IL IL - Henry Co., WhtMale 16-25, UP51281, near Cat/Oak Creek bridge, bullet hole to back of head, Oct 1966 - Ronald Joe Cole

[lightofmine99]

Henry County John Doe (1966)
a.k.a "Geneseo John Doe"
#UP51281(NU)

​

Clay reconstruction of John Doe by FBI artist Laura Bailey.

Circumstances
These remains were discovered a few miles southeast of Geneseo in Henry County, IL. They were found just north of a small concrete bridge carrying traffic on North 1800th Avenue over a north-flowing branch of Cat Creek (occasionally appears as Oat Creek on some maps). (per NamUs).

On October 27, 1966, a local postman and trapper discovered a human skull near Cat Creek southeast of Geneseo, Illinois. The FBI determined that a bullet hole at the base of the skull was the cause of death, and the man had died 1-5 years earlier. After a search of the area, investigators located further skeletal remains. Analysis of the bones determined his age to be between 16-30, and he was between 5’5” and 5’10” tall. (per DNA Doe Project).

Spoiler: INFORMATION

Case Numbers:

• Doe Network: 3057UMIL
• NamUs: UP51281
• ME/C: 353*

Overview:

• Location: Geneseo, Illinios. (Henry Co.)
• Date Body Found: October 27, 1966.
• NamUs Created: July 18, 2018.
• Tribal Land: NO
• PMI: N/A
• State of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
• Cause of Death: UNKNOWN

Physical:

• Sex: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
• Age: 16-25 (Adult, pre-30s)
• Height: 5' 5"-5' 10" (est.)
• Weight: UNKNOWN
• Hair: UNKNOWN
• Eye: UNKNOWN

Identifiers:

• Dentals: UNKNOWN
• DNA: UNKNOWN
• Prints: N/A
• Marks / Features: UNKNOWN

Personal Affects:

• Clothing: NONE
• Jewelry: NONE
• Add'l Items: NONE

Links
NamUs: UP51281 (ARCHIVE)
Doe Network: 0357UMIL (ARCHIVE)
DNA Doe Project: Geneseo John Doe 1966

Note
Both the Doe Network and NamUs profiles for Geneseo John Doe do not list a cause of death or mention the presence of a bullet hole on the skull. The profile for this John Doe Case on the DNA Doe Project website does, however.

* This case is being handled by the Henry Co. Sheriff's Office and Coroner's Office. *
** This case is also being handled by the DNA Doe Project. **​

 

[lightofmine99]

There is currently one exclusion on NamUs.

Paul G. Love (#MP32982) - October 2, 1947.

 

[lightofmine99]

Geneseo John Doe 1966 - DNA Doe Project

This case is in need of funding to help cover the costs involved in solving it. Funds donated pay for expensive lab work and operational support of our volunteer team of investigative genetic genealogists. DNA Doe Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent...

dnadoeproject.org

DNA DOE PROJECT ARCHIVE

 

[Caring1]

August 16, 2024

The Henry County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in identifying the man by submitting a DNA sample. In a Facebook post, the Henry County Sheriff's Office says in part.

Identification efforts renewed in 1966 Geneseo cold case of young man found near Cat Creek

Henry County officials are asking for the public's help in a 1966 cold case involving a young man whose remains were discovered near Geneseo.

www.wqad.com

 

[dotr]

Aug 16, 2024
Henry County officials are asking for the public's help in a 1966 cold case involving a young man whose remains were discovered near Geneseo

 

[lightofmine99]

Henry County Asking for Help to Identity Human Remains Found in 1966 in Rural Geneseo - Regional Media News

In a unique appeal from Henry County, law enforcement is reaching out for public help to solve a case that has remained a mystery since 1966. They are seeking to identify a young man found deceased over five decades ago. Authorities are encouraging those who […]

www.regionalmedianews.com

ARCHIVE (10/15/24)

 

[snooptroop88]

Looks like Ronald Tammen, disappeared out of college dorm room in Oxford, Ohio April 1953:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

5'9"-5'10", very athletic, musical/played in a band

Location where Doe found pretty close to Rock Island, IL, which had its own history of organized crime, and not far at all from Quad Cities, maybe 25 mins. Chicago Outfit very active in this period. The bullet at base of skull is making me think quite possibly a mob hit.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Geneseo John Doe 1966 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

Identified as 19-year-old Ronald Joe Cole of California

 

[djanga]

Wow, his killer is known, I wonder what the motive was and why the killer was never charged. From the source above:


Cole was living with his half-brother, David LaFever, at the time of his disappearance. LaFever and his wife Margaret were arrested in 1983 on other charges, after which it emerged that LaFever had previously confessed to murdering his brother. Furthermore, Margaret’s brother had gone missing in 1977, and in 1984 his body was found in a shallow grave near the LaFevers’ former home. The police named LaFever as the prime suspect in both cases, but he was never charged with either crime.

 

[djanga]

I think the resemblance is uncanny! It’s a pretty good reconstruction

 

[Rikissa]

There was/is also a thread about Ronald Cole in the 'Missing but not forgotten Discussion' forum in the missing in the 1960s, I just posted his name there, and moved the thread to 'Located persons':

K

Found Deceased Thread 'CA - Ronald Cole, 19, Fillmore, 1 May 1965 - remains found October 1966, identified January 2026'

Sep 30, 2006

[This young man went mssing mysteriously from his home in Fillmore, California. Very little info is listed at the Doe network site. But I had a thought. Could his disapearance be related to the draft and Vietnam? He was 19 and draft protests were going on in 1965. I'm not trying to slander him- just wondering if perhaps he went to Canada and never returned. Does anyone else know anything about this case?

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/648dmca.html

• kylie
• Replies: 39
• Forum: Located Persons Discussion

•