KY KY - Pulaski Co., Black or MixRace Male, 35-45, Along Cliff, Dec'85

[Gardener1850]

The third unidentified person cold case in Pulaski County examined this year involves the skeletal remains of a black or mixed-race male found December 19, 1985 along the cliff line of Lake Cumberland across from Lees Ford Marina Resort.

Pulaski County Coroner Clyde Strunk pulled the cold case from his files in response to questions about skeletal remains of an unidentified male listed on the Unidentified Persons Database of NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System). The remains on the NamUs list are of a male, 35-45 years old, found, according to NamUs, January 1, 1986 in rural Pulaski County.

It is not immediately known if the two reports could be the same case with an error in dates, or if it could be two different unidentified people.

About the black males remains, a report by then-Pulaski County Deputy Coroner Denver Hislope said, John Crabtree of Somerset was walking along the cliff line of Lake Cumberland across the lake from Lees Ford Dock ... on the east side of the lake. While walking under some overhanging rocks at a point about 180 feet above the waterline of Lake Cumberland, Mr. Crabtree examined a protrusion from the ground in the path around the cliff.

Upon excavation, he discovered a skeletal bone. Further excavation revealed another skeletal bone, then a pelvic bone and then a skull.
Mr. Crabtree notified authorities and (Deputy Coroner Hislope, Rick Muse and Jerry Walters, both Kentucky Water Patrol officers, and Gary Hayes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, all proceeded to the scene. (They) found skeletal remains left intact in a shallow grave with about 6 to 8 inches of loose dirt covering the (bones). Also discovered near the pelvic were three spent .22 caliber cartridges. Consensus (was) the (cartridges) may have been left by sportsmen or gun enthusiasts.
The skeleton appeared to have been placed in the grave facing a southwesterly direction with the skull butting to a solid rock cliff and the legs extending almost to the edge of the overhang.

Former Pulaski County Coroner Richard New reopened the case in 2004 and Dr. Emily A. Craig, then state forensic anthropologist, reanalyzed the skeletal remains as part of an inventory of cold case files.

A summary of Dr. Craigs findings:

(1) These are remains of an adult black or mixed-race male.

(2) There is evidence of a gunshot wound to the skull.

(3) Estimated date of death is between 1975 and 1986.

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[MadMcGoo]

Can't find him in NamUs

 

[MadMcGoo]

A few possibilities...

William Edward Hamilton – The Charley Project

James Mann Morris – The Charley Project
1977 - Vehicle found abandoned near Indiana state line, authorities believe he was taken to a remote location in Henderson Co. and shot to death

Randy Lee Sellers – The Charley Project
This one intrigues me most because of how similar the circumstances are...Donald Evans admitted to picking Randy up near Visalia (KY route 177), shooting him in the head and then burying his body in Kincaid Lake State Park in Pendleton County, Kentucky, 1980. Visalia and the location this UID was discovered are about a 3 hour drive via either I-75 or Hwy 27 from one another.

Nothing was found in Pendleton County, is it possible that Donald was telling the truth about everything but the particular State Park he buried Randy in??? I know the reports say this was an adult black or mixed-race male, but it’s possible Randy is mixed.

 

[Melt71]

No further media I can see, and still not in Namus or other sites for unidentified remains.