MI MI- Detroit, BlkMale, 20-35, UP12114, jumped into Detroit river saying 'Lord take my hand', star of David necklace + other possessions. July 1971.

[cheemsg]

He was seen jumping into the Detroit River from the end of Randolph Street, after saying "Lord, take my hand". He was seemingly pulled from the water minutes after his death.
He was 6' and 166 pounds. His hair was styled into a short afro and he had a moustache. There was an old abrasion present on his right knee.
He wore a striped polo shirt (rest of clothing not described) and a Star of David necklace. He carried an empty money clip, 67 cents, 2 keys and a broken penknife.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[sorcoy14]

I’ve been thinking about this one a lot.
While the issue of suicide is complex and varies based on what branch of Judaism is followed, in general “Jewish teachings never condone suicide, but Jews tend not to blame the person who dies by suicide. Indeed, Jewish communities feel a profound sense of tragedy and loss when someone takes his own life. They try to understand the death and not be judgmental toward the victim. The suicide is condemned, but not the person.”
If a person commits suicide they are not allowed to be buried in a Jewish cemetery and I wonder if this individual was orthodox and his family is ashamed to have a son that can’t be buried in the Jewish cemetery…
This is all imo and based a little bit on my own experiences.

https://theactionalliance.org/sites/default/files/2018_jewish_perspective_final.pdf

 

[cheemsg]

I’ve been thinking about this one a lot.
While the issue of suicide is complex and varies based on what branch of Judaism is followed, in general “Jewish teachings never condone suicide, but Jews tend not to blame the person who dies by suicide. Indeed, Jewish communities feel a profound sense of tragedy and loss when someone takes his own life. They try to understand the death and not be judgmental toward the victim. The suicide is condemned, but not the person.”
If a person commits suicide they are not allowed to be buried in a Jewish cemetery and I wonder if this individual was orthodox and his family is ashamed to have a son that can’t be buried in the Jewish cemetery…
This is all imo and based a little bit on my own experiences.

https://theactionalliance.org/sites/default/files/2018_jewish_perspective_final.pdf

Thanks for this insight. I guess it makes a lot more sense how he's unidentified now. Is there anything interesting religion-wise in the comment he made, or is it just a generic last words?

 

[bettyboop]

@cheemsg , Thank you for starting this thread for this unidentified
soul. I can't stop thinking of his last words, "LORD TAKE MY HAND''.
Absolutely haunting. JMO MOO

 

[sorcoy14]

Thanks for this insight. I guess it makes a lot more sense how he's unidentified now. Is there anything interesting religion-wise in the comment he made, or is it just a generic last words?

Not that I know of, but I’m not any sort of authority.

 

[Susikatze]

I’ve been thinking about this one a lot.
While the issue of suicide is complex and varies based on what branch of Judaism is followed, in general “Jewish teachings never condone suicide, but Jews tend not to blame the person who dies by suicide. Indeed, Jewish communities feel a profound sense of tragedy and loss when someone takes his own life. They try to understand the death and not be judgmental toward the victim. The suicide is condemned, but not the person.”
If a person commits suicide they are not allowed to be buried in a Jewish cemetery and I wonder if this individual was orthodox and his family is ashamed to have a son that can’t be buried in the Jewish cemetery…
This is all imo and based a little bit on my own experiences.

https://theactionalliance.org/sites/default/files/2018_jewish_perspective_final.pdf

I am quite sure he was not Jewish, the "Lord take my hand" quote is very Christian.
There are plenty of Christian offshoots that practise some Jewish things. Messianics, Black Hebrew Israelites are the most known but there are many more.

I am positive he was not Jewish.

 

[Susikatze]

Actually, someone Jewish who dies by suicide, while Judaism is against suicide, he has to still be buried in a Jewish cemetery. And is buried according to Jewish law. You just do not make a big deal out of it. I am an Orthodox Jew and while thankfully I dont know anyone personally who died by suicide, the ones ive ever heard of all got a proper Jewish burial.

I think Catholics are the ones that used to deny suicide victims a Christian burial.

