Identified! KY - Owensboro, Pleasant Valley Rd, WhtMale 25-40, UP87, curly hair, eyeglasses, Jan'90 - William Dennis Mathews

[madamx]

Hey, I am new here, but I have been reading for quite some time and also doing a little bit of research and as I was looking into MPs concerning another case, I stumbled upon this MP, who reminded me of Daviess County John Doe.

Michael Robert Bidwell

I think the facial resemblance is good and height fits. The MP had an unspecified tattoo on his forearm, but since the hands were missing, the tattoo could be missing as well. There is unfortunately not much information regarding his disappearance other than suspected foul play. According to Doe Network both have DNA available and as far as I can see, he has not been excluded yet.
So, what do you think?

There is a resemblance there!

 

[Teignmouth 22]

following this case and bumping

 

[Oakie]

After reading through this thread again, I now suspect that this case, and the Grant County John Doe case are connected...possibly same killer or killers....and I think we ought to consider Herb Baumeister as a possible suspect. It seems likely that those men (and probably others) were killed north of the Ohio River, and then dumped in KY to cause jurisdictional problems in any subsequent investigation.

 

[phantomstrider]

After reading through this thread again, I now suspect that this case, and the Grant County John Doe case are connected...possibly same killer or killers....and I think we ought to consider Herb Baumeister as a possible suspect. It seems likely that those men (and probably others) were killed north of the Ohio River, and then dumped in KY to cause jurisdictional problems in any subsequent investigation.

I think the two cases could be possibly connected however it could also just be a coincidence.

 

[pokerowan]

No trace of this JD on either TDTF or DNA Doe Project. Did they drop the case? Can't find any news.

 

[EmiliaRT007]

No trace of this JD on either TDTF or DNA Doe Project. Did they drop the case? Can't find any news.

That’s what I was curious about. Looked at his page on TDTF and I just got an error. Just thought about him today after perusing Unidentified Wiki and saw his page.

 

[EmiliaRT007]

Hes definitely not trans IMO look at his reconstruction photo. I think his murder was due to drugs or a debt not being paid.

I agree with you that he was 99.9% chance a cis man, but TDTF isn’t just for gender variant or trans Does but also just any suspected to be LGBTQ. I’m a member of the LGBTQ community myself. I’m cisgender but I’m a lesbian. If I was in the sad position of being a Jane Doe in the middle of nowhere and someone found my body, they could 100% tell I was female, even though I dress pretty androgynous and get most of my clothes from the men’s section (that is, if I can find something small enough to fit my 5’2 110 lbs body), I am still pretty obviously female and don’t present as male. But I would still probably end up on TDTF because it focuses on LGBT Does, but mostly covers trans cases as it’s easier to tell a trans person from a gay/bi person. But back to him, as my rambling about myself was only somewhat on topic. No, I don’t think he was transgender either, but I can understand the theory of him being a gay or bi cisgender man.

 

[Susikatze]

His murder is a classical overkill. He was shot six (!!) times and his face was smashed until unrecognizeable. His murderer also sexually assaulted him. And cut his hands and feet off, probably to prevent identification.
I hope they find his murderer and give JD his name back. Poor guy

 

[John/Jane Doe]

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[John/Jane Doe]

KSP identifies murder victim from 1990 cold case in Philpot

Kentucky State Police has identified the victim in a 1990 cold case where an unidentified male was found deceased with his hands and feet cut off in a wooded area off of Pleasant Valley Road in Philpot.

www.owensborotimes.com

 

[HmmMysterious]

Rest in peace William. Very horrible way he died, I hope justice comes soon.

William, a native of Louisville Kentucky, was 37 years old when he died.

Kentucky State Police Identify Homicide Victim from 1990 Cold Case

 

[dotr]

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[Wossy]

This is great news. This was possibly a hate crime and is eerie similar to Brandon Teena who also died around the same time on new years 4 years after. (also sexually assaulted and brutally murdered like this person).

RIP

 

[MadMcGoo]

Now that they’ve been identified, I really, really hope the killer(s) can be identified and held accountable for this brutal act.

Rest peacefully now William.

 

[pokerowan]

Got the notification for this when I was away over the weekend - I'm so pleased the Trans Doe Task Force have another solve they're able to release. Major congratulations to them for giving another Doe their name back! I hope the family of Mr. Mathews can find peace from this information. Excellent work from the team to ID him after all these years.

 

[lightofmine99]

Archive for the Doe Network page.

 

[dotr]

New technology helped KSP identify cold case victim

Genealogical testing hadn’t been invented when the body of a man, missing his hands and feet, was discovered on a Daviess County farm in 1990.

www.messenger-inquirer.com

• By James Mayse Messenger-Inquirer
• Apr 27, 2024 rbbm
• “Now, it gives us an identity that opens up a whole new avenue to go down,” said Trooper Corey King, public affairs officer for KSP in Henderson. “It gives us at least names.”
  The hope, King said, is the new information will lead to a possible suspect, and that, “I venture to say that is going to break open this case.”
  Mathews was identified by the Trans Doe Task Force, a nonprofit organization that performs genealogical testing in cases involving missing and murdered people believed to be LGBTQ+, and particularly transgender.
  Investigators referred to it as the “handless, footless” case. Attempts to identify Mathews were stymied. Investigators thought they had identified him in 2007, and ever released a name, only to find they were mistaken in 2009.
  “We never worked one quite like that before,” said Anthony Redgrave, one of the founders of Trans Doe Task Force.
  King said cold cases are reviewed by detectives, and that investigators in the post’s Henderson bureau came up with idea of contacting the Trans Doe Task Force.
  “When you have new detectives review these cases, they come up with new ideas,” King said. “They knew there was a Task Force. We have a group of new detectives and they are pretty eager, and they are looking at cutting edge technology.”

 

[imstilla.grandma]

William Dennis Matthews​

William Dennis Matthews was found in a wooded area near Owensboro in January 1990. He had been beaten and shot several times, and his hands and feet had been cut off.

After Kentucky State Police partnered with the Trans Doe Task Force, his identity was announced in April 2024 — nearly 35 years after his murder.

No one has been charged in his death

Kentucky cold cases: 9 bodies, 2 killers identified using DNA, family trees

Kentucky officials have several identified homicide victims and suspects by matching their DNA to potential relatives.

www.courier-journal.com