Identified! MI - Leelanau Co., WhtMale UP16795, 50-75, in Lake Michigan, Jul'17 - Marcus Adams

  • #21
Picture of the boat they found:
dingy.jpg

The dingy was originally a medium grey color with a black floor, but had been repainted olive drab which is now well worn. Officials said it’s still unknown if the victim and the recovered watercraft are related.
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2017/07/27/mystery-body-lake-michigan/
 
  • #22

Wild hypothesis—
(I would say "MOO" but really it's more "My Wild Idea of What Maybe Possibly Could Have Happened Even Though It's Pretty Silly." So "MWIOWMPCHHETIPRS.")

Maybe this guy was doing something shady.

He was wearing dark clothing.
It could have been him that painted the dingy a dark color, and maybe the purpose of this was to make it less visible at night.

Why would he be carrying a digital alarm clock?
Maybe he knew enough not to bring his phone with him while he was committing a crime. (GPS history, etc.) So he left his phone elsewhere, but needed a way to know what time it was. (Perhaps what he was up to was time-sensitive.) Maybe he didn't have any water-resistant watches (or he was like me and hasn't worn a watch in years.) So he brought the cheap digital alarm clock that was small enough to fit in his pocket.

Perhaps he used the dingy to go burglarize or sabotage someone's boat (that was anchored or docked) and he had an accident or was caught by the boat's owner and killed. Perhaps he had tools that fell out of his pockets, or were thrown into the water by the killer.

Just some thoughts.
 
  • #23
Here are my random opinions after having a while to absorb this case:
I think the alarm clock thingy is one of those pill reminders used to remind someone to take their medication. The metal clip is a money clip. The boat is not one that would be safe to take out in the middle of Lake Michigan, IMO. It's pretty common for duck hunters to paint a boat green so it would blend in on a pond or small lake. I think this man went out fishing and got too far from shore for his boat. The clothes he was wearing are similar to what my dad would wear to go fishing-- Older shoes he didn't care about if they got mucky, layered clothing, a warm hoodie for the cool early morning temps. Sitting on a lake for several hours is much colder than sitting on a shore, even if it's a warm day. Maybe he got slashed with water, then he is sitting in a boat wet and cold and that could be why he would pull up his hoodie to try to warm up. Maybe the waves overtook his boat and he fell in, as it seems to only be partially inflated. He could have had a lot of other items on him/in the boat that were lost in the lake and will never be found. All JMO.
 
  • #24
It's pretty common for duck hunters to paint a boat green so it would blend in on a pond or small lake. I think this man went out fishing and got too far from shore for his boat.

Great point about the painted dinghy! I had no idea about hunters doing that.

Your theory sounds plausible to me.
 
  • #25
  • #26
  • #27
It's great to see a sketch! NameUs has ruled out 9 people so far, but not RW. I still think Mr. Wallsworth should be considered based on his case notes.

Did you submit him? I notice he doesn't have any DNA, dentals, nor fingerprints in the system so he would not be easy to rule out. I think he still looks like a good possible, too.

ETA: Argh, I just checked to see if Ryan Wallsworth has a thread and he was found deceased not far from his truck: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...50-Mears-13-Feb-2017&highlight=Ryan+Walsworth
Why are these men who were found still in Namus? :gaah: Back to the drawing board, Milly!
 
  • #28
I zoomed in on this belt buckle and it is made by "Georg Jensen" http://www.georgjensen.com/en-au/storelocator This store appears to be based in several locations across Australia. I'm again wondering if this gentleman is from another country.

Wow! Great idea to zoom in. They currently have something similar in silver (and it's expensive): http://www.georgjensen.com/en-au/silverware/silver-gifts/money-clip-369_3525556

ETA: I also notice there are numbers-- 9-25-S? Denmark and 369. I wonder if the store could tell who bought number 369 in this model?
 
  • #29
I zoomed in on the Chapstick and it has French words and an address in Canada on it. Does Chapstick sold in the US come from Canada? I've never noticed that before.
 
  • #30
Interesting about the French connection. Lots of tourists from Ontario enter through the Soo border crossing. Reminds me of the great supermarket fight in Soo, Mi over Thanksgiving turkeys. It's a story my husband used to like to tell.
I've been looking at missing folks since the case first broke. I kept dismissing Canada missing. You'd think they would have found a car parked with Ontario plates somewhere.
I also wondered if he had been on a yacht and decided to leave in his dingy. You'd think a harbormaster would notice a boat in a slip too long.
It also occurred to me, maybe a vet living in isolation on one of the islands. It's a mystery. I hope it is solved soon.
 
