Identified! NY - Andover, Davis Hill Rd, WhtMale 25-50, UP16681, nude, headless & handless, scars, 20 March 1970 *id'd March 2026 - Clyde A. Coppage (35) *

[carbuff]

No exclusions or new information. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Nocturnal 911]

No exclusions or new information. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

To be clear when I say this, I am NOT talking about this case-- but I know of another cold case a while back (post GED match) in the general area-- where the NYSP were very eager to hit the ground running with I think maybe an exhumation?, DNA retrieval, genetic genealogy etc. and they were at a stand still because of RED TAPE. Like I can't stress enough what a nightmare it was back then for state agencies. At that time there was one grant per year through the DOJ for such stuff and if you missed the deadline to apply for that grant you were SOL until next year. Didn't matter if a local funeral director or coroner etc. were willing to donate some services or if you found an outside lab willing to do the work: things HAD to be approved & funded under really strict guidelines with state agencies. I recall reading approx 1.5 yrs ago that some NY legislation would fix it? Or the NYSP policies were hoping to be changed to accommodate? Or the state police crime labs had to get new certification to qualify for handling or processing genealogy work? I can't recall, but it was really tying the NYSP's hands and expected to change very soon! I'm sure by now all the NYSP BCI guys across the state with cold cases are in the midst of tons of progress as a result.

Also; a correction to an earlier post because I found an old email that I sent myself. In regards to the crime scene pics, it was a CANADIAN artist of some sort that somehow got the pics & had them in his gallery (I had stated NYC earlier) My mind is blown how this guy got his hands on them (or why there are even actual art galleries full of this sh*t), but here's a general link to one of his pages. The pics are in the very first slide show at the top called
"History of Crime 2018" and are very small thumbnails- so no trigger "cover" is needed. MAJOR trigger warning for most of the pics should you choose to go from there. I'm not trying to be gory, just trying to show anyone who's interested how callous & seemingly "professional" this crime was. It is also SO inconsistent with the local area as well. WEIRD..

History of Crime 2018

 

[Nocturnal 911]

This is great information, and I'd wondered about one connection that I noticed. Back in those days S.R. 17 was the main drag route across the Southern Tier, look at how many body dumps and desecrated corpse cases happened along 17 or nearby, all the way from Ramapo to virtually Jamestown.

Jamestown had a lot of organized crime activity, as did other Upstate cities (Rochester, Buffalo, Batavia, etc.). The Apalachin Conference happened st a residence owned by a major mob guy out of New York, in 1957, that town is along old 17. Other mob families were based in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo. All the cities listed above had links to each other via organized crime in those days.

17 would have been a road that mob types probably used due to it being mostly rural and kind of easy to use to get across the expanse of NY State.

417 is a road that runs kind of parallel and just north of 17, right near where the Andover Doe was found.

Just food for thought.

JMO

All good thoughts! Being from the area though, I can say that although the map makes it all look easy & convenient-- Andover is really not just a hop, skip & jump off of SR 17 (86 now).... it's RURAL. BIG CITY guys would have had thousands of viable rural options without having to come this far. It just doesn't feel like an area you'd come to -to hide a body unless you were somewhat familiar with the area? Hunting or raised in the area? Or a more local organized crime group from Jamestown/Olean or Buff/Roch. They clearly wanted the body found, just not in their back yard. Here's another pic I just found in my stuff.

 

[Nocturnal 911]

This is great information, and I'd wondered about one connection that I noticed. Back in those days S.R. 17 was the main drag route across the Southern Tier, look at how many body dumps and desecrated corpse cases happened along 17 or nearby, all the way from Ramapo to virtually Jamestown.

Jamestown had a lot of organized crime activity, as did other Upstate cities (Rochester, Buffalo, Batavia, etc.). The Apalachin Conference happened st a residence owned by a major mob guy out of New York, in 1957, that town is along old 17. Other mob families were based in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo. All the cities listed above had links to each other via organized crime in those days.

17 would have been a road that mob types probably used due to it being mostly rural and kind of easy to use to get across the expanse of NY State.

417 is a road that runs kind of parallel and just north of 17, right near where the Andover Doe was found.

Just food for thought.

JMO

All good thoughts! Being from the area though, I can say that although the map makes it all look easy & convenient-- Andover is really not just a hop, skip & jump off of SR 17 (86 now).... it's RURAL. BIG CITY guys would have had thousands of viable rural options without having to come this far. It just doesn't feel like an area you'd come to -to hide a body unless you were somewhat familiar with the area? Hunting or raised in the area? Or a more local organized crime group from Jamestown/Olean or Buff/Roch. They clearly wanted the body found, just not in their back yard. Here's another pic I just found in my stuff.

 

[Nocturnal 911]

@Falling Down --The Apalachin Conference happened st a residence owned by a major mob guy out of New York, in 1957, that town is along old 17. Other mob families were based in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo. All the cities listed above had links to each other via organized crime in those days.

OMG! I completely missed your Apalachian Conference idea! You're so right. That's a DIRECT route! Did it only happen once in 1957 or annually? Now I need to google that to death. Wonder if "mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara" still owned the house in 1970? Either way- looks like a ton of families got pretty familiar with how remote it is out here. Good eye- I'm giddy lol

 

[carbuff]

When we lived in the Binghamton area, people told us that many organized crime figures had summer homes in the Olean/Jamestown area.

