IL IL - Chicago, AsianMale 15-25, UP129225, Found at Lane Technical School Campus, Mustache & Goatee, Tattoos, 27 July 2000

[aurycore]

submitted a potential match panel for mustapha and the doe. fingers crossed.

 

[aurycore]

its gonna get run through soon. let's see if its him.

 

[aurycore]

Okay, thats weird: They contacted me and said that there's no DNA, but it said on his NamUs and Doe Network page that his DNA was available?

I'm gonna see if they could likely get Mustaphas dental records and this does dental chart to line them up and see if they match. So far its a little shaky, but we have something at least, and I hope that this ends up being a match.

 

[aurycore]

I got a response, they do believe that Mustapha is this UID, but we have to wait and see.

It's confirmed that apparently the Illinois Department just... doesn't have his DNA Anymore? that's so weird.

 

[aurycore]

One more update: The genealogy group is making some inquiries about the UID and Mustapha. But unfortunately, its going to take months before we get any real confirmation that this UID is him.

 

[callieghkat]

As a Chicagoan, Lane is a massive school (4000+ students). It’s not uncommon for people with no affiliation to the school to hang out on the campus especially on the weekends. There are also multiple bus stops on Lane’s campus.

 

[aurycore]

As a Chicagoan, Lane is a massive school (4000+ students). It’s not uncommon for people with no affiliation to the school to hang out on the campus especially on the weekends. There are also multiple bus stops on Lane’s campus.

Interesting, but it doesn't explain why he looks beaten up, especially if it were on a weekday, let alone a weekend. I'm not sure if vehicle accidents can cause the internal blotches/bruises on his skin. My theory I have is that he was likely a drifter or from another school district who got in a fight with a lane kid, something like that, as seen in his post mortem.

There's another individual who could be the john doe, but I'd say he's a ruleout.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

this is the said individual in question, Phu Tan Nguyen. I think appearance wise he could be a match, but the circumstances likely rule him out, and this is due to the distance between Raileigh NC and Chicago IL, which is a 12 hour drive. It could be like the case of Marcia Shiree Thomas, where she was found in Santa Ana California when she went missing from reno nevada (an 8 hour drive) but how he'd end up there would be questioned.

When I get more time I'm going to submit a match paneling for Phu Tan Nguyen once the results come back from the potential match paneling to see if the doe is Mustapha. But the problem is Phu doesn't have a doe network or charley project page, only a NamUs page.

 

[aurycore]

Still no updates yet. Inquiries are rolling through.

 

[aurycore]

Okay, so i researched more on Phu Tan Nguyen and I think its starting to make more sense that it would be him.

On Feb 10 1996, he ambushed and shot an individual after an argument at a Vietnamese restaurant, taking his car and speeding off. I'm assuming that's how he ended up in Chicago. I would submit a potential match paneling but the issue is that he doesn't have a doe network page to even allow me to do that.

 

[aurycore]

okay ladies and gents, we got a big fat blubbery update. We got ahold of Mustapha's and UID's dental records and um... It's not looking too hot.

There's spacing between the UIDS front teeth (Maxillary central incisors) and Mustapha doesn't have those. So unfortunately I think Mustapha might be a ruleout despite all of the line ups in his disappearance.

to put it briefly, the UID has a gap tooth, indicating he never had any braces, which would normally close up a gap tooth. Mustapha doesn't have those spaces between the teeth.

 

[aurycore]

View attachment 594883

okay ladies and gents, we got a big fat blubbery update. We got ahold of Mustapha's and UID's dental records and um... It's not looking too hot.

There's spacing between the UIDS front teeth (Maxillary central incisors) and Mustapha doesn't have those. So unfortunately I think Mustapha might be a ruleout despite all of the line ups in his disappearance.

to put it briefly, the UID has a gap tooth, indicating he never had any braces, which would normally close up a gap tooth. Mustapha doesn't have those spaces between the teeth.

It's likely he's going to be ruled out soon unless his (Dao's) fingerprints are recovered to line them up.

 

[Bobban]

I tried to reduce the swelling of the forehead and copied the right side of the eye area on a very basic photo editing software. I have no credentials or knowledge in the restoration of post mortems so it's VERY BASIC (the uid probably won't look like the photo I morphed). But is it ok to post here by the chanse that it might help or will it only fuel confusion?

 

[aurycore]

I tried to reduce the swelling of the forehead and copied the right side of the eye area on a very basic photo editing software. I have no credentials or knowledge in the restoration of post mortems so it's VERY BASIC (the uid probably won't look like the photo I morphed). But is it ok to post here by the chanse that it might help or will it only fuel confusion?

I think its better if you ask a moderator on the site.

 

[aurycore]

Hellooo guys. so, the case with the UID probably being mustapha has been sent to the brownsburg police. still no updated information or ruleouts yet.

I havent submitted anything for Phu Tan Nguyen yet, and I'm starting to suspect that he's likely not Nguyen because of the insane height difference. the UID is around 5'1, while Nguyen is 5'10-5'11 and Mustapha is around 5'3-5'4 (afaik) and if it were nguyen we'd have to figure out how he just shrunk 10 inches.

 

[Hochman]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) (POSTMORTEM WARNING)
Now has NCMEC reconstructions, added March 25, 2026.

Reconstruction


Tattoo Reconstructions

 

[itsdev]

bump.

 

[vtltltl]

The supply of young East/Southeast Asian males reported missing in the 10 years prior nationwide, is unfortunately pretty low.
Hon Wong missing from Irondequoit, New York is the only semi-reasonable match I've seen, went missing at 14 in 1995 so wouldve been 19/20 at the time of death. Unfortunately there is very limited info on this case..

Most physical stats roughly match, height is a bit off but considering Hon was in a foster home it could have been inaccurately reported. It is important to note that apparently he had only been in the US for 3 months, and that a woman called the foster home to say that he was safe and in Spencerport NY later that day - Spencerport is 20 miles east of where he disappeared, so he potentially knew people who were helping him escape (assuming he left voluntarily) and was travelling roughly east.

Grasping at straws a bit, but it is moreso highly likely that this Doe just isn't reported missing - if he was a member of an Asian gang, they like to stay out of the eye of authority, even moreso than other gangs IMO.