Identified! KS - Garnett, WhtMale 17-20, UP2344, Buffalo Nickel Belt Buckle, Blue Jeans W/Stop Sign Patch on Pocket, Apr'73 - James "Jimmy" Allen Dollison

[vermontaigne]

Just throwing this out here, the story of a long-haired, maybe pot smoking 15 year old who was hog-tied and burned alive in a ditch in KC in 1974. The officer who called in the discovery him was considered a suspect. 1974 case of teen burned alive had a suspect, but never an arrest He was later dismissed for calling it in to KC police, rather than his own department.

David L. Eyman, 15 at the time of his death, was reported to have been found smoldering in a southern Kansas City ditch, bound at his hands and feet.

The Kansas City Police unit investigating the case suspected the Raymore officer who found Eyman had killed the teen. The officer was never charged in the case and later moved to central Kansas.

Eyman was burned alive Aug. 14, 1974, and found tied up “similar to the way a steer might be bound in a rodeo,” according to The Star at the time. A small amount of pot was found in his back pocket, though his wallet was missing. His body was unrecognizable from the burns.

He was later identified by a silver-and-turquoise ring and by matching a fingerprint.

The investigation into Eyman’s death was handled by the 25-person Metropolitan Major Case Squad for nine days, longer than the five days that was typical at the time. Before the case was handed off to the crimes against persons unit, and then declared a cold case, the Metro Squad interviewed the Raymore officer.

The officer had reported Eyman’s burning body around 3:45 a.m. to the Kansas City Police Department, rather than to the Raymore police chief, as he had been instructed. For that, he was later fired.

Because the officer had a record of discovering more fires of suspicious origin than any other law enforcement officer in the area, he was called in for questioning about the murder. Unnamed sources within the Metro Squad told The Star in 1979 they thought the Raymore officer had murdered Eyman.

The strongest evidence to support the belief was the result of a polygraph test indicating the officer was involved in the murder, according to the 1979 Star report. Missouri law required both parties to consent to the admission of those results in court, so the case never went forward. Polygraph tests vary widely in their reliability.

In 1979, a Star reporter interviewed the officer. He denied involvement with the crime, saying “there was nothing to confess to.” He described himself as a “dedicated officer,” and said his record of finding suspicious fires was due to his work ethic.

“When I was out, I worked,” he said. “I didn’t sit around drinking coffee like some of them.”

Here's the link to the thread for Hazel and Steve Avery, and Gary Longfellow, who were executed at about the same time as this UID died: KS - KS - Hazel, 60, & Steve Avery, 19, Gary Longfellow, 23, Ottawa, 28 March 1973

They were shot in Hazel's car near a bridge. Maybe they came on someone getting rid of this victim, and he was dumped in an alternate location.

 

[Gardener1850]

Investigators are puzzled by a young man found dead decades ago -- still unidentified.

On April 18, 1973, the body of a male was found in a shallow stream about 180 feet from 1550 Road on the south side of Garnett, Kan.

It’s believed that the young man, maybe 17 to 20 years old, had died two to four weeks before when he was found, according to the Department of Justice. His body is among 25 of people who remain unidentified in Kansas.

MISSING IN KANSAS: John Doe 1973

 

[carbuff]

Updated Namus link: Unidentified Person Case

It has a better reconstruction too: https://www.namus.gov/api/CaseSets/NamUs/UnidentifiedPersons/Cases/2344/Images/18521/Thumbnail

Two ruleouts: Derran Rogers and Christopher Wells.

Earl Joggerst of Jefferson County MO has been added to the ruleouts.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

The only two suggestions I can think of are:
Ralph Hampton Miller – The Charley Project
Circumstantially, not great, but he looks a great deal like the reconstruction.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
I wish he had better photos, but I can't think of anything to rule him out.

 

[MadMcGoo]

The only two suggestions I can think of are:
Ralph Hampton Miller – The Charley Project
Circumstantially, not great, but he looks a great deal like the reconstruction.

View attachment 283720

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
I wish he had better photos, but I can't think of anything to rule him out.

I thought I’d gone crazy when I refreshed and the photo of Ralph had changed!

