MS MS - Hattiesburg, WhtMale 22-28, UP4746, hit by car, 'Steve Hex (Hicks)', red hair/freckles, Dec'98

[MadMcGoo]

Hedricks. The “h” is very breathy or airy when spoken. Almost like a sigh. Saying “Steven” could have left him out of breath making it difficult to pronounce the next word. He could have been trying for a “d” or “c” or any other letter. Dixon, Cox, Texas. KWIM?

I think the possibilities are endless.

 

[megs1477]

I sent Steve's info to the Ocoee Detective.

Ocoee police seek tips in 1992 missing person case

Ocoee police marked 31 years since Alan Stephen Rosenblum went missing and took to Twitter to ask the public for tips on Saturday.

www.clickorlando.com

FL - FL - Alan Stephen Rosenblum, 38, Ocoee, 05/15/1992

CharleyProject: https://charleyproject.org/case/alan-stephen-rosenblum -- NAMUS: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/96362 (Name incorrect) --- Rosenblum, circa 1992 Missing Since05/15/1992 Missing FromOcoee, Florida ClassificationEndangered Missing SexMale RaceWhite Date of...

www.websleuths.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I sent Steve's info to the Ocoee Detective

Good work. The Steve you found is said to have a scar, etc while the UID supposedly didn't have any, and their ages are very different, but mistakes are made in descriptions of UIDs sometimes. And it's good that we are trying.

 

[megs1477]

Good work. The Steve you found is said to have a scar, etc while the UID supposedly didn't have any, and their ages are very different, but mistakes are made in descriptions of UIDs sometimes. And it's good that we are trying.

Ty. The scar held me up for a while, but scars can fade/be missed. The big question I had was the MP had webbed fingers and that wasn’t mentioned into UID. Regardless, I think it’s worth a rule out. Just in case.

 

[Jellis]

I want to revive this thread because I am still so confused as to whether he was ID’d.

I’ve recently found that the man who hit him was charged with aggravated assault and DUI refusal. The UID was actually hit on December 12th, 1998. The man that hit him was charged in feb 1999, but in 2004 (yes, you’re reading that right), the case was dismissed due to lack of a speedy trial. In that court petition, it states the UID was deceased from causes not related to the accident.

Also, on my journey, I found that the man who hit him was tied to the “conservatorship for Steve hecks/Steve hex” (it was listed both ways) which was appointed to Wayne Smith who was the chancery court clerk in Forrest county (Hattiesburg, ms) at that time. He has since retired.

The original article (of him being hit) was published in the Hattiesburg American on Dec 13, 1998. He was hit on the afternoon of Dec 12. Two days after the accident, the newspapers posted the name of Michael curry as the victim. There is absolutely nothing after that date posted in newspapers.

I was in Hattiesburg when this happened. I now live in bay St. Louis (and grew up here) so this case is near and dear to my heart.

A few things I find odd…his DOD was May 1, 2002. This is the date that Hotel Reed closed for good and all patients was transferred elsewhere. Was he transferred also?

Also, the man that hit this UID was the father of a woman who was vying for Miss America during this same month…was this covered up because of this? She was Miss Mississippi at the time of the hit and run.

 

[iusedtofloat]

I want to revive this thread because I am still so confused as to whether he was ID’d.

I’ve recently found that the man who hit him was charged with aggravated assault and DUI refusal. The UID was actually hit on December 12th, 1998. The man that hit him was charged in feb 1999, but in 2004 (yes, you’re reading that right), the case was dismissed due to lack of a speedy trial. In that court petition, it states the UID was deceased from causes not related to the accident.

Also, on my journey, I found that the man who hit him was tied to the “conservatorship for Steve hecks/Steve hex” (it was listed both ways) which was appointed to Wayne Smith who was the chancery court clerk in Forrest county (Hattiesburg, ms) at that time. He has since retired.

The original article (of him being hit) was published in the Hattiesburg American on Dec 13, 1998. He was hit on the afternoon of Dec 12. Two days after the accident, the newspapers posted the name of Michael curry as the victim. There is absolutely nothing after that date posted in newspapers.

I was in Hattiesburg when this happened. I now live in bay St. Louis (and grew up here) so this case is near and dear to my heart.

A few things I find odd…his DOD was May 1, 2002. This is the date that Hotel Reed closed for good and all patients was transferred elsewhere. Was he transferred also?

Also, the man that hit this UID was the father of a woman who was vying for Miss America during this same month…was this covered up because of this? She was Miss Mississippi at the time of the hit and run.

WOW! This is the most anyone has ever found out I think! My mother told me of this man when she worked at a nearby hospital during the years leading up to & including 98 and I honestly thought he was a legend of sorts (dumb kid brain maybe...) til 2010 or so when I found out he had died years previous, nameless. Wow, you've maybe discovered the heart of the thing.

 

[lightofmine99]

His NamUs was modified September 13...I find it odd there is no age range given and the circumstances are only "victim of a hit and run." Is that picture of the decedent a postmortem or not?

 

[Fake Protagonist]

His NamUs was modified September 13...I find it odd there is no age range given and the circumstances are only "victim of a hit and run." Is that picture of the decedent a postmortem or not?

The photo on his NamUs is of him alive in an assisted living facility. He survived for a few years after the accident but was in a vegetative state. He died in the facility after some time.
Age estimate is 22-28 years at the time of death, if memory serves.

 

[Dogwithabone]

While researching newspaper archives, I found the initial press release detailing the hit-and-run, and this report also includes the name of the intoxicated driver. A subsequent article provided the driver's full name and the specific charge: aggravated assault with a motor vehicle. However, I could not find any further news coverage regarding legal proceedings against the driver. Additionally, I discovered that the drunk driver died a few years ago.