 

[Warwick1991]

We really don't know the details of his faith.

 

[Susikatze]

We really don't know the details of his faith.

Exactly. The jewelry could have also been some kind of remembrance, of a friend or relative or just "cool".
I mean so many teens wore crosses in the 80s and 90s without being Christian.

 

[Myrrh]

Just a heads up, there's a PM image hidden in the images section of his NamUs page

 

[cheemsg]

Just a heads up, there's a PM image hidden in the images section of his NamUs page

Like a morgue photo or just some skin or something? Was it added recently?

 

[Myrrh]

Like a morgue photo or just some skin or something? Was it added recently?

It's an image of his face, seems like the photo was taken right after he was pulled out of the river. It was added in 2014, which now I'm more confused as to why it's not on the front page

I can message you the image if you can't see it

 

[cheemsg]

It's an image of his face, seems like the photo was taken right after he was pulled out of the river. It was added in 2014, which now I'm more confused as to why it's not on the front page

I can message you the image if you can't see it

I tend to get freaked out by some morgue photos so I'm scared to click lol. just asking for a forewarning in case it's crazy graphic or creepy.

 

[Myrrh]

I tend to get freaked out by some morgue photos so I'm scared to click lol. just asking for a forewarning in case it's crazy graphic or creepy.

I didn't think it was particularly graphic (it's in black and white if that helps), but I do understand not wanting to see a PM photo

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up.

 

[starlightstarbright]

I agree, I don’t think he’s Jewish. I’m Jewish and we definitely wouldn’t say “Lord…” anything. Also the most glaringly obvious clue is his race. While there definitely are Black Jews, there are primarily converts (less common at the time this chap died) or they come from very specific ethic communities (Ethiopian or Eritrean Jews, for example). Unless he was a recent immigrant (doesn’t sound likely because of his language use), those are very small communities and someone would know him.

I think the necklace is a red herring. Maybe had no religious significance to him or he didn’t even know what it was or he was associated with the Black Israelites or similar.

I just get the sense he wasn’t from this area if no one knew him. This sounds like a case genetic genealogy could solve if only there was sufficient funding.

 

[Goecke]

This is all speculation and IMO- But religious delusions are quite common in people with schizophrenia, so I wonder if that could be the case here? It would explain his behavior and the discrepancy between his Star of David necklace and his more Christian last words. (Going by other posts, I'm not Jewish or Christian so I can't attest to any of this personally)

Religion and schizophrenia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Religious and Spiritual Delusions in Schizophrenia - Living With Schizophrenia

For many people religion is one way that we understand the world and give meaning to our lives and certainly religion and spirituality play an important part in many people’s experiences of schizophrenia. For some sufferers religious delusions or intense religiously-based irrational thinking may...

livingwithschizophreniauk.org

 

[Susikatze]

He may have been associated with the Black Hebrew Israelites or a similar fundamentalist Christian group that is not connected to an official church and that uses a lot of Jewish things and actually members believe theyre the original Jews. It is fairly popular among some AA communities. It would explain why he has both, Jewish imagery and the same time preaching Christian teachings. Lord take my hand is very Christian, us Jews would not phrase it like that.

 

[Susikatze]

Anyhow, it seems like he was depressed. Does not appear homeless or transient or on substances. Poor dude. Someone must be missing him dearly

 

[Richard]

This unidentified man's last words, "Lord take my hand" are from a hymn."Precious Lord, Take My Hand" written by Thomas Dorsey in 1932 with music by George Allen. The lyrics of this hymn call out to the Lord for guidance and strength through difficult times.

Here is the text of that hymn:

Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:

Refrain

Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.

When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall:

Refrain

When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone,
At the river, I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand:

Refrain

© 1938, Unichappell Music, Inc. (renewed). Assigned to Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

LINK:

Precious Lord, Take My Hand - Lyrics, Hymn Meaning and Story

Read the lyrics to Precious Lord, Take My Hand and discover the inspirational story and meaning behind one of the most popular hymns of all time!

www.godtube.com