NY NY - Rochester, Genesee River, BlkMale 25-45, UP12238, in pants: '5126/COX', "918" or "816", Apr '87

[BrownBear]

Hi all, I'm new here so let me know if I make any mistakes or if there's already a thread for this case... Also sorry I don't know how to link.

NamUs #UP12238
Male, Black / African American
Date Body Found: April 11, 1987
Location Found: Rochester, New York
Estimated Age Range: 25-45 Years
Estimated Year of Death: 1987
Estimated PMI: Weeks
Height: 5' 8"(68 inches) , Measured
Weight: 175 lbs, Estimated
Circumstances of Recovery: Unidentified male found floating in Genesee River

Now to the interesting part IMHO
Clothing: Tan corduroy trousers (Written in black marker- On inside of waistband- "5126", "COX", On inside of right pocket- "918" or "816")
Black nylon underwear- (size large)
One sock

Let me know what you think

 

[Eddie99]

Just searching out those numbers on the pants. I'm thinking they are sewing patterns.

But I suppose it's possible they could be laundry tags. Perhaps used by a uniform company.

 

[BrownBear]

I didn't think of sewing patterns... unfortunately hard to tell exactly without photos.
I was thinking maybe the 5126 was an ID number and Cox is a last name or initials?
No idea for the 918/816... inside the pocket seems like a weird place to write anything to me.

 

[BrownBear]

Opps, Forgot to include that $0.57 was found near the body.

 

[YaYa_521]

Hi all, I'm new here so let me know if I make any mistakes or if there's already a thread for this case... Also sorry I don't know how to link.

NamUs #UP12238
Male, Black / African American
Date Body Found: April 11, 1987
Location Found: Rochester, New York
Estimated Age Range: 25-45 Years
Estimated Year of Death: 1987
Estimated PMI: Weeks
Height: 5' 8"(68 inches) , Measured
Weight: 175 lbs, Estimated
Circumstances of Recovery: Unidentified male found floating in Genesee River

Now to the interesting part IMHO
Clothing: Tan corduroy trousers (Written in black marker- On inside of waistband- "5126", "COX", On inside of right pocket- "918" or "816")
Black nylon underwear- (size large)
One sock

Let me know what you think

Welcome to WS, @BrownBear! TY for starting a thread for the deceased.
Here's the link to his NamUs profile:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[BrownBear]

Thanks for the welcome and for linking NamUs. I also want to add that in Rochester there is a building called the Cox building but I've only seen it called that online 2 or 3 times and never IRL so I highly doubt that is what the writing is about.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Pretty decent image. Looks like a “doctored” post mortem.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Right off the bat…stats match up pretty well. ETA: additional link.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Dwaun Thomas Cox – The Charley Project

 

[BrownBear]

I actually thought that too! Didn't include it in the original post because I wasn't very sure as I am new to this. Dwaun Cox has ruleouts only in OH and VA so I thought maybe LE had reason to focus on those states.

 

[MadMcGoo]

I actually thought that too! Didn't include it in the original post because I wasn't very sure as I am new to this. Dwaun Cox has ruleouts only in OH and VA so I thought maybe LE had reason to focus on those states.

It seems like a pretty good possibility! You should submit them. If you’re not comfortable contacting the agencies directly, I use this method. Potential Match Submission To Panel

 

[BrownBear]

Thanks for the link, unfortunately it looks like neither of them are on Doenetwork. Also both contacts on NamUs are lacking an email. Not really sure what my next steps should be.

 

[Eddie99]

That is a pretty big time gap, between when Mr cox went missing and when the body was found. However, the genesee river flows north, and has tributaries reaching into pa & oh.

Dna is probably the only way this fella is going to be identified.

 

[BrownBear]

He would have had to enter the river north of Mt Morris Dam to even have a chance of ending up in Rochester and even then I'm not sure how far the river could truly move a body. As far as the time frame I agree and it's one of the main reasons along with distance why I wasn't sure. And to be fair it's entirely possible the writing has nothing to do with JD's identity (maybe he got it secondhand?) but it's the only real lead I can see narrowing the pool of possibilities. As of now JD has no ruleouts so even just getting LE eyes on this case is a positive I think.

 

[Eddie99]

Good point on the dam.

 

[BrownBear]

So I've done a little more looking into who to contact, Rochester PD does have a cold case website but it's only for homicides. I'm thinking getting JD and Mr. Cox onto DoeNetwork would be a good idea. But I don't know how to do that or if I even can. Any suggestions?