 

[Sarah_826]

Hi all! The road this man was found on is 20 minutes from my home. I have a large interest in true crime, which has led me to wondering about unidentified does in my county and surrounding counties. This is Allegany County's only Doe in NamUs and I'm very interested in helping to find answers for this man. This is the first time digging into this type of thing so if anyone has any suggestions on anything I can do to help that would be great! Whatever happened definitely sounds like whoever did this, didn't want him identified. We are far from NYC and the road he was found on is pretty remote. If anyone is still following this case please get in touch with me if I can help! Thank you!

 

[WNYer]

Bumping for this “unidentified deceased”

 

[madamx]

Bumping

 

[The4TierBridge]

This person has been identified through DNA testing as 35yo Clyde A. Coppage of Genessee PA.

https://www.wivb.com/news/crime/decapitated-man-found-dead-in-allegany-county-identified-after-nearly-56-years/

 

[dotr]

DNA identifies headless, handless body found 56 years ago in Upstate NY

New York State Police and the FBI cracked a 56-year-old cold case, identifying the victim as a Pennsylvania man.

www.syracuse.com

After 56 Years, Allegany John Doe (1970) is Identified

New York State Police and the FBI Leverage Othram's Identity Inference Platform to Identify a 1970 Homicide Victim

dnasolves.com

''In March 1970, the decapitated remains of an unidentified individual were found on a rural road in Allegany County, near Andover, New York. The New York State Police responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. They determined the remains were an adult man whose head and hands had been removed with an "X" carved in his chest. Investigators determined he was likely the victim of a gangland killing.

Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and became known as Allegany County John Doe (1970). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP16681.

In 2023, investigators teamed with Othram to leverage identity inference, a process that enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against. Officials with the New York State Police submitted forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

At Othram, scientists reviewed details of the case, determining that advanced DNA testing could help to identify the man. Othram scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided skeletal remains, using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile that was returned to the FBI's forensic genetic genealogy team, which used the profile to generate new investigative leads.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Clyde A. Coppage. Clyde Coppage was a 35-year-old living in Genesee, Pennsylvania at the time of his disappearance. Coppage was not originally from the area and had never been reported missing.

New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigators from SP Amity are now asking the public for help as the investigation into Coppage’s death continues. Anyone with information about Coppage or the circumstances surrounding his death is asked to contact New York State Police at 585-344-6200.''

 

[Rikissa]

This person has been identified through DNA testing as 35yo Clyde A. Coppage of Genessee PA.

https://www.wivb.com/news/crime/decapitated-man-found-dead-in-allegany-county-identified-after-nearly-56-years/

I'm a bit confused, in the thread title the date is 'Aug'86', inthe NamUs link in post #1 it's 'Match 1970', and that NamUs page is still active.

 

[The4TierBridge]

I'm a bit confused, in the thread title the date is 'Aug'86', inthe NamUs link in post #1 it's 'Match 1970', and that NamUs page is still active.

There was some mistake with the original version of the NamUs page, which used to have a completely different date listed. It was changed in 2019 (and the 1970 date appears by all accounts to be the correct one).

 

[victoriarobinson642]

It looks like Clyde was declared deceased in absentia and his wife divorced him, also in absentia.

 

[Caring1]

Interesting that Clyde’s writeup states he wasn’t originally from the area where he was found but it’s the same county in which his wife filed for divorce in 1973. That’s if Clyde A. is also Clyde Albert.

Rexville to Andover about 12 miles.

Oct 16, 1973, page 6 - Wellsville Daily Reporter at Newspapers.com™

View the digital scanned newspaper from Wellsville Daily Reporter dated Oct 16, 1973, page 6.

www.newspapers.com

 

[dotr]

• March 13, 2026 rbbm
• https://www.eveningtribune.com/stor...at-led-to-id-of-ny-murder-victim/89134128007/
• 
• ''A Texas DNA lab helped identify a headless and handless body found in 1970 as 35-year-old Clyde A. Coppage.
• Coppage's remains were discovered in Andover, New York, but he had never been reported missing from his Pennsylvania home.
• Investigators exhumed the body in 2022 to collect DNA for advanced forensic testing.
• The lab, Othram, used genetic genealogy to build a DNA profile, leading to a positive identification through a relative.

A DNA lab in Texas is credited with playing a pivotal role in identifying the victim in a grisly 1970 murder in Allegany County.''

''Investigators in 1970 described the death as a “gangland-style” slaying, noting an “X” slashed on the chest. An autopsy did not reveal a cause of death''.

''It was a remarkable week for Othram, which was also involved in identifying a suspect in the Jan. 11, 1974, slaying of Barbara Waldman in her Oceanside, New York, home.''

 

[Falling Down]

Wife, DC, was admitted to Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville during the week preceding Jan. 12th, 1970.

 

[dotr]

Cannot figure out this news link that conflates this case with a similar one, maybe the pic. is throwing me off?

Police Identify Headless Victim from 1976 New York Cold Case Using DNA Evidence

Headless Body from 1976 Cold Case Identified Using DNA In a significant breakthrough for law enforcement, police have identified a headless victim found in a 19

www.stl.news

 

[The4TierBridge]

Cannot figure out this news link that conflates this case with a similar one, maybe the pic. is throwing me off?

Police Identify Headless Victim from 1976 New York Cold Case Using DNA Evidence

Headless Body from 1976 Cold Case Identified Using DNA In a significant breakthrough for law enforcement, police have identified a headless victim found in a 19

www.stl.news

All the articles on that website are written by one guy, who also owns 5-10 other "news" websites, whose writing style has many grammatical errors and reads very much like a generative AI model (and not even a good one).

 

[dotr]

All the articles on that website are written by one guy, who also owns 5-10 other "news" websites, whose writing style has many grammatical errors and reads very much like a generative AI model (and not even a good one).

Thank you!!