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

[Aurora90]

“Police have previously thought this case may be connected to the mob.”

this seems new to me... or maybe I’ve read it and forgotten...

It’s a bit out there match-wise so much is a bit off, but there’s this guy.

John Alfred Hovey​

Location
Toronto, Ontario

Circumstances
John went missing on January 15 1975.
He was an Italian Canadian mob associate and a member of the Buffalo Crime Family. He was a known associate of Paul Volpe and investigators believe John’s disappearance may be associated with his association to Paul and the mob.

 

[Aurora90]

That black and white photo in particular of John reminds me of one of the early sketches of this John Doe.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

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[djanga]

Oh wow, yes indeed he is from Balcans! I did not see any ending on -ich surnames in missing people databases. There is a big probability he was not reported missing.

 

[djanga]

Actually there is this guy

Steven Mark Dadasovich – The Charley Project

 

[djanga]

Oh also, I think the circumstances of disappearance are quite off, but Milan is a very Serbian name

Milan Vucurevich Jr. – The Charley Project

 

[dotr]

May 17, 2025 rbbm

Victim in 1989 Kentucky cold case murder might have ties to Detroit area, genealogists say

As investigators work to identify a man who was found dead in Kentucky in 1989, genealogists say he might have ties to the Detroit area.

www.clickondetroit.com

''He was shot in the back of the head twice, and his hands were severed from his arms.
The man had also been stripped of all his clothing.''
''They learned that the man was most likely from Croatia, Serbia or Romania.''
The nonprofit wants to connect with people whose family tree includes the following surnames:

• Vignovich
• Bogojevic
• Nydich
• Stanovich
• Stoyadinovich
• Ljubesavljevic
• Damovich

You can contact the DNA Doe Project at [email protected].''

 

[djanga]

May 17, 2025 rbbm

Victim in 1989 Kentucky cold case murder might have ties to Detroit area, genealogists say

As investigators work to identify a man who was found dead in Kentucky in 1989, genealogists say he might have ties to the Detroit area.

www.clickondetroit.com

View attachment 586689
''He was shot in the back of the head twice, and his hands were severed from his arms.
The man had also been stripped of all his clothing.''
''They learned that the man was most likely from Croatia, Serbia or Romania.''
The nonprofit wants to connect with people whose family tree includes the following surnames:

• Vignovich
• Bogojevic
• Nydich
• Stanovich
• Stoyadinovich
• Ljubesavljevic
• Damovich

You can contact the DNA Doe Project at [email protected].''

With this last names he must have been either Serbian or Croatian! Romanians have completely different surnames.

 

[Aurora90]

What about Darryl Dubitski? Dubitski is a Slavic name, and there's been some famous Doe cases from Canada. Bitter Creek Betty is another case where it turned out to be a woman from Edmonton.

View attachment 571173

DOB/Age:31 yrs at time of disappearance
Height:6'3"
Weight:250 lbs
EPS File #:82-206909
Description: Brown hair and brown eyes.

Darryl was last seen by family leaving his residence in Edmonton in December of 1982. Darryl informed family he was travelling to the United States.

I know I mentioned him before, would Darryl be a fit?

 

[djanga]

I know I mentioned him before, would Darryl be a fit?

Though Dubitsky is indeed a slavic last name as it derives from the word “oak”, it is probably a Belarus, Ukrainian or Russian family name, not a Serbian one. And south slavs have completely different admixture, I saw his admixture and he is 100% Serbo-Croatian.

 

[Aurora90]

Though Dubitsky is indeed a slavic last name as it derives from the word “oak”, it is probably a Belarus, Ukrainian or Russian family name, not a Serbian one. And south slavs have completely different admixture, I saw his admixture and he is 100% Serbo-Croatian.

Thank you for educating me!

 

[kforbes862]

They were asking people with a few different family names to upload dna for better matches. I have very recent Estonian and Russian heritage but my dna wouldn't really help in this case.

 

[djanga]

There are additional details on his page on the DDP website. They say he or his family lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Detroit, Michigan, and the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. I have just googled his last names and it seems some of these family are well present in Pennsylvania, I wonder if he could have somehow connected to an estranged branch of these families.

