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

[John/Jane Doe]

Grant Co John Doe 1989 - DNA Doe Project Cases

 

[Hochman]

This is the case that had gotten me into forensics, I really hope I get to see the day this guy is identified.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

JOHN DOE - GRANT COUNTY, KENTUCKY | Federal Bureau of Investigation

April 9, 1989 Grant County, Kentucky

www.fbi.gov

 

[bombardier]

Was it ever mentioned what country of origin his dental work seemed to be? Or was it generic?

 

[John/Jane Doe]

296UMKY

 

[victoriarobinson642]

New highest match this week.

 

[fred&edna]

VIEW ALL PHOTOS

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - "Either everybody counts or no one does," said Kentucky State Police Trooper Joseph Filiatreau.

On Tuesday his body was exhumed.

After 28 years the man with severed hands is exhumed from a pauper's grave. Why now? At 6 @local12 <modsnip: 10% copyright rule >

There is also a KSP app. You can learn more about that app here.

"He deserves to go home": "Severed hand" murder victim exhumed

I'll always be puzzled as to how it was determined this man had plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) since he was shot twice in the back of the head. There must have been some forensic medical magic happening in recreating his skull which far beyond what my brain can imagine. I just hope some magic happens within all the hard work involved in finding his identity.

 

[bombardier]

I'll always be puzzled as to how it was determined this man had plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) since he was shot twice in the back of the head. There must have been some forensic medical magic happening in recreating his skull which far beyond what my brain can imagine. I just hope some magic happens within all the hard work involved in finding his identity.

has a picture of his skull/skeleton ever been publicly released? i don't want to be too graphic but I've seen heads/skulls with shots to the head, usually from farther away or lower caliber guns, where a clean hole is left and the skull is still left majority intact (or there is some breakage surrounding the entry/exit holes but the rest of the skull and its natural shape still remains)

 

[fred&edna]

has a picture of his skull/skeleton ever been publicly released? i don't want to be too graphic but I've seen heads/skulls with shots to the head, usually from farther away or lower caliber guns, where a clean hole is left and the skull is still left majority intact (or there is some breakage surrounding the entry/exit holes but the rest of the skull and its natural shape still remains)

I don't think any pictures of the skull were released. He had been dead for (IIRC) approx 2 weeks before being found so I'd guess there was very little soft tissue remaining. Yes, I'm sure they recreated his head and facial structure with the skull and bone fragments they found. I would imagine it depended on where the two shots entered (and if any there were exit wounds). The digital recreation almost looks like a license photo. Pretty amazing magic/work... with or without the "flat head syndrome" diagnosis.

 

[Oakie]

View attachment 352389
New highest match this week.

Where is this work being done?

 

[Natasha Mullins]

Where is this work being done?

At the DNA Doe Project! You can find the information on their website about the cases they're covering. Here is the spreadsheet that the information was from: DNA Doe Project Public Cases.xlsx

 

[fred&edna]

If anybody has Ancestry, there appears to be some information about him there. His death date is listed as December 15, 1986, about 9 days after he went missing.

The height difference doesn't seem to be enough to rule out a match.

I haven't checked Ancestry yet but I did find an old court document regarding Lehtomaki being a Marquette prison guard... has me wondering if his line of work had something to do with his disappearance. 'Just found it interesting.

 

[branmuffin]

VIEW ALL PHOTOS

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - "Either everybody counts or no one does," said Kentucky State Police Trooper Joseph Filiatreau.

On Tuesday his body was exhumed.

After 28 years the man with severed hands is exhumed from a pauper's grave. Why now? At 6 @local12 <modsnip: 10% copyright rule >

There is also a KSP app. You can learn more about that app here.

"He deserves to go home": "Severed hand" murder victim exhumed

It's strange to hear the police officer use the phrase 'either everybody counts or no one does'; that's the phrase Harry Bosch uses constantly as his reason for investigating murder cases. Harry Bosch is the brainchild of writer Michael Connolly. I love the Bosch books.

