LA LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale 16-17, UP88342, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75 #2

[summergirl1]

I know of another John Doe who left a note saying they preferred to be cremated -

ID Thread 'ID - Boise, WhtMale, alias 'William Toomey', cyanide suicide in church, Dec'82'

Mar 13, 2011

I haven't been able to find much info on this Doe. He was featured on an Unsolved Mysteries segment. I am unsure if he was ever identified, but it seems like he hasn't been. He went into the Sacred Hearts Church in Boise, Idaho, and committed suicide by taking cyanide capsules. The John Doe was dressed in Western attire (with a very distinctive belt with a coin in it), and the only name on his person was "Wm L. Toomey," but noything can be found on a person with that name (seems to be a pseudonym). He left a large sum of money ($1900) to the church to cover funeral costs.


Here are some...

• JupiterAmmon
• Replies: 47
• Forum: The Unidentified

• 

William L. Toomey

Real Name: Unrevealed Case: Unidentified Remains Location: Boise, Idaho Date: December 4, 1982 Details: A man using the name "William L. Toomey" was found dead on December 4, 1982, in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boise, Idaho. Three weeks later, on December 28, over 300 members of the...

unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com

I think if Belle Chasse John Doe absolutely wanted to be cremated, he would likely have been more direct. I don't think cremation was common in Louisiana in the mid 1970s (not that has anything to do with that, just a remark).

 

[snarast]

I know of another John Doe who left a note saying they preferred to be cremated -

ID Thread 'ID - Boise, WhtMale, alias 'William Toomey', cyanide suicide in church, Dec'82'

Mar 13, 2011

I haven't been able to find much info on this Doe. He was featured on an Unsolved Mysteries segment. I am unsure if he was ever identified, but it seems like he hasn't been. He went into the Sacred Hearts Church in Boise, Idaho, and committed suicide by taking cyanide capsules. The John Doe was dressed in Western attire (with a very distinctive belt with a coin in it), and the only name on his person was "Wm L. Toomey," but noything can be found on a person with that name (seems to be a pseudonym). He left a large sum of money ($1900) to the church to cover funeral costs.


Here are some...

• JupiterAmmon
• Replies: 47
• Forum: The Unidentified

• 

William L. Toomey

Real Name: Unrevealed Case: Unidentified Remains Location: Boise, Idaho Date: December 4, 1982 Details: A man using the name "William L. Toomey" was found dead on December 4, 1982, in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boise, Idaho. Three weeks later, on December 28, over 300 members of the...

unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com

I think if Belle Chasse John Doe absolutely wanted to be cremated, he would likely have been more direct. I don't think cremation was common in Louisiana in the mid 1970s (not that has anything to do with that, just a remark).

Of course many have wanted to be cremated - but few have tried to guilt trip authorities in the way this guy did. He sounds like Goethe’s young Werther or something. Quite talented.

I find him to be very convincing - strategic and demanding - and remember this was way before TLDR.

 

[Richard]

Plaquemines Parish John Doe (1975)


Discovered
February 14, 1975
Unidentified for 46 years
Sex Male
Location Belle Chasse, Louisiana
Age 16-17
Race White
Height 6'
Weight 160 pounds
Body condition Recognizable face
Postmortem interval Hours
Cause of death Hanging
Plaquemines Parish John Doe was a teenager who committed suicide by hanging himself from a persimmon tree in Naomi near Belle Chasse, Louisiana. A lengthy suicide note addressed to his parents and the police was found in a sealed glass jar resting against the tree's trunk. Few details of this case are available.

Sources

• Plaquemines Parish John Doe at Find a Grave
• Lakeland Ledger
• Lakeland Ledger
• The Evening Independent
• The Times-Picayune
• The Times-Picayune
• Blog
• Text-only video
• Plaquemines Parish John Doe (1975)

 

[The4TierBridge]

I can’t find his thread here (if he has one), but Charles Wallace has been identified via DNA as #UP5181 (who also does not have a thread here), found in Lee County, Arkansas, in 1977, so he is definitely NOT this person.

Remains identified as missing man after 48 years, ASP says

The Arkansas State Police has identified human remains discovered nearly five decades ago in rural Lee County.

www.actionnews5.com

 

[Sweetluv]

I can’t find his thread here (if he has one), but Charles Wallace has been identified viaThe DNA as #UP5181, found in Lee County, Arkansas, in 1977, so he is definitely NOT this person.

