KY KY - Williamstown, Grant Co, off KY 22 W of Dry Ridge, WhtMale 25-39, UP86, GSW, Hands Cut Off, In Tobacco Barn, Ext Dental Wk "Perfect Smile", Apr'89

[carbuff]

I can definitely see why someone would get these cases confused, as there are some pretty interesting similarities (like I said before) even if the cases are probably unrelated.

About the sexual aspect of these crimes - like I previously mentioned, the 1976 Shepherdsville John Doe and the 1990 Owensboro/Daviess County John Doe had both been sexually assaulted. I don't know (to be completely honest, I don't necessarily even want to know) the exact nature of what they endured, but semen was apparently found on or in the 1990 Owensboro victim. LE apparently had plans to test the DNA against a known serial killer (James Cable), but this was fifteen years ago, and I don't even know if those plans ever materialized. Not much is known about the Shepherdsville victim, unfortunately.

Those two cases are odd enough on their own, but I think the killers in these cases are different people and that they had their own MOs, given that the most compelling similarity between the two is that some sort of sex crime was committed alongside each murder. Rape is something that (unfortunately) happens everywhere, but rural Kentucky seems like a particularly strange place for multiple sexually-motivated murders of young-to-middle-age men to take place.

Rape happens everywhere, but there don't seem to be all that many cases where youngish men are raped and murdered. And most of them are serial killers, like Corll in Texas etc.

 

[GJKJR]

April 11, 1989. The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky.

 

[JovanSrna]

The DNA Doe Project is now involved with this case!

 

[MadMcGoo]

YOU HEAR THAT?!?! You’re gonna get your name back sooooooon!!!!!

 

[MadMcGoo]

This question may have an obvious answer but I’m curious... When DDP becomes involved is it safe to assume the person we’re looking for is not in any of the missing person databases??

ETA: Also, according to The Doe Network, our guy had “insufficient DNA for profiling”. What does that mean in terms of what DDP is doing?

 

[ntt1]

This question may have an obvious answer but I’m curious... When DDP becomes involved is it safe to assume the person we’re looking for is not in any of the missing person databases??

ETA: Also, according to The Doe Network, our guy had “insufficient DNA for profiling”. What does that mean in terms of what DDP is doing?

That probably means they couldn't extract enough for an STR profile. The type of extraction/profile that genetic genealogy requires requires much more genetic info than STR profiles, so it should be interesting to see if they can extract enough.

From Genetics extends the long arm of the law

These databases store information on short tandem repeats, or STRs — sections of DNA that repeat themselves over and over at spots in the genome — near 20 genes. The number of repeats at each gene varies among individuals, so STR profiles can be used to verify people’s identities.

To use such a criminal DNA database, investigators first determine a suspect’s STR profile from blood, semen or tissue from a crime scene, then compare it against database records. But there’s a limit to the power of STR searches: They can only yield matches to individuals or close relatives, such as a suspect’s parent, child or sibling.

GEDmatch, by comparison, can be far more powerful. That’s because it contains information on 100,000 to 600,000 genetic markers — tiny variations in DNA sequence called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the same genetic markers profiled by consumer genetic companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com.

 

[carbuff]

That probably means they couldn't extract enough for an STR profile. The type of extraction/profile that genetic genealogy requires requires much more genetic info than STR profiles, so it should be interesting to see if they can extract enough.

From Genetics extends the long arm of the law

It also means they can use different techniques to get bits and pieces of DNA and build up a sample--since they're not looking for the parts that make an individual but rather the parts that are shared by kin groups, they can use a broader range of tools and put together results from different sources. I think most of the techniques used for this sort of extraction are similar to the ones used in paleontology.

 

[Liv27]

It also means they can use different techniques to get bits and pieces of DNA and build up a sample--since they're not looking for the parts that make an individual but rather the parts that are shared by kin groups, they can use a broader range of tools and put together results from different sources. I think most of the techniques used for this sort of extraction are similar to the ones used in paleontology.

There's been a lot of new technology that has recently come out for extraction work even in the last year. If they can get an extraction off of Joseph Newton Chandler's old tissue sample, I am sure they can do something for Grant Co. Doe. DDP is amazing.

 

[MadMcGoo]

That probably means they couldn't extract enough for an STR profile. The type of extraction/profile that genetic genealogy requires requires much more genetic info than STR profiles, so it should be interesting to see if they can extract enough.

From Genetics extends the long arm of the law

Oh thank you! Great article by the way!

