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

[carbuff]

The Woodlawn cemetery should have a plot nr that corresponds with one of those numbers.

Numerous people came to view him but not one Cousins or a link to Cousins. I very much hope this information is useful to someone, somewhere. I hope we trip over something somewhere because our boy deserves a name too.

It was an experience going through death records, each page is an entire life. Our boy has a page, I'm glad about that, it would be nice if he could have a name as well.

I'm glad it says they gave him a decent casket. Poor boy.

 

[Baudelaire]

I'm glad it says they gave him a decent casket. Poor boy.

I'm glad they buried him instead of cremation. What do we do next?

 

[Baudelaire]

Mothe Funeral homes bought Woodlawn cemetery in the 1990's. They have the grave records and plot nrs. This is not in the archive with the Church but I'll check again. Sent Mr Mothe email requesting his help with anything he can remember from the time and/or plot records and gave the thread as link.

 

[carbuff]

I'm glad they buried him instead of cremation. What do we do next?

Looks like you're on top of it.

I thought somewhere earlier in the thread, somebody had contacted Mr. Mothe? Might be wishful thinking.

 

[Baudelaire]

Looks like you're on top of it.

I thought somewhere earlier in the thread, somebody had contacted Mr. Mothe? Might be wishful thinking.

I did not see that but perhaps I have forgotten. Either way no harm done because if there was an earlier enquiry there was no result. So I'll just wait a few days for reply.

 

[Baudelaire]

Reply from Mr Mothe. I'm certainly not on top of things, I'm floundering because I don't know which way now.

 

[Sweetluv]

Hmmmmm.....thanks for sharing Baudelaire!

 

[pol100gk]

Hmm but that also means that it would theoretically be possible to get a DNA sample. What I mean is not the legal process but that the remains could be located.

 

[carbuff]

Yeah that sounds like the information is knowable, he's just not going to release it to just anybody.

 

[pass-thru]

It's been over six years since my interest in this case led me to dig around and find out as much as I could about Bayard Cousins and La Belle Chasse John Doe. After a couple of hopeful conversations with the case agent in VA Beach (where I was living at the time), I never heard back from her. I know she had been in contact with Bayard's then living family, a sister and an aunt or cousin, but I have no idea if she discussed this John Doe with them. However, if they have googled his name they will find this thread.
I don't remember everything I was able to find out at the time, but I do remember being told all coroner records were destroyed by Katrina. I also remember that some of the Mothe family members and employees were still on board who would have been there when they kept him available for viewing for a few months, as folks came from all over trying to identify him as a missing loved one. Possibly, with all that attention, such an employee might have remembered where John Doe was buried, if it was not available in the records.
With as much as enthusiasm as people have had for this case, but the constant dead ends, we are left to wonder if the disconnect lies with apathy from local authorities, or if the information is just lost forever. Maybe the only avenue to really push for answers and bring public attention would be an investigative journalist covering it for a show or something.

 

[snowgoose]

That's very hopeful news from the funeral home - it sounds like they know where he is buried and COULD exhume him if required.

I agree with @pass-thru, it would be great to see a well-known TV show or journalist draw more attention to the case to make something happen. I can understand why LE feels little urgency to solve cases like this - there's no crime to solve, just the name of an unknown man whose loved ones are probably old or deceased now, so it would be a very low priority for them. But on the other hand, it's a compelling mystery that would generate a lot of public interest and good press for local LE if it were solved (with the aid of a forensic genealogy organisation like DNA Doe Project).

 

[Baudelaire]

Back to Bayard.
I found his record. There is no death record and the only birth record for a Bayard Cousins was in 1952 in Alameda California, which fits his profile. There is no death record for him. No obituary. There is only a relationship 'tie' between Bayard and his mother Marcia. It was done by a person with no relationship to either. It gives a death date of 2010 updated end 2020.

Sorry for being like a dog with a bone on this.

 

[Sweetluv]

This person, according to the note, sounds like he had parents that would be worried over him.
So, one would think, as time passed and no contact, they would have contacted authorities?
Very sad....

 

[Romulus]

Not to be pessimistic, but I believe that this case is now insoluble, the remains were perhaps cremated and the documents of his case were lost with Hurricane Katrina, in short, I think it really takes a miracle; the only hope is that the remains are somewhere.

 

[snowgoose]

Not to be pessimistic, but I believe that this case is now insoluble, the remains were perhaps cremated and the documents of his case were lost with Hurricane Katrina, in short, I think it really takes a miracle; the only hope is that the remains are somewhere.

Check out the post from @Baudelaire earlier on this page, they received an email from the funeral home that seemingly confirms that he was buried and they know the location of the remains.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Check out the post from @Baudelaire earlier on this page, they received an email from the funeral home that seemingly confirms that he was buried and they know the location of the remains.

That is my understanding as well, which in turn means genetic genealogy could really be an option here, IMO.

I wonder if this particular LEA is aware of companies such as @othram.

@othram was involved in the identification of Gordon Edwin Sanderson, once known as Septic Tank Sam. He was unidentified for over 40 years, and his remains were not exactly in great shape.
After 43 year, Septic Tank Sam is Identified

Here is another case in which @othram assisted: Jolaine Hemmy was 17 years old when she died in 1966. She was just identified earlier this year.
Decades After Mysteriously Drowning, Pecos Jane Has a Name

 

[Sweetluv]

Agreed! Othram is doing amazing work.

 

[Romulus]

Check out the post from @Baudelaire earlier on this page, they received an email from the funeral home that seemingly confirms that he was buried and they know the location of the remains.

Ok sorry, good news! I am not a member of Namus so I cannot see it: can someone post the list of exclusions for this UID?

 

[PropaneYeeter]

Ok sorry, good news! I am not a member of Namus so I cannot see it: can someone post the list of exclusions for this UID?

I'm afraid this Doe doesn't have a NamUs page, nor have any rule-outs been made public :/

 

[Romulus]

Write Michael Nance for LA cases, we wait and hope!

Good evening I am writing to you from Italy, I am a member of the Websleuths and Crimewatchers forums; I wanted to point out with this link that this UID case is not yet in the Namus database; I hope it will be in the database soon, or to hear from her. Kind regards from Italy, Ivan.

Plaquemines Parish John Doe (1975)