I can’t really find anything to rule either of them out either. Ralph’s chin seems a bit bigger/longer to me, but he also looks different in each of his own photos.

ETA: I couldn’t find any other photos of William, FWIW.

 

[carbuff]

Earl Joggerst of Jefferson County MO, Derran Rogers from Stanislas CA, and Christopher Wells from King County WA are still the only exclusions.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[hxwdxmb]

I live about 20-30 minutes away from where he was found. I'm honestly glad other people are looking into this case, especially since I've been looking into it myself. I'm just confused on how absolutely no one knows this person, especially after almost 50 years.

I was thinking Earl Joggerst, but now seeing that it's been ruled out, I'm back to square one on who it could be. Ralph could be a big possibility as well. I'm still looking at missing persons cases and seeing if there's any possibilities.

 

[vermontaigne]

I'd like to suggest someone different, James Colin Egan of Mequon, WI. He had gone to San Francisco at age 18, and told his parents that he'd be hitchhiking to Denver and catching a flight back home. He never showed up.

• Missing Since 08/06/1972
• Missing From San Francisco, California
• Classification Missing
• Date of Birth 04/12/1954 (64)
• Age 18 years old
• Height and Weight 5'9, 130 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, blue eyes. Egan goes by his middle name, Colin. His left hand is slightly deformed from an accident. He wears gold wire-framed eyeglasses.

"Details of Disappearance: Egan was last heard from called he his family in Mequon, Wisconsin on August 6, 1972. He was in San Francisco, California at the time and told them he would hitchhike to Denver, Colorado and catch a flight home to Wisconsin within the next week. He never arrived home and has never been heard from again.

Few details are available in his case. His father died in 1999, and in the obituary it was noted that Egan preceded him in death. Wisconsin authorities are investigating."

On the minus side:

The time: It would be strange if he didn't let his family know he'd be delayed.

The location: At the time, unused plane tickets were often still good. They were also easily refunded to cash, though, so he may have done that and decided to stay longer in San Francisco and hitchhike the distance.

Hair color: Listed as blonde, though in the earlier class picture it seems brown.

Hand deformity: Not listed here, but Colin's (that is how he was called by his family, according to his father's obit) left had was deformed from an unspecified injury in childhood.

Glasses: Not found.

On the plus side:

Right height, weight, age, possibly hair color.

Time: Conceivable he hung around in California over the winter, decided to head back in spring.

Route: If that were the case, it would make sense to hug south for a bit before turning north.

Personal effects: Religious items found on him, parents devout Catholics.

Estimated to have been deceased 3 weeks at time of discovery, hand deformity due to prior injury might have been missed in autopsy.

 

[lafoela99]

I'd like to suggest someone different, James Colin Egan of Mequon, WI. He had gone to San Francisco at age 18, and told his parents that he'd be hitchhiking to Denver and catching a flight back home. He never showed up. View attachment 339329 View attachment 339330

• Missing Since 08/06/1972
• Missing From San Francisco, California
• Classification Missing
• Date of Birth 04/12/1954 (64)
• Age 18 years old
• Height and Weight 5'9, 130 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, blue eyes. Egan goes by his middle name, Colin. His left hand is slightly deformed from an accident. He wears gold wire-framed eyeglasses.

"Details of Disappearance: Egan was last heard from called he his family in Mequon, Wisconsin on August 6, 1972. He was in San Francisco, California at the time and told them he would hitchhike to Denver, Colorado and catch a flight home to Wisconsin within the next week. He never arrived home and has never been heard from again.

Few details are available in his case. His father died in 1999, and in the obituary it was noted that Egan preceded him in death. Wisconsin authorities are investigating."

On the minus side:

The time: It would be strange if he didn't let his family know he'd be delayed.

The location: At the time, unused plane tickets were often still good. They were also easily refunded to cash, though, so he may have done that and decided to stay longer in San Francisco and hitchhike the distance.

Hair color: Listed as blonde, though in the earlier class picture it seems brown.

Hand deformity: Not listed here, but Colin's (that is how he was called by his family, according to his father's obit) left had was deformed from an unspecified injury in childhood.

Glasses: Not found.

On the plus side:

Right height, weight, age, possibly hair color.

Time: Conceivable he hung around in California over the winter, decided to head back in spring.

