Identified! MT - Human legs found in bag, in woods, Butte, June 2012 - Michael Wayne Canada

[Oakie]

Two hikers found a trash bag containing human legs just north of Butte, Montana, in June 2012. Police searched the area but found no more remains or identifying clues. DNA was taken but does not match DNA from anyone in the databases the police searched. As far as I can tell the case remains unsolved and cold.

Human Remains Found North of Butte

Severed Legs Mystery in Butte Remains Unsolved

This sounds like a good case for Othram.

 

[ipa]

I guess the obvious question... have there been any torsos or incomplete remains found anywhere else around there?

The legs still had pants? That must have been really awful to find.

And uhh, are the legs in NAMUS?

 

[YaYa_521]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

*No Photos*

NamUs #UP11036
ME/C Case Number 12-06-14
NamUs Case Created March 7, 2013

Male, Uncertain
Date Body Found June 26, 2012
Location Found Butte, Montana

Estimated Age Range--
Estimated Age Group Cannot Determine
Estimated Age Range (Years)--
Estimated Year of Death 2011-2012
Estimated PM I0 Months
Height 6' 0"(72 inches) , Estimated
Weight Cannot Estimate
Hair Color Unknown
Eye Color Unknown
Scar/mark - No scars were identified, but based upon surgical intervention below, the decedent would have at least one scar of the right leg
Clothing - Dickies-brand white socks and remnants of blue jeans - On the Body
Footwear - Brown hiking boots, Red Wing brand, TC-Tech style, size 11D (USA), with partially red colored sole. - On the Body

Inventory of Remains -
Head not recovered
Torso not recovered
One or more limbs not recovered
One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains - Not recognizable - Partial remains with soft tissues

Circumstances of Recovery - The remains were found within several garbage bags by people who were walking their dog.

 

[Beekarina]

That is horrific.

I hate to even pose this question, but I'm assuming the nature of the...severing...makes it a certainty the person is/was deceased?

Othram sounds like the best hope here.

 

[Beekarina]

Also? This part is confusing. I wonder what surgical interventions they believe the victim may have had?

based upon surgical intervention below,

But then nothing follows? Strange.

 

[RememberingRyan]

Also? This part is confusing. I wonder what surgical interventions they believe the victim may have had?

based upon surgical intervention below,

But then nothing follows? Strange.

I found this: 2446UMMT

Distinguishing Marks/Features: No scars were identified, but based upon surgical evidence present, the decedent would have at least one scar of the right leg. Rod in right tibia (entire length of shaft), with two screws proximal and two screws distal. Two fracture calluses of right tibia and one fracture callus of right fibula. Sutures around the right knee and quadriceps tendon.

 

[ipa]

In the details it says 'several bags'... so this poor person's legs were in multiple pieces?

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Has William Thomas Ukiah Duncan been ruled out? I think he can be a potential match for this John Doe.

William Thomas Ukiah Duncan – The Charley Project

 

[MadMcGoo]

Has William Thomas Ukiah Duncan been ruled out? I think he can be a potential match for this John Doe.

William Thomas Ukiah Duncan – The Charley Project

He has been ruled out according to NamUs. Along with Richard Strong missing from KY since 2011.

 

[Rtael]

In the details it says 'several bags'... so this poor person's legs were in multiple pieces?

I imagine it was several garbage bags layered.

 

[Puzzleworth]

I found this: 2446UMMT

Distinguishing Marks/Features: No scars were identified, but based upon surgical evidence present, the decedent would have at least one scar of the right leg. Rod in right tibia (entire length of shaft), with two screws proximal and two screws distal. Two fracture calluses of right tibia and one fracture callus of right fibula. Sutures around the right knee and quadriceps tendon.

To translate: this person broke their lower right leg in three places. To fix it, they had a metal rod inserted into their calf. It went down the entire length of the shin-bone and was anchored to the bone with four screws: two at the top, two at the bottom. This would have left a visible scar. (probably a long, linear one down the whole calf, IMHO) The breaks were still healing when the person died; fracture calluses form around a week after the injury and gradually turn to bone over a period of months or years.

Depending on whether the threads of the sutures (stitches) were still present, the person may have been only a few days out from surgery. However, the description given could also mean there were stitches at some point, they were removed, and all that was visible were scabs/scars or underlying tissue damage.


What a weird case. A murdered man's legs, separated at the hip/groin; one (and only one) leg broken in three places before death, needing surgical intervention, but only injured at the knee and below. And despite having a metal rod and four screws in his lower leg, apparently he was doing well enough to wear socks, hiking/workboots, and jeans a few days later.

