on here yesterday, the police still to this day wouldn't take an MP report from the family, and the guy had been gone 30+years! The contact information in DOE was his brother, poor guy.
As these cases start to get solved by this method, I think we may find the MPs were either not reported or they were reported but it didn't go anywhere.

 

[rats]

Lol, I like that they literally just used newspapers.com and didn't bother to remove the highlight (by "canceling" the search.)

so so glad he was identified tho. RIP.

 

[Gardener1850]

Des Moines, Iowa Unidentified Dead

Description
White male, 28-48 years of age, 5'7" to 5'9", approximately 150 lbs., brown hair , medium build, right handed, surgical pin implanted in right knee.

Details
Skeletal remains found 2/28/84, in brushy area along a dirt trail in Des Moines, Iowa.

Clothing
Faded blue denims with 31" waist, dark leather belt, brown socks, low cut TRAX sneakers brown/blue in color.


Possessions
Plastic comb, plastic Copenhagen snuff box and a pocket knife.

Cause of Death
Blunt trauma, sometime during the summer of 1983.

Agency Des Moines Police Department 515-283-4800

Tattoos Found on the Remains

Right Arm
Side Profile Right
Front Profile Right
Rear Profile

(Detailed tattoo sketches in second and third posts of thread)

Iowa DCI - Unidentified Persons/Bodies

 

[Gardener1850]

Tattoo 1
Flying bird carrying streamer in its beak. Written inside streamer is "MOTHER". The word "DAD" is above bird. The bird is in red-orange ink. Back of streamer is in green ink. Located right upper-arm near shoulder-tip. Dimensions: Approximately 3 inches from "DAD" to bottom of streamer. Approximately 2 1/2 inches from beak to tail.

Tattoo 2 Nazi storm-trooper. Wearing German Helmet, iron cross, SS on collar tabs. Face under helmet is skull-like. Has appearance of wearing leather coat. Dark-colored ink. Located on side and extending to rear of right upper-arm. Dimensions: approximately 6 inches tall by 3 inches wide. Runs parallel to tattoos three and four.

Tattoo 3 Laughing skull with top-hat and cigarette. The words "BORN TO DIE" encircling design. Red ink inside eyes. Green ink inside nose. Located on right arm/inside bicep. Approximately 1/2 inch above tattoo no. four. Total size approximately 1 3/4 inches wide at brim of hat by 2 inches long.

Tattoo 4 Female face with dark hair under a sombrero. Fancy design on brim of sombrero. It's believed that the sombrero was put on after the female's features were tattooed. An additional tattoo of "JOHN" is visible under the design inside the sombrero brim. From top of hat to chin of female face is approximately 2 1/2 inches. The brim of the sombrero is approximately 2 1/4 inches wide. Located inner-arm approximately 3 1/2 inches. Located inner-arm approximately 3 1/2 inches from elbow joint. (right side) Approximately 1/2 inch below the skull in top-hat design.

Tattoo 5 Description: Female facial-profile/left side. Located on right side of chest above nipple. Tattooed so that female's hair appears light-colored. NOTE: A distinctive feature is that female has a "gear" with a wrench through it for an earring. Dimensions: Tattoo would take up most of subject's right breast-area.

Iowa DCI - Unidentified Persons/Bodies

 

[Gardener1850]

Tattoo 6
Description: Appears to be a spotted snake coiled around a tree. Dark ink. Located in middle of chest; along the sternum, from the xiphoid process to the angle. Majority of this tattoo is indistinguishable due to skin deterioration.

Tattoo 7
Description: Dark-colored ink. No combination for colors. Believed that skin-section from abdominal area/right side between navel and chest. Approximate dimensions: (male cartoon figure minus head due to skin deterioration.) toe to toe - 3 inches; sole to upper-chest - 3 3/4 inches

Tattoo 8
Dark-colored ink. No discernible color combinations. Butterfly pattern. Located on rear of right-side shoulder; towards collarbone area. Dimension: approximately 1 1/2 inches long. NOTE: No pattern distinguishable on rearward wing (possible due to skin deterioration)

Iowa DCI - Unidentified Persons/Bodies

 

[lindamichelle1]

Victim of Des Moines homicide identified after 33 years

John Clifton Downey

 

[YaYa_521]

Victim of Des Moines homicide identified after 33 years

John Clifton Downey

ETA - Apparently there was an existing thread. They're merged now.

TY for the update!
SBM
In 2014, the FBI national database for fingerprints underwent an extensive upgrade, improving the system's capabilities. In February this year, NamUS provided more than 1,500 fingerprint cards to the FBI to be examined by this upgraded system, according to the news release.

The Polk County Medical Examiner's Office received a call on June 1 from an FBI lab in Virginia, saying that the unidentified homicide victim's thumbprint had matched Downey, according to the news release.
#more at link

Rest in peace, Mr. Downey.

 

[lindamichelle1]

ETA - Apparently there was an existing thread. They're merged now.

TY for the update!
SBM
In 2014, the FBI national database for fingerprints underwent an extensive upgrade, improving the system's capabilities. In February this year, NamUS provided more than 1,500 fingerprint cards to the FBI to be examined by this upgraded system, according to the news release.

The Polk County Medical Examiner's Office received a call on June 1 from an FBI lab in Virginia, saying that the unidentified homicide victim's thumbprint had matched Downey, according to the news release.
#more at link

Rest in peace, Mr. Downey.

Thats so good that this update helped identify him! I wonder how many more were identified in that 1500

 

[victoriarobinson642]

John Clifton Downey

An unidentified white male's remains were found partially submerged in water in a Des Moines wooded area north of Maury St. Feb. 28, 1984. He was identified 33 years later as John Clifton Downey, 39.

iowacoldcases.org

Photo of John via above.