Route: If that were the case, it would make sense to hug south for a bit before turning north.

Personal effects: Religious items found on him, parents devout Catholics.

Estimated to have been deceased 3 weeks at time of discovery, hand deformity due to prior injury might have been missed in autopsy.

Is it just an odd coincidence that Colin Egan had a deformity/old injury to left hand, and the John Doe from Garnett, KS was missing the left hand, “His left hand went missing postmortem”?

 

[sorcoy14]

Three exclusions

 

[lafoela99]

Three exclusions View attachment 399135

New to this site and was wondering how you find out the exclusion info? Does that mean that DNA has been tested to exclude a possible match?

 

[Flobow]

Lawrence Journal-World: Youth’s body found on farm (April 19, 1973)
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/1973/apr/19/youths-body-found-farm/


Lawrence Journal-World: Forty years, three murders and no answers in Franklin County cold case (April 1, 2013)
Forty years, three murders and no answers in Franklin County cold case


More on the Franklin County triple homicide and nearby unidentified Anderson County male:
KS KS - Ottawa, Franklin County/U.S. 59 triple homicide, Avery/Longfellow, 28 March 1973 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Commun

 

[citizen_sleuth]

"Autopsy on Body Found In Garnett," Kansas City Times [Kansas City, MO], 20 April 1973, 13.

An autopsy showed the man, believed to have been between 18 and 20 years old, had suffered a skull fracture, but it was not a fresh fracture, said Howard Docker, assistant Kansas Bureau of Investigation director. The only outstanding characteristic that might help i[n] learning the man's identity was that two of his lower front teeth were baby teeth, which happens about once in every 10,000 adults, Docker said.

A pathologist said the man had been dead from two to four weeks, said Terry Solander, Anderson County attorney.

The man wore a waist-length brown corduroy coat, green long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans.

The body was found by a farmer a day short of three weeks after three persons were found shot to death in a car on a road south of Ottawa, about 25 miles away. Franklin County authorities are continuing their investigation of those deaths.

Bill Gadelman, Anderson County sheriff, said that although the estimated time of the young man's death coincides with the triple murder, authorities have found no connection.

"Body of Youth Still Unidentified," Kansas City Star [Kansas City, MO], 22 April 1973, 2A.

The body was found near a small stream in a wooded area about three miles south of here and about 100 yards from a country road. No identification was found.

[Sheriff William] Gadelman said that the poor condition of the body had hampered the investigation but that he was almost certain the youth was not from the Garnett area.

"We've checked thoroughly with the Osawatomie State Hospital (25 miles east) and we can't find anyone missing from Garnett or any of the surrounding towns or area," the sheriff said. "We're assuming he's not from this area, a[t] least not anywhere close."

"Identity Unknown: Murder Victim Buried in Garnett," Kansas City Star [Kansas City, MO], 6 May 1973, 2A.

They buried an unidentified youth last week in the Garnett cemetery. He was 18 to 20 years old, wore new boots, a corduroy coat and had brown wavy hair. No one claimed the body.

[...]

"He could be just a casualty of the times." Terry Solander, county attorney said, "Some of these kids just drift. Sometimes their parents don't care. Or if they do care, they don't know where to find them."

But the death has now officially been ruled a homicide, Solander said. A pathologist's report revealed the death was caused by a skull fracture. But there was not enough body tissue left to rule out other contributing factors. Death occurred between March 21 and April 4, the report said, about two to four weeks before the body was found.

"The pathology tests indicated no residual poisons or drugs in the body," Solander said. There was no evidence of whether the victim had been injured where the body was found or carried and dumped there later. More than 100 inquiries have been received concerning missing persons from other parts of the country.

The youth is thought to have been 18 to 20 years old, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, of medium build, weighing 140 to 150 pounds. He was dressed in a brown corduroy zipper jacket, a light green long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, a blue knit stocking cap and waffle, stomper-type boots.

"The shoes were new, I guess that's what I first noticed," said Virgil Ashburn, an Anderson county farmer who found the body on a farm a few miles southeast of Garnett.

The youth's coat was torn to shreds, apparently by coyotes who had found the body before Ashburn did. Area residents have been made uneasy that the youth's death and an unsolved triple murder near Ottawa could happen in the quiet farming district.

