MD MD - Middletown, Appalachian Trail, WhtMale 55-80, UP2283, poss smoker, miscl items, clothes, Sep'78

[Houston Mom]

This well dress gentleman was found on Sept 5, 1978. He is described as 5'11", 200 lbs, with grey/black hair. He was found apparently on the Applachian Trail, but with dress pants and shoes would not have been a hiker. He wore distinctive glasses and cigarettes were found near by. Dentals and DNA are available.

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/2283

 

[Houston Mom]

I submitted Charles Ulrich as a potential match. Rule out by dentals was not conclusive as Mr Ulrich has an upper dental and UID has no upper teeth (post mortem).

Mr. Ulrich went missing Jan 29, 1975 from Uhrichsville, OH. He was 63 years old. At 5'10" and 155 lbs, he had grey hair. He wore glasses. DNA is needed for rule out.

 

[tatertot]

Good find! Those look like the same eyeglass frames, right down to the metal accents on the corners, and Ulrich dressed as nicely as the UID:

http://doenetwork.org/cases/4113dmoh.html
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/8585/0

OT, but that's good to see fugitive William Bradford Bishop, Jr. as a rule-out. He was younger than the UID, but he abandoned his car in Tennessee and was thought to have fled to the trail.

 

[jjohnston0827]

What about Edward P. Andrews? Any chance he and his wife disappeared intentionally?

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/andrews_edward.html
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/15204/0

No identifiers, so I don't know how they'd rule him out.

 

[Romulus]

NamUs UP Case 2283


https://identifyus.org/en/cases/2283


Unidentified White male
* Found September 5, 1978 in Middletown, MD
* Estimated Year of Death: 1978 to 1978

Vital Statistics
* Estimated age: 55-80 years old
* Approximate Height: 71' estimated
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Gray with a little black, 1 1/2 inches long; Advanced degenerative arthritis; Osteoarthritis; Advanced periodontal disease and cavities (caries);

* Dentals: Dental information / charting is available and entered


* Clothing/Jewelry: 1. Button down pale blue and gray shirt, short sleeved, neck size 16-16 1/2, has two front pockets
2. Gray trousers, dress pants with two back pockets with buttons (dark material for the inside of the pockets)
3. Blue nylon ski type jacket size L with knit ribbed fitted wrist sections and zipper and snap closures and pockets
4. White handkerchief
5. Black leather belt cinched at waist measuring 36 3/4 inches; 1. Dark Blue socks (dress socks)
2. Black leather shoes size 12 with four sets of eyelets on each shoe; Timex Calendar gold color watch with silver colored band which had two gold colored links; Glasses with brown rim;
1. Stainless steel butcher knife with wooden handle
2. Comb
3. Green trash bag
4. Armour Vienna Sausage can
5. Cigarettes
6. Matches
7. White towel


* DNA: Sample submitted - Tests complete


Case History: Subject was found in a wooded area. He may have been a smoker as a cigarette was found at the scene."

 

[Nikon]

Vicinity where the body was found:

https://goo.gl/maps/oEkVrRfWwi62

Seems like this UID was passing through or squatting in the area for a short time. He's not dressed for hiking or camping. No tent or backpack, either. There is a backcamping cabin nearby, part of the Appalachian Trail.

 

[Tuck]

I have previously attempted to submit John William Spiers as a potential match for the UID. Weight, height, hair colour and other aspects are very similar, and both the decedent and the missing person wore glasses. The UID had osteoarthritis, and the MP walked with a noticeable limp. The MP, although missing from Chesterfield, was last seen in Stafford VA. This is closer to Maryland, suggesting that the MP was heading in the general direction.

MP - https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/25674/0/

However, the match was turned down due to the lack of DNA, dental records and fingerprints on the part of the MP. I am posting this in the vain hope that a close relative or friend will see this thread and respond. I am not conclusively sure that the MP and UID are the same person, but as far as I am concerned there is nothing to suggest otherwise.

 

[Houston Mom]

As I was searching for a picture of John William Spiers, I noticed crimestoppers has his name spelled Spires. Hmmm....

http://www.crimesolvers.net/crimesolvers-missing-persons

 

[Tuck]

Almost a year later, and still no identifiers to confirm a potential match for John William Spiers and the John Doe.

 

[tinynest]

Benjamin Franklin Gray is not yet listed as a rule out on NAMUS, and he does seem quite similar:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Benjamin Franklin Gray – The Charley Project

Gray was in the rodeo and had injuries that he sustained during his career that are similar to those found on the UP. Gray was also known to have dentures and UP had advanced dental disease.

 

[Caring1]

Lloyd Farrar could be a potential match for UP2283. If Lloyd’s hair was cut short, he has similar features to UID.

UP 5’11” (Lloyd 6’0”)

UP 200 lbs (Lloyd 200-205 lbs)

UP found with a Timex Calendar gold color watch with silver colored band which had two gold colored links. (Lloyd - rare watch)

UP and Lloyd both wear glasses.

Lloyd missing 3 1/2 months prior to UP found. PMI is stated at 6 months.

Lloyd missing from CA and UP found in MD. This is quite a distance so not sure if this would make it unlikely but I’m curious about the rare watch and if it matches the description of the one found with our unidentified male.

Would anyone else think this is a possibility or too much of a stretch?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

 

[Caring1]

2 Missing Person Exclusions:

Missing Person / NamUs #MP1835Frank Santmyer, Jr.
Date of Last ContactDecember 02, 1977
StateMD
CountyBaltimore

Missing Person / NamUs #MP21449William Bishop, Jr.
Date of Last ContactMarch 02, 1976
StateTN
CountySevier

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping again

 

[ProductiveOne]

I've submitted the cases below to NamUs.

I looked for missing people that had glasses resembling the glasses that the Middletown, MD Unidentified possessed, and found Charles Howard Bolter. While there were some near matches, Charles' glasses had the right amount of arch, and metal where there should be metal. They could be the same glasses.

However, Charles' listed height is 3 inches shorter than the unidentified's estimated height, and I'm not sure why Charles would be all the way in Middletown, Maryland over five years from when he went missing.

Charles Howard Bolter (NamUs #MP18054)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Middletown, MD Unidentified (NamUs #UP2283)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[DannyRichard2006!]

It’s quite a reach, and I’m looking to hearing other potentials besides this one. But I think this doe could be Donald Alexander MacGregor, a businessman from Canada who was last seen in Miami, Florida on May 7th, 1973 as he was leaving for a business trip to Panama City, Florida.

It’s a big jump, to explain how he could’ve gotten from Florida to Maryland, but as reported this trip was supposed to last for 6 weeks, so who knows where else he went. He probably did make it to Panama City, but his business associates probably took him to Maryland as part of the trip. In Maryland he could’ve gotten killed by his associates either by accident or purposely and was left or dumped in the area he was found, which would explain why his associates didn’t report him missing as they’ve wanted to avoid accountability for his death.

Between this Doe and MacGregor, there are a few striking similarities. They have similar facial features, in the chin, nose and forehead structure. Both are described as having short hair, and are within the same height range. The doe was also missing several teeth, which leaves the possibility of him having worn dentures. The doe was wearing business casual clothing and MacGregor was a businessman…

I feel like the only things that would have me doubting this match, is the fact that the doe is believed to had been older and heavier than MacGregor who was 44 years old and described as “thin” at the time of his disappearance. But some people just age worse than others, and if they’re basing the doe’s weight off of his clothes, he could’ve just liked wearing baggy clothing or may had been insecure about how his body looked.