Intriguingly, the article states Steve is in his late 30s. There are not any public NamUs rule-outs as of November 21, 2024.

Newspaper Name: Hattiesburg American
Date: December 15, 1998
Area man arrested on assault charges
From Staff Reports

A Glendale man was jailed Saturday on charges of aggravated assault and DUI refusal following a hit-and-run accident on U.S. 59. Hattiesburg police arrested Carl Haag, 58, shortly after the 2:30 p.m. accident.

Detective Shane Tucker said Haag is accused of hitting a pedestrian near the Bouie River Bridge with his pickup truck. The victim, a white male in his late 30s, suffered “pretty severe injuries” and underwent surgery at Wesley Medical Center, Tucker said. Police are still trying to confirm his identity.

A witness was able to give police the year, model, and color of the vehicle involved in the accident, as well as the direction it was traveling and a description of the occupant.

Police broadcast the information to other agencies in the area. A North Forrest Volunteer Fire Department firefighter recognized the description and went to Haag’s home. He noticed damage to the right front of Haag’s truck and notified police, Tucker said. Officers subsequently found hair, blood, and damage on the vehicle, he said.

Tucker said officers found Haag passed out in his carport. He was incapable of taking a field sobriety test and later refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. Haag is to have his first court appearance Monday morning.

Attached below is the newspaper transcribed above:

 

[lightofmine99]

His NamUs was modified today; there are no public exclusions.

 

[ProductiveOne]

I'm so excited! I will be posting my submission here today or tomorrow. This is a case I've spent a lot of time on over the years, and always came up with nothing, until today, and it was by pure accident. I hope I'm right.

 

[ProductiveOne]

I've submitted Nicholas Walter Vandekamp's case, and this case to NamUs, and each agency involved.

While trying to solve an unrelated unidentified person’s case, I was looking through missing persons when I saw a familiar face I had seen before. Then it struck me: it's "Steve Hex," the name given to an unidentified man who suffered a severe brain injury after being hit by a drunk driver in 1998, and who later died in 2002. Later, I discovered that their NamUs profiles were perfectly identical, aside from Vandekamp being listed as having brown hair and the unidentified listed as having auburn hair (reddish brown hair).


TIMELINE
On March 28th, 1982, Nicholas Walter Vandekamp went missing after visiting family in Whidbey Island, WA. "His wallet was later recovered in Linn County, OR and his vehicle was located in Patterson, CA." Then on December 12th, 1998, a man was hit by a drunk driver in Forrest County, MS. "The victim told responding paramedics that his name was Steve Hex (Hicks) and that he was from West Virginia."


SIDE-BY-SIDE

If Mr. Vandekamp is indeed this unidentified, I suspect for whatever reason, that he had abandoned his life for a new life (transient?). This would mean that the unidentified was ~47 years old by the time he was struck by the driver. His NamUs profile states that his age range couldn't be determined but for some reason, an Unidentified Wiki on Fandom.com has his age at 22-28. Although, I do agree that the UID appears younger than 47, and this will certainly be hard for most to consider.

Looking at their side-by-side, you can see a similar hairline, brow/eyebrows, nose, and facial structure, and if you can imagine the unidentified's facial expression wasn't so contorted, you can find Mr. Vandekamp.


Nicholas Walter Vandekamp (NamUs MP40957)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)


Forrest County, MS Unidentified (NamUs UP4746)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[LucyOso]

Are there any rule outs?

 

[The4TierBridge]

Are there any rule outs?

None at all.

 

[LucyOso]

I am posting some potentials below. I wish there were more photos right after the accident as that would be more reflective of his coloring and features. Due to the facial trauma and brain injury, his facial structure is very different. The facial muscle atrophy and lack of expression is apparent as well. Having a trach, getting artificial tube feedings, and medication can also create bloating and appearance changes.

I do wonder if the name Steve Hicks/Hexs is a total fluke. Given how profound his injuries were, while he may have responded in some ways to paramedics, it may have been more a paramedic trying to "hear" the answer to his/her question. The person could have even saying "this hurts" and with the facial injuries sounded like shtisss herrttt: Steve Hex. Just thoughts.



Steven Alexander Clark

Clark was last seen walking down an alley in the City. His roommate reported this two days later.

Clark left all of his belongings at his residence and has never touched his savings accounts since his disappearance.

4270DMMI - Steven Alexander Clark

Vernon Clark Jalo​

Jalo was last seen in Neosho, Missouri on October 30, 1996. He has never been heard from again.

Vernon Clark Jalo – The Charley Project


Peter John McColl

McColl was last seen in Berkeley, CA on August 28, 1995. He may no longer be in California. He may be in Oregon, Florida, Louisiana or Washington state.

1175DMCA - Peter John McColl

James Cary Smith

James Cary Smith – The Charley Project


Steven Raymond Youngman

Steven has been missing since July 1994, when he called a family member for money. The money was sent, but the family never heard from Steven again. They think he may have been killed.


The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[ninetimesfifteen]

Steven Alexander Clark

View attachment 609842

Clark was last seen walking down an alley in the City. His roommate reported this two days later.

Clark left all of his belongings at his residence and has never touched his savings accounts since his disappearance.

4270DMMI - Steven Alexander Clark

This one has great potential.
Steven Alex could be misheard as Steven Hex. I wish we could see Mr. Clark's ears in the photo.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Steven Alex could be misheard as Steven Hex.

Wow, that is true. Good catch.

 

[LucyOso]

This one has great potential.
Steven Alex could be misheard as Steven Hex. I wish we could see Mr. Clark's ears in the photo.

Ears are an ok marker. With all the trauma then loss of muscle, they could appear a bit different than a healthy man.

I wish I could find more pictures of this guy. There are similarities. The hair texture and thickness seem a bit off though.