 

[Moev]

I'd like to suggest someone different, James Colin Egan of Mequon, WI. He had gone to San Francisco at age 18, and told his parents that he'd be hitchhiking to Denver and catching a flight back home. He never showed up. View attachment 339329 View attachment 339330

• Missing Since 08/06/1972
• Missing From San Francisco, California
• Classification Missing
• Date of Birth 04/12/1954 (64)
• Age 18 years old
• Height and Weight 5'9, 130 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, blue eyes. Egan goes by his middle name, Colin. His left hand is slightly deformed from an accident. He wears gold wire-framed eyeglasses.

"Details of Disappearance: Egan was last heard from called he his family in Mequon, Wisconsin on August 6, 1972. He was in San Francisco, California at the time and told them he would hitchhike to Denver, Colorado and catch a flight home to Wisconsin within the next week. He never arrived home and has never been heard from again.

Few details are available in his case. His father died in 1999, and in the obituary it was noted that Egan preceded him in death. Wisconsin authorities are investigating."

On the minus side:

The time: It would be strange if he didn't let his family know he'd be delayed.

The location: At the time, unused plane tickets were often still good. They were also easily refunded to cash, though, so he may have done that and decided to stay longer in San Francisco and hitchhike the distance.

Hair color: Listed as blonde, though in the earlier class picture it seems brown.

Hand deformity: Not listed here, but Colin's (that is how he was called by his family, according to his father's obit) left had was deformed from an unspecified injury in childhood.

Glasses: Not found.

On the plus side:

Right height, weight, age, possibly hair color.

Time: Conceivable he hung around in California over the winter, decided to head back in spring.

Route: If that were the case, it would make sense to hug south for a bit before turning north.

Personal effects: Religious items found on him, parents devout Catholics.

Estimated to have been deceased 3 weeks at time of discovery, hand deformity due to prior injury might have been missed in autopsy.

Thought it would be worth mentioning if it hasn't been done that I did reach out to the detective in charge of Egans case about the Garnett John Doe and did get this response. Hopefully at some point both of these individuals are discovered/found.

Very plausible with the Garnett John Doe case especially having DNA and dental records.. which the John Doe did have present baby teeth which is not commonly seen in adult populations, that there will be some identification someday to his identity.

Not sure how that process could be started if anyone knows, I am open ears.

 

[Nate_Bro]

Bumping.

I saw a resemblance with this guy Chenel Dubé, but his hair looks very dark compared to the John Doe.

Canada's Missing | Case details

www.services.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

 

[Moev]

Bumping.

I saw a resemblance with this guy Chenel Dubé, but his hair looks very dark compared to the John Doe.

Canada's Missing | Case details

www.services.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

View attachment 487884

I definitely think this is worth a submission… very similar height and weight compositions too.

He looks very similar to the clay reconstruction that was done priorly though too. His lips and nose are also quite similar with the missing and exploited children composite.

 

[lightofmine99]

If the Doe had been spending a significant amount of time outdoors prior to his death, that could lighten hair color (sun bleaching).

 

[Moev]

Bumping.

I saw a resemblance with this guy Chenel Dubé, but his hair looks very dark compared to the John Doe.

Canada's Missing | Case details

www.services.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

View attachment 487884

Thought I'd ask if you had ever heard anything back from the contacting agency? I had reported this at some point over their email and never heard a single thing back.. had to have been between a month or two ago.

 

[Moev]

Also I thought it was worth mentioning on the Unidentified Awareness Wikia there's an article for an Ellsworth County John Doe; which from reading the article was a confession that Serial Killer Billy Lee Chadd had made of beating a hitchhiker to death due to an altercation as well as his dog and dumping them near a creek.

Though the police weren't able to tie this back to this doe or even have evidence of the story Chadd had given them... I am left curious if maybe there was some kind of misremembering since this Doe was found a year prior to 1974 in 1973; the supposed time of the murder and he pointed to a creek far from the one where this Doe was found in Garnett. Though this doe was also found near a creek and died of a beating in the state of Kansas.

 

[Moev]

Tagging @othram to see if they might find interest in this case.