MI MI - Detroit, 'Detroit John Doe 2000', BlkMale 14-18, UP11238, Cranium Only in yard, Feb'00

[Migmuu]

UP#11238
Unidentified Person Case

Found in Detroit, MI on 02/25/2000

Age: 14 - 18 years old
Race: Black
Height: Cannot estimate
Weight: Cannot estimate
Postmortem Interval: N/A

Clothing: N/A
Hair/Eye Color: N/A

Circumstances: Cranium only. Found by workers clearing out the backyard area of a vacant home at 5240 Roosevelt St. No other remains found.

 

[Migmuu]

Interesting that only the cranium was found. Looking at Google Earth, 5240 Roosevelt St. isn’t the most populated neighborhood, but it isn’t rural at all, either.

Yusuf Abdul Wilson is an endangered runaway from Eastpointe, MI. There isn't much to go off of with just a cranium, but he seems a good candidate based on the few clues we have.

Age (17) is within range
Race matches
Eastpointe is only 15 miles from Detroit
Disappeared about 5 months before UID cranium found

Would five months be enough time for the head to decompose?

Yusuf Abdul Wilson – The Charley Project

 

[Migmuu]

I suggested 14-year-old Edward Watson as a potential match to another John Doe found in Detroit in September 1993, but just realized he may be a potential match for this UID, too. Missing Person Case

Age (14) is within range
Race matches
He disappeared from Inkster, a little over 20 miles from Detroit
He disappeared in September 1993, so a little over six years before the cranium was found

 

[Melt71]

Known as "Detroit John Doe 2000" on NCMEC but there is no poster for this young man. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Looking a little further afield, 14yo James Bess ran away from a Kentucky group home in 1994. It's 300mi but basically a straight run to Detroit on major roads (I'm guessing buses would run that route). There is no information to say whether James has any family connections outside of KY. James ran away with his best friend, so it would be sad if only one was found James Eric Bess – The Charley Project

 

[Melt71]

No ruleouts and no recent updates on this case. Someone must be missing their boy.