Remains identified as missing man after 48 years, ASP says

The Arkansas State Police has identified human remains discovered nearly five decades ago in rural Lee County.

www.actionnews5.com

Wow..this is huge! Many of us, because of the dentals/ mouth scar, thought this UID could be Charles Wallace.
Great find @The4TierBridge

 

[Sweetluv]

Othram just announced they helped with the identification of Charles Wallace.

 

[summergirl1]

After 48 Years, Lee County John Doe (1977) is Now Identified

Arkansas State Police Teams with Othram to Identify a 1977 John Doe

dnasolves.com

 

[Romulus]

I checked on the website, UP5181 case wasn't on Websleuths, there are so many cases that no one posted it.

 

[333_OnlyHalfEvil]

Very sad. He was obviously very intellectual and educated. And very, very unhappy.

 

[PatLaurel]

Othram just announced they helped with the identification of Charles Wallace.

After 48 Years, Lee County John Doe (1977) is Now Identified

Arkansas State Police Teams with Othram to Identify a 1977 John Doe

dnasolves.com

I'm glad to see that Charles H. Wallace has been found. I was really convinced he was our Belle Chasse Doe.

RIP, Charlie.

 

[PatLaurel]

I checked on the website, UP5181 case wasn't on Websleuths, there are so many cases that no one posted it.

Doe Network for the John Doe: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=2837umar

2837UMAR - Unidentified Male​

[td]

[/td]​

Date of Discovery: January 13, 1977
Location of Discovery: Lee County, Arkansas
Estimated Date of Death: 1972 to 1977
State of Remains: Partial skeletal remains
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 16-30 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Hair: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery​

The victim's partial remains were found in Lee County. His torso and an arm/hand were not recovered.

Forensic Genealogy​

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Lee County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Chris Edwards
Agency Phone Number: 870-295-9619
Agency E-mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 12-77
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 5181

Information Source(s)​

Namus

Admin Notes​

Added: 4/25/17; Last Updated: 4/25/17

 

[cenazoic]

Wow!!! I was always iffy on CW for BCJD but he was also the most likely guess.

Who are we left with (of known missing persons)? I think the runner-up might be Bayard Cousins?

As an aside, what I wouldn’t give for PDs to allow civilian volunteers to get all their dang records online. There was nothing online about Charlie except as it related to BCJD, and some HS/FFA stuff.

Wow!!!!

 

[ChatteringBirds]

So Charles' mother was right all along(!)

Who then is Belle Chase JD?

 

[summergirl1]

My guess would be he may have a similar story to Charles Wallace; or perhaps not.

 

[pol100gk]

Wow, I am glad that he Charles Wallace has been identified and his family has closure but I didn't expect this.

 

[Gemmie]

I can’t find his thread here (if he has one), but Charles Wallace has been identified via DNA as #UP5181 (who also does not have a thread here), found in Lee County, Arkansas, in 1977, so he is definitely NOT this person.

Remains identified as missing man after 48 years, ASP says

The Arkansas State Police has identified human remains discovered nearly five decades ago in rural Lee County.

www.actionnews5.com

@dotr started one yesterday for Charles Wallace #UP5181.

D

AR Thread 'AR- Near Tunica, Mississippi, Lee County John Doe, #UP5181, partial skeletal remains, Jan,.1997, DNA- Charles Howard Wallace, 21, 2025.'

Sep 5, 2025

After 48 Years, Lee County John Doe (1977) is Now Identified

Arkansas State Police Teams with Othram to Identify a 1977 John Doe

dnasolves.com

In January 1977, the partial skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found in Lee County, Arkansas. Lee County is a rural area along the Mississippi River on the east side of Arkansas and is near Tunica, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene and began collecting evidence and investigating. The remains were determined to belong to a man, likely between 16 and 30 years old, who likely died between 1972 and 1977. Despite a lengthy investigation...

• dotr
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Identified!

• 
• 

 

[Rolypolyoly]

I'm glad to see that Charles H. Wallace has been found. I was really convinced he was our Belle Chasse Doe.

RIP, Charlie.

Me too! I was convinced it was him. How bizarre for our John Doe to have a matching scar and dentals close enough to erroneously match with Charlie's.

Im very pleased to hear Charlie has been found and identified. May he rest in peace.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Wow. I was convinced too. RIP Charles.

 

[pass-thru]

I was never in doubt that Belle Chasse John Doe is Bayard Cousins. Unfortunately, it will never be proved.

 

[Amateur Web Sleuth]

I was never in doubt that Belle Chasse John Doe is Bayard Cousins. Unfortunately, it will never be proved.

Right there with you, the circumstances make sense and both him and the UID look similar. Always hoping for a resolution in this case