KY KY- - Laurel Co, BlkMale, Adult- Pre 40, UP109554, Found in ditch off Coon Club Rd, Sep '79 - Michael Murray

[phantomstrider]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Date Body Found September 5, 1979
Location Found London, Kentucky
Sex Male
Race/Ethnicity Black/African American
Estimated Age Group Adult- Pre 40
Height 5'9" (69 inches), Measured
Weight 150 lbs, Estimated
County Laurel County
Found On Tribal Land Unknown
Hair Color Black
Facial Hair Description Black beard
Eye Color Unknown
Finger and toe nails"extremely long" fingernails, possibly 1/2"
Scar/mark Depressed 1.5cm diameter scar on left lateral malleolus (outer left ankle)
Clothing Black satin shirt, brand Roland Kasser, 14 1/2" sleeve T-shirt Tan pants, Levis and/or Branded Lion, waist 30"
Footwear "fancy brown slipper type shoes", brand Pierre Cardan, size 8 1/2" with "P" on outside of tongue Black socks
Other Green beach towel near body

 

[MadMcGoo]

Sep 07, 1979, page 27 - Lexington Herald-Leader at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from Lexington Herald-Leader dated Sep 07, 1979, page 27.

www.newspapers.com

A young girl found the badly decomposed body alongside Kentucky route 80 while investigating a foul smell. No cause of death could be determined.

ETA: From NamUs, Circumstances of Recovery: Decomposing body found in ditch five feet off Coon Club Road five miles east of London KY

 

[iulia]

His NamUs page is down at the moment.

 

[phantomstrider]

His NamUs page is down at the moment.

Did the number of resolved cases for Kentucky increase?

 

[DS2021]

His NamUs page is down at the moment.

That would be wild if they identified him that soon after adding him to NamUs. I wonder if its a CODIS hit.

Clothing Black satin shirt, brand Roland Kasser, 14 1/2" sleeve T-shirt Tan pants, Levis and/or Branded Lion, waist 30"
Footwear "fancy brown slipper type shoes", brand Pierre Cardan, size 8 1/2" with "P" on outside of tongue Black socks
Other Green beach towel near body

That's some expensive clothing isnt it? I know the slippers are

eta, i misspoke. I cant verify that the slippers were expensive either

 

[iulia]

Did the number of resolved cases for Kentucky increase?

Yes, it did go up by one.

Just for understanding my lingo, when I write that a case has been removed it means that it's already been counted as resolved. When I say the page is down at the moment it means it's been removed in the past hour (probably) and the counter hasn't yet been updated (it happens once an hour) I'm not sure if I'll be online to check if it's been resolved or not. I keep count of these cases my file and I check them the next time I am online and will post if they are not counted as resolved. Thankfully this is rarely the case, you know, except Arizona these days. More frequently it will happen the other way around, the number of resolved cases goes up with no visible cases removed. That makes me feel so left out

 

[phantomstrider]

Yes, it did go up by one.

Just for understanding my lingo, when I write that a case has been removed it means that it's already been counted as resolved. When I say the page is down at the moment it means it's been removed in the past hour (probably) and the counter hasn't yet been updated (it happens once an hour) I'm not sure if I'll be online to check if it's been resolved or not. I keep count of these cases my file and I check them the next time I am online and will post if they are not counted as resolved. Thankfully this is rarely the case, you know, except Arizona these days. More frequently it will happen the other way around, the number of resolved cases goes up with no visible cases removed. That makes me feel so left out

He’s in claimus now as #UCP110151 he was identified by fingerprints.

 

[DS2021]

Michael Murray

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

 

[dotr]

Remains found in Kentucky 45 years ago positively identified as Atlanta man, police say

Authorities have positively identified human remains found in Kentucky as an Atlanta man.

www.wsbtv.com

 

[Kudzuu]

I saw this on the news last night. I hate to say this but that area of Kentucky has a very bad reputation. It isn't known to be friendly to outsiders and white supremacists are still active in the area. I couldn't help but notice the name of the road this man appeared to be discarded along. MOO. There is a reason this case never saw the light of day until now. I hope we learn his story.

What's the significance of the long fingernails and toenails? I can guess the reason for the fingernails but not toenails.....

 

[Melt71]

What's the significance of the long fingernails and toenails? I can guess the reason for the fingernails but not toenails.....

Hard to tell, right? With the limited info that was in Namus & the media clip above.... I wonder if Michael was an itinerant and moving between his CA home and elsewhere (maybe back to GA)? I guess he must have had a record in either/both GA and CA? How far do LE go to identify and notify next of kin in these cases?

 

[Kudzuu]

Hard to tell, right? With the limited info that was in Namus & the media clip above.... I wonder if Michael was an itinerant and moving between his CA home and elsewhere (maybe back to GA)? I guess he must have had a record in either/both GA and CA? How far do LE go to identify and notify next of kin in these cases?

I don't know. Apparently there was not much interest in his case until recently. That makes me wonder if someone finally got LE interested in the case.

I wonder why he was there. Most people from central and eastern KY know black folk are not welcome in that area. Maybe he had gone home to Georgia and was going back to California? Perhaps stopped for something and drew attention and was murdered? Most men don't have long fingernails and that in itself would attract attention.

This guy had a mother and friends. Even if his mother wasn't in his life someone else would have taken her place. At the very least why wasn't someone looking for him? Or maybe they were but no one cared.

On the news here LE asked for information about him and anyone who may be looking for him .

I'm curious if others were murdered in that area and found dumped along that road or if this was an isolated incident.

 

[StrangeOne]

I spent over 10 years in the London/Corbin area. From research Corbin was a sundown town and London is right with it. in fact London is in Laurel County and part of Corbin is Laurel County as well. Corbin is a county city...Laurel, Whitley and Knox Counties. There are more African American and people of color in London than Corbin today. I don't know what it was like back in 1979 but there is a documentary on youtube called Trouble Behind - The Corbin, Kentucky Documentary (1991). It can give you a perspective of how things were.
My son is still down there and will probably remain there. He has trouble with people because he's gay.

Is there any news on his family?

 

[Kudzuu]

I just watched the video. Denial is alive in those white folks! Drop n bombs while claiming they aren't racist nor is their town! I'd say there is a good chance Michael stayed past sun down. My first teaching job was in a town in southern Indiana. I had students that had never spoken to a black person and in the 70's there was a sign as you came into the town that said nword don't let the sun go down on you.

I mean no offense. I lasted 6 months and quit. Sounds like Corbin pulled up their sign.

Those old white men with that belief system are pretty scary.