NJ NJ - Howell, UncMale 40-50, UP52540, Hoodie, Memorial Band, Sz8 Nike, Dental Bridge, Sept'18

[KaylaraOwl]

Byron Melendez also went missing from Lakewood. Date of last contact is 10/1/2008
New Jersey State Police - Missing Persons

 

[turanna25]

I'm really surprised the age range for this UID is 40-50... That seems older compared to what we were initially thinking.. and honestly the clothing with the UID doesn't sound like clothes a 40-50 year old male would be wearing. I really wonder how they came to that age range. Also, I wonder if they were able to get any prints off of that screw driver that was found near the body. I also think its odd the dental bridge wasn't noted. hmmm

 

[turanna25]

Sorry for double posting.. it also looks to me.. the way the sneakers are laced seem to be the way the younger kids laced up their shows... not like a 40-50 year old. jmo

Also, those Nike's say that they are running shoes (on the top of the shoe) and it appears that they are Air's of some kind (printed on sole of shoe) I just can't make out the other word printed on the sole..

 

[dotr]

Sorry for double posting.. it also looks to me.. the way the sneakers are laced seem to be the way the younger kids laced up their shows... not like a 40-50 year old. jmo

Also, those Nike's say that they are running shoes (on the top of the shoe) and it appears that they are Air's of some kind (printed on sole of shoe) I just can't make out the other word printed on the sole..

It looks something like the word or beginning of a word- move or more? speculation.
https://www.namus.gov/api/CaseSets/NamUs/UnidentifiedPersons/Cases/52540/Images/49466/Original

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Also, those Nike's say that they are running shoes (on the top of the shoe) and it appears that they are Air's of some kind (printed on sole of shoe) I just can't make out the other word printed on the sole..

RSBM for focus

It looks something like the word or beginning of a word- move or more? speculation.
https://www.namus.gov/api/CaseSets/NamUs/UnidentifiedPersons/Cases/52540/Images/49466/Original

I just showed the photo to my sneakerhead teenager (he had a half-day today due to parent-teacher conferences), and he says the other word is “Duralon,” and the shoes are “Air (possibly “Max” Duralon” running shoes. He thinks Nike started making them in the early 2000’s but isn’t sure.

I did a Google Image search and found something very similar. Let me look into this some more to see if I can find additional info.

 

[dotr]

RSBM for focus



I just showed the photo to my sneakerhead teenager (he had a half-day today due to parent-teacher conferences), and he says the other word is “Duralon,” and the shoes are “Air (possibly “Max” Duralon” running shoes. He thinks Nike started making them in the early 2000’s but isn’t sure.

I did a Google Image search and found something very similar. Let me look into this some more to see if I can find additional info.

Thinking that your son is right about the " Duralon", when i look at the pic upside down( which means i looked at it upside in the first place) that is definitely what the word looks like! imo.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

I found these, which appear to be very similar visually to the shoes found with this uid. NIKE AIR MAX Duralon Running Sneaker Shoes 31745-041 Size 12 Gray | eBay

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Thinking that your son is right about the " Duralon", when i look at the pic upside down( which means i looked at it upside in the first place) that is definitely what the word looks like! imo.

I had to look at it upside down, too, and then realized they placed the sole upside down! It’s supposed to look like the first attached pic.

I found these, which appear to be very similar visually to the shoes found with this uid. NIKE AIR MAX Duralon Running Sneaker Shoes 31745-041 Size 12 Gray | eBay

Thanks for the clue, KaylaraOwl!

Using information from that listing, I found out the model is called “TL4,” and it’s part of Nike’s Air Max line.

I found a particular pair that looks very much like the ones that were found with our UID, but the colorway is black and silver. NamUs says his shoes are white, but they look more like gray to me, and I wonder if they were black originally, but the color faded over time:
Men's sz 13 Nike Air Max Solas (leather) Athletic Running Shoes - MINT & RARE 05 | eBay

One thing I find interesting is that both the UID’s pair and the ones from the eBay listing have insoles with a rather unique design on them (you can only see a very small part of it in the NamUs photo).