I wonder if the ME was able to pull the manufacturer's information from the titanium rod. For a long time there was no requirement to track anything that was implanted into patients' bodies. According to this article, a US federal law was passed in 2007 requiring medical device companies to add serial numbers to each implant, but it wasn't fully adopted until 2012-2013. Right around when this man would have gotten his implant (and later died) So the titanium rod could be either traceable or not.

 

[Beekarina]

The medical update/information makes this even more bizarre.

That is a severe break.

I wonder if someone else broke their leg intentionally, and then returned to finish the job?

 

[LucyOso]

No scars were identified, but based upon surgical evidence present, the decedent would have at least one scar of the right leg. Rod in right tibia (entire length of shaft), with two screws proximal and two screws distal. Two fracture calluses of right tibia and one fracture callus of right fibula. Sutures around the right knee and quadriceps tendon.

The question is what tense is this written in, it is past tense like his medical history or past tense as in when found...Did he have "actual sutures" or a history of having this area sutured. Were the fractures healed or not? Getting into jeans newly Post Op would have been a very painful task. This is poorly written.

Doe Network: International Center For Missing and Unidentified Persons

Doe Network is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to bringing awareness to missing persons and unidentified persons throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

www.doenetwork.org

 

[DrQ]

No scars were identified, but based upon surgical evidence present, the decedent would have at least one scar of the right leg. Rod in right tibia (entire length of shaft), with two screws proximal and two screws distal. Two fracture calluses of right tibia and one fracture callus of right fibula. Sutures around the right knee and quadriceps tendon.

The question is what tense is this written in, it is past tense like his medical history or past tense as in when found...Did he have "actual sutures" or a history of having this area sutured. Were the fractures healed or not? Getting into jeans newly Post Op would have been a very painful task. This is poorly written.

Doe Network: International Center For Missing and Unidentified Persons

Doe Network is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to bringing awareness to missing persons and unidentified persons throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

www.doenetwork.org

Question?? Are any of the surgical parts (leg shaft, etc) the type to have serial numbers or identification). Thanks

 

[Beekarina]

Such a gross/creepy thought, but given @LucyOso observation's about jeans newly post op, I wonder if someone dressed the legs after they were removed?

Is it clarified anywhere if the jeans are a fully intact pair of jeans?

 

[RememberingRyan]

No scars were identified, but based upon surgical evidence present, the decedent would have at least one scar of the right leg. Rod in right tibia (entire length of shaft), with two screws proximal and two screws distal. Two fracture calluses of right tibia and one fracture callus of right fibula. Sutures around the right knee and quadriceps tendon.

The question is what tense is this written in, it is past tense like his medical history or past tense as in when found...Did he have "actual sutures" or a history of having this area sutured. Were the fractures healed or not? Getting into jeans newly Post Op would have been a very painful task. This is poorly written.

Doe Network: International Center For Missing and Unidentified Persons

Doe Network is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to bringing awareness to missing persons and unidentified persons throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

www.doenetwork.org

I believe they are saying that the sutures were present in the remains. I hink it is unlikely that they would state that sutures were definitely used at some point if they were not present in the remains. I think if that were the case they would have worded it more like they did the comment about scars - that based on the evidence they likely had sutures. Instead is says sutures around the right knee and quads. What I think would be useful to know is whether the sutures were absorbable or external, and what stage the fracture calluses were in. If these were internal sutures, and the fracture calluses were in the hard or transitional state, then we could be looking at a surgery that was performed anywhere from a month to as much as six months prior to death. If we are talking external sutures and soft calluses, that’s a very recent surgery, within a couple of weeks.

 

[LucyOso]

I believe they are saying that the sutures were present in the remains. I hink it is unlikely that they would state that sutures were definitely used at some point if they were not present in the remains. I think if that were the case they would have worded it more like they did the comment about scars - that based on the evidence they likely had sutures. Instead is says sutures around the right knee and quads. What I think would be useful to know is whether the sutures were absorbable or external, and what stage the fracture calluses were in. If these were internal sutures, and the fracture calluses were in the hard or transitional state, then we could be looking at a surgery that was performed anywhere from a month to as much as six months prior to death. If we are talking external sutures and soft calluses, that’s a very recent surgery, within a couple of weeks.

I agree. Where the sutures from a quadricep repair? Are they actually suture/anchors? That is a fairly rare injury, so more information would be great.

 

[Beekarina]

I went back and reread....remnants of jeans.

This is so gruesome.

 

[LucyOso]

They could have been cut offs/shorts, but the idea of getting into jeans that new post-op is baffling. Unless they were like the parachute pants/jeans we had 30 years ago LOL.

 

[OddOneOut]

In the details it says 'several bags'... so this poor person's legs were in multiple pieces?

In the first post on this thread, it says "Two hikers found a trash bag containing human legs." I assume this means both legs were found in the same bag. I read the other post as the bag having been found among "several" other bags.