I really can’t wait for us to have a name to put to this face!

 

[Melt71]

I’m so glad DDP have this one. I can’t help but think that the perp cut off his hands because ID of the UID would lead to ID or the murderer. I hope we see an ID and a conviction.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Look at this missing person who was recently added to NamUs!!

Arnold Joseph Epel MP65338

- Miami, Florida
- January 19, 1989 (April 9, 1989; PMI days-weeks)
- 25 years old (25-40)
- 5’9” - 5’11” (6’4”-6’5”)
- 160-170 lbs (220)
- Brown hair & eyes (brown & unknown)
- Mr. Arnold Epel left a note for his family, leaving instructions on how to handle his belongings and property. He has not been seen or heard from since.

I know his listed height and weight are off, but he looks (at least) taller than what it says he is, in the photo of him with the baby...

I’m really curious what that note said! I found a few New York court records with his name, but nothing else (ETA: these records are not for him, that was just all that came up when I first searched!)... is he a possible match?

 

[MadMcGoo]

I’m so glad DDP have this one. I can’t help but think that the perp cut off his hands because ID of the UID would lead to ID or the murderer. I hope we see an ID and a conviction.

I second all that!!!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Still searching for info on Arnold. Found a 1980 South Miami High School yearbook photo of him... I see more of a resemblance!

 

[carbuff]

Sure could be. I think the chins are quite different, but I don't rule out from photos any more.

If you go with +/- 3" on height, the top of the missing person's height range does overlap with the bottom of the UID's estimated height.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Sure could be. I think the chins are quite different, but I don't rule out from photos any more.

If you go with +/- 3" on height, the top of the missing person's height range does overlap with the bottom of the UID's estimated height.

This one’s really nagging at me. I wasn’t sure about the chins until I found the high school photo. I can really see the almost “box” shape of his face that reminds me so much of our guy. I just couldn’t find a better one of him straight on with no smile. I surely can’t figure out how he’d have ended up in rural Kentucky!

Everywhere I was searching kept bringing me back to an M.D., transplanted from Maryland to Florida, with a wife and 2 teenagers. About the right age, but it started looking like he may have been living in 1993, so I stopped there, before I ended up with some really wild theory! Guess it’d be nice to find something indicating he had the “flat head” condition. This somewhat reminded me of the SK we came across too - Hale. Right age, right place(s) & IIRC, right time. I’ll keep searching!

 

[faithx]

He is listed as a DDP Fund Case on the DNA Doe Project website.

Grant Co John Doe 1989 - DNA Doe Project Cases

Description
On April 9, 1989 human remains of a large male were found in a tobacco barn off KY State Highway 22 about 7.5 miles west of Dry Ridge near Williamstown, Kentucky. The victim was shot twice in the back of his head with a .22 caliber weapon, and he was stripped of all of his clothing. Also, his hands were severed from his arms. Forensic scientists determined the deceased to be a White/Caucasian male, 25-35 years-old, 6′ 5″ tall, and weighing approximately 220 pounds. He wore his medium brown hair in a crew cut with short sideburns. The victim died approximately two weeks prior to being found. The case is being treated as a homicide.

NamUs ID: UP86
Date Body Found: April 9, 1989
Race: White/Caucasian
Gender: Male
Estimated Age: 25-35
Estimated PMI: Days
Location: Kentucky State Police

Agency of Jurisdiction
Kentucky State Police
Regina Wells, DNA Database Supervisor
502-564-5230

Links to More Information
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/unidentified-persons/john-doe—grant-county-kentucky
296UMKY
Grant County John Doe

Status: Undergoing testing

Image Credit: Catyana Falsetti

Fundraiser Goal $3000

DNA Doe Project has established a special fundraising campaign in order to raise money for the special lab testing that will be required to extract DNA from deceased’s remains. Please donate using this button. Thank you for your generous contribution to this important project.

Posted on February 24, 2020

 

[Liv27]

Geez! He was 6'5"!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Possible Match:

1. Steven Allen Hafer

 

[MadMcGoo]

Hopefully it won’t be much longer!

 

[YaYa_521]

@MadMcGoo have you researched any about Ernest? There's a 3-year lapse between his disappearance from WV and this UID's death. The resemblance is similar (imo) and their description matches somewhat, except age, hair color, and shrapnel in Ernest's back. It's unlikely this is a match but every time I see a post of yours, I see Ernest in your avatar.

3254DMWV - Ernest Stanley Slavik

mpDetails
Eta - better quality pic and link.