Every time I look at the image of this JD he epitomizes how I imagine Jack Reacher looks in the Reacher novels; a huge brick of a man. That may be why I think this guy is ex military.

Being shot with a .22 might mean his skull was intact, depending on where the entrance wound was and angle of the trajectory since the front part of the skull is the thickest.

I think he would have been noticable in a small town, his height and weight would have made him imposing. How do you overcome a 6 foot 5 inch guy weighing 230 pounds? More than one perp? Were his clothes removed to suggest a sexual element to the crime or was it because they would have been an identifier? Was he just passing through or was his presence there meaningful?

 

[Oakie]

I think he would have been noticable in a small town, his height and weight would have made him imposing. How do you overcome a 6 foot 5 inch guy weighing 230 pounds? More than one perp? Were his clothes removed to suggest a sexual element to the crime or was it because they would have been an identifier? Was he just passing through or was his presence there meaningful?

I suspect he was killed in Ohio and driven down into rural Kentucky to be dumped. Multiple jurisdictions always complicate investigations.

 

[carbuff]

I'll always be puzzled as to how it was determined this man had plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) since he was shot twice in the back of the head. There must have been some forensic medical magic happening in recreating his skull which far beyond what my brain can imagine. I just hope some magic happens within all the hard work involved in finding his identity.

The flat spot wouldn't necessarily be on the back. It could be on either side as well. (In the reconstruction, it looks to me like it could be on his right)

 

[fred&edna]

The flat spot wouldn't necessarily be on the back. It could be on either side as well. (In the reconstruction, it looks to me like it could be on his right)

Yes, that's true. After looking at some online med photos and doing some reading, I've also wondered if there was neck or other facial involvement. Many may find it morbid but my mind is very curious and would love to see how they recreated his skull specifically showing how this medical diagnosis/conclusion was reached.

 

[carbuff]

Yes, that's true. After looking at some online med photos and doing some reading, I've also wondered if there was neck or other facial involvement. Many may find it morbid but my mind is very curious and would love to see how they recreated his skull specifically showing how this medical diagnosis/conclusion was reached.

You never know what's going to turn out to be a clue. It appears to be an unusual diagnosis in an adult; I wonder if it might be from something like constantly wearing a protective helmet or headgear?

 

[Caring1]

No new exclusions listed, still 3 MP ruled out:

Missing Person / NamUs #MP20595Christopher Winkler
Date of Last ContactFebruary 16, 1987
StateWI
CountyRacine

Missing Person / NamUs #MP9041Jerry Plaster
Date of Last ContactApril 16, 1988
StateVA
CountyManassas

Missing Person / NamUs #MP9561Harvey Kays
Date of Last ContactDecember 12, 1988
StateKY
CountyAnderson

 

[bombardier]

You never know what's going to turn out to be a clue. It appears to be an unusual diagnosis in an adult; I wonder if it might be from something like constantly wearing a protective helmet or headgear?

plagiocephaly (in most cases ofc there are always exceptions) forms during infanthood when the cranial sutures are still soft and malleable, usually due to being weirdly positioned in the womb or spending too much time laying on their back. its not super common to see in adulthood because often it 'fixes' itself when babies are old enough to change positions when lying down, or if its severe, doctors treat with helmets. considering this guy would have been born ~1960, i guess its possible that he wasn't treated or his condition wasn't fully appreciated.
(btw, another related condition that WILL persist into adulthood without treatment is craniosynostosis, which may present with a 'flattened' appearance. i'm still doubtful about the whole thing though since photos of the skull have never been released and i dont know how they determined that presumptive diagnosis considering the 2 gunshot wounds...)

 

[fred&edna]

i'm still doubtful about the whole thing though since photos of the skull have never been released and i dont know how they determined that presumptive diagnosis considering the 2 gunshot wounds...)

RSBM (just jumping off your post) I haven't even tried to determine this, myself... but do we know exactly who reconstructed the skull and provided the Dx and when? Although, Grant Co isn't far from Cincinnati OH, I guess it was the KY ME's office?? It just seems such a forensically advanced reconstruction, I'm quite curious.