Looking at the tag, it appears the actual manufacturing date of the pair from the eBay listing is April 17, 2007, or about a year and a half before Kyle Guidice passed away.

 

[Vail]

Other than the sole, the easiest identifier is the swoosh color and placement (which looks like a Nike Air), the white stripe on the toe which is uncommon in Nike design, and the white patch under the laces.

All Nikes have that tag on the tongue which says the model and when it was made, so LE should have that info already (and it would be nice if it was added to the namus listing).

 

[KaylaraOwl]

Sent both men from Lakewood to the Howell police via their social media account on Facebook. They said thank you and that they would pass the information on to the investigators. *fingers crossed*

 

[carbuff]

I would agree with this. I mean, there's certainly some older people who are part of the skater/bmx subculture, I highly doubt most of them would be wearing that bracelet for Kyle Guidice. I posted the information on my facebook and my other friends from Howell also are very surprised at that age range.

A teacher, coach, or other mentor might wear that kind of memorial bracelet.

 

[bears10]

A teacher, coach, or other mentor might wear that kind of memorial bracelet.

I feel like a teacher or coach would be more likely to be reported missing.

 

[carbuff]

I feel like a teacher or coach would be more likely to be reported missing.

Well, that's certainly true. But if he were reported missing, they wouldn't necessarily mention a detail like that.

Apparently several kids from up here (MA) went to Kyle G's funeral. His death struck a nerve with young people in the community. (Source: neighbor kid who didn't go but says he has friends who did.) I presume they had at least one adult with them because none of them is old enough to drive.

 

[bears10]

Well, that's certainly true. But if he were reported missing, they wouldn't necessarily mention a detail like that.

Apparently several kids from up here (MA) went to Kyle G's funeral. His death struck a nerve with young people in the community. (Source: neighbor kid who didn't go but says he has friends who did.) I presume they had at least one adult with them because none of them is old enough to drive.

Right but my thought process is if he was reported missing, even if that detail wasn’t reported, it would be way easier to identify him. IMO if it was a teacher or someone else and they were reported missing, LE would probably have a good idea who it is.

 

[dotr]

Wondering if the uid had long hair?
Those bracelet thingies are handy for tying hair up into a quick ponytail.

 

[carbuff]

Right but my thought process is if he was reported missing, even if that detail wasn’t reported, it would be way easier to identify him. IMO if it was a teacher or someone else and they were reported missing, LE would probably have a good idea who it is.

Yes, but they'd need to make the connection first.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

Wondering if the uid had long hair?
Those bracelet thingies are handy for tying hair up into a quick ponytail.

No way to tell as far as I know these were skeletal remains.

 

[Gardener1850]

Since the bracelets were easily available to anyone who ever went to the Incline skate place I feel like the bracelet could be a red herring. Does the skate park charge people who want to come in and watch the BMX bikers riding? If entry is free, it might mean that homeless people could come in to get warm, use the restrooms and watch the bikers. Or a homeless man could have gotten the bracelet from a dumpster and found it useful to carry. Besides tying hair back, it could be used to open bottles or jars, connect grocery bags together, seal a plastic bag, hold something on his arm, or to add a grip to a bottle or something smooth that would be difficult to hold in the winter with gloves on. This could be someone who went missing from another state a long time ago. The watch, hoodie and shoes all could have been second hand or donated items. He may not have been reported missing if he is someone who was homeless or mentally ill or a runaway from a group home a long time ago. JMO.

 

[carbuff]

Don't know if this is relevant but I found it interesting. It's about 40+ skateboarders in New Jersey: Skateboarding Past a Midlife Crisis

 

[Gardener1850]

Don't know if this is relevant but I found it interesting. It's about 40+ skateboarders in New Jersey: Skateboarding Past a Midlife Crisis

Interesting! The 47 year old NJ man featured has a vimeo channel and facebook for his group (pretty sure I can't post links due to TOS but it is easy to find). Maybe someone can look through his videos and photos see if anyone is wearing the hoodie or shoes? I'm short on time and can't watch video right now but wanted to put that out for anyone who wants to look (if anyone finds something don't link it here-- send it into LE).