  • #31
Doing a very broad search for silver haired, older, white men, missing since 2017 a result for James Gallagher https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/37950/4/ not a lot of info on the gentlemen and his curly appearing hair seems a bit different from the sketch, but he may bear a slight resemblance to the UID here. Worth noting, I browsed the Canadian and Australian missing people site and they're sub par at best, returning no similar matches to our UID here.
 
  • #32
Wow! Great idea to zoom in. They currently have something similar in silver (and it's expensive): http://www.georgjensen.com/en-au/silverware/silver-gifts/money-clip-369_3525556

ETA: I also notice there are numbers-- 9-25-S? Denmark and 369. I wonder if the store could tell who bought number 369 in this model?

Great observation on the chapstick too. After further research at the chapstick site and through the image of it here, it appears that the gentleman was using it specifically to block the sun/weather conditions. This indicated to me, that he was a seasoned veteran on the water.

Although it doesn't appear to be silver, the belt buckle marking 925 S Denmark indicates it is made with Denmark sterling silver (I find this perplexing). The 369 may very well be a product number, good catch there!

I really think a key piece is that dinghy engine. There must be a trackable component/number within the engine housing.

Other obvious things, the dinghy sustained some sort of air loss. If the cooler held beverages it is common for people to stand up to urinate and fall out of their boat. Like you, my first thought was that the dinghy had been painted for duck hunting. I don't think any duck seasons for hunting were open at the time though.

Back to the drawing board, hope you all have a good Saturday!
 
  • #33
Wild hypothesis—
(I would say "MOO" but really it's more "My Wild Idea of What Maybe Possibly Could Have Happened Even Though It's Pretty Silly." So "MWIOWMPCHHETIPRS.")

Maybe this guy was doing something shady.

He was wearing dark clothing.
It could have been him that painted the dingy a dark color, and maybe the purpose of this was to make it less visible at night.

Why would he be carrying a digital alarm clock?
Maybe he knew enough not to bring his phone with him while he was committing a crime. (GPS history, etc.) So he left his phone elsewhere, but needed a way to know what time it was. (Perhaps what he was up to was time-sensitive.) Maybe he didn't have any water-resistant watches (or he was like me and hasn't worn a watch in years.) So he brought the cheap digital alarm clock that was small enough to fit in his pocket.

Perhaps he used the dingy to go burglarize or sabotage someone's boat (that was anchored or docked) and he had an accident or was caught by the boat's owner and killed. Perhaps he had tools that fell out of his pockets, or were thrown into the water by the killer.

Just some thoughts.

That our John Doe was up to something was my though the first time I heard about this. Especially as time goes on and no one is claiming him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • #34
And then I wonder, because there is a large population in NoMi- could he be a drifter? If so, his disappearance might go unnoticed for some time. BUT if he were, he might have a record with one of the local counties that his DNA could be compared with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • #35
  • #36
I zoomed in on the Chapstick and it has French words and an address in Canada on it. Does Chapstick sold in the US come from Canada? I've never noticed that before.

Excellent find! That SPF 30 may be a Canadian exclusive. I found it on this Canadian site that sells health and wellness products:

https://www.healthsnap.ca/chapstick-sunblock-with-aloe-vitamin-e-4-2-g-spf-30-product

Near the Erie, PA region it's common to find products printed with French and English, including toiletries. I always assumed this was due to the proximity to Canada, and that could hold true for the area around Lake Michigan as well.

That sunblock lip balm seems like the type of item one would use when going out on the water.

And wow, is that one expensive money clip.
 
  • #37
  • #38
This person has been positively identified as 67 year old Marcus Brandon Adams.



http://upnorthlive.com/news/local/body-found-floating-in-lake-michigan-identified


Wow, looks like previous posters were right about him possibly being from another country. Some quotes for the above article:
According to the sheriff's office, Adams had been living in the Washington D.C. area since 2011 and his current immigration status is in question.

A friend of Adams, who also lives in Washington D.C., reported Adams missing to the Washington D.C. Police on July 20.

Adams apparently sent suicide letters to friends in Oregon which were received on July 8.
Washington D.C. detectives investigating this missing person complaint contacted the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 6 after learning of the unidentified drowning victim.
The investigation revealed that Adams made his way to the Ludington area and stayed several days at a small resort.

There, Adams got a small Bris inflatable watercraft and left the resort telling people he was going to explore the Lake Michigan shoreline.

RIP Mr. Adams :rose:
 
  • #39
RIP sir :(
 

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