Grant Co John Doe 1989 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

After uploading the John Doe’s profile to the databases at GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA.com and analyzing the DNA relative matches, the volunteer expert investigators determined that he was most likely from Croatia, Serbia, or Romania. He or his ancestors may have lived near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Detroit, Michigan, and the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. John Doe may have been born abroad, or could be the child of immigrants.

“John Doe’s closest DNA match is an approximate third cousin with recent Croatian and Serbian ancestry,” said Missy Koski, team leader on the case. “We need more people who have ancestry from these countries and Eastern Europe to take DNA tests and upload those tests to GEDmatch.com and FamilyTreeDNA.com to help us build his family tree.”

The DNA Doe Project is hoping to connect with members of the public whose family tree includes the surnames Vignovich, Bogojevic, Nydich, Stanovich, Stoyadinovich, Ljubesavljevic, and/or Damovich. To contact the team, please email [email protected].

 

[kforbes862]

Given the relative proximity and the straight shot down an interstate, is it probable that he was from Cinncinnati or the area close by?

 

[djanga]

Given the relative proximity and the straight shot down an interstate, is it probable that he was from Cinncinnati or the area close by?

He could be from Ohio, Kentucky, or Indiana! However, from what I understand, his closest relatives identified through genetic genealogy live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Detroit, Michigan. These are, so to speak, extended family—third- or fourth-degree cousins who share common ancestors with him. It's likely that those common ancestors lived in or near those areas. But his immediate family could have moved elsewhere.

 

[fred&edna]

i've wonder if research within the slavic village historical association in cleveland ohio would be of any benefit. i'm not sure where to begin, though.

SVHS Home Page

 

[djanga]

I don’t think is him, but this person is definetly of Croatian heritage, Tihomir Malectic missing in Canada.

4837DMON - Tihomir Maletic

 

[ninetimesfifteen]

i've wonder if research within the slavic village historical association in cleveland ohio would be of any benefit. i'm not sure where to begin, though.

SVHS Home Page

Slavic village in Cleveland was a Polish/Czech neigbourhood. Don't think it would be of much use.
The last names listed as relatives are just regular Serbian names (albeit anglicized). Some are more commonly related to certain regions (Stanović is from Montenegro, Vignjević from Lika, Croatia/Northwest Bosnia). I don't know if there's a way to match his Y chromosome DNA with any relatives. That could at least point to a possible last name. I know that the guys at the Serbian DNA Project have a large database of Y haplogroups connected to specific surnames. Maybe I should crosspost this on their forum?

 

[fred&edna]

Slavic village in Cleveland was a Polish/Czech neigbourhood. Don't think it would be of much use.
The last names listed as relatives are just regular Serbian names (albeit anglicized). Some are more commonly related to certain regions (Stanović is from Montenegro, Vignjević from Lika, Croatia/Northwest Bosnia). I don't know if there's a way to match his Y chromosome DNA with any relatives. That could at least point to a possible last name. I know that the guys at the Serbian DNA Project have a large database of Y haplogroups connected to specific surnames. Maybe I should crosspost this on their forum?

sounds like you have great knowledge of the surnames and serbian dna project.

maybe the slavic village historic records don't include those with serbian names like those suggested for this uid. however, just what i've seen online there has been quite the serbian population in cleveland since the 60's... maybe there are records within the st sava serbian orthodox church. anyway, there are serbfests, and other great activity within the serb population in cleveland. but, of course, i don't have your knowledge of the names... i don't know just regular serbian names vs other names from non-regular serbian regions.

Serbians in Cleveland | Cleveland Serbs

People, culture, music, food and traditions of the Serbs, Serbians and Serbian-American community in Cleveland Ohio and beyond. Culture, music, people and information on Serbia and Serbians in Cleveland

www.clevelandpeople.com

jmo

 

[Nate_Bro]

Can't find specific info but apparent drowning victim never recovered. There have been cases both missing and unidentified where people have faked their own deaths. Just putting it out there.
Frank James Backovich

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov