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NamUs #UP13448 / DoeNetwork 2596UMOR
Photograph of the items found near the remains
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White / Caucasian (news reports say he may also have some Native American ancestry)
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 60
Estimated Age Range (Years): 40-55 (news reports say he was mostly likely over 50 years old)
Estimated Year of Death: N/A (news reports say he likely died between 1923 and 1960)
Estimated PMI: Years (news reports say between 10-40 years, more likely 30-40 years)
Height: 5'5" (65 inches), Estimated (news reports say between 5'5" and 5'7")
Weight: Cannot Estimate
Cause of Death: Unknown
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: October 20, 1990
NamUs Case Created: January 26, 2015
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Rainier, Oregon
County: Columbia County
Circumstances of Recovery: A sixth grade teacher at Rainier Elementary School teacher was attempting to clear a new logging road just off old Highway 30, less than a mile north of Rainier, when he uncovered what he initially thought was a deflated, weathered volleyball. The teacher got out of the bulldozer he was using to clear the land to get a closer look at the object. At first glance he thought it might be a monkey skull, but then he saw what appeared to be a gold cap on a front tooth and realized the skull was likely human in origin. The teacher abandoned his work and drove back to Rainier, where he alerted police to the discovery.
Oregon State Troopers, county sheriff's deputies, and members of a local Eagle Scout troop began conducting a search of the area for any additional remains or personal items which could be used to identify the body. They found numerous additional bone fragments as well as multiple coins with dates ranging from 1904 to 1923. They also located a pair of lace-up leather work boots with leather soles which had apparently been reheeled, but they did not find any clothing fragments, leading authorities to speculate the man may have died during a period of mild weather.
Oregon state medical examiner Larry Lewman examined the partial skeletal remains and determined the man was likely between 40 to 60 years old at the time of his death and had probably done hard physical labor based on the condition of his vertebrae. The man was most likely white, but may have had some Native American ancestry. There was no evidence of trauma to any of the bones.
The man likely died some time between 1923 and 1960. The earliest possible date of death was established by a 1923 silver dollar that was found at the scene. The latest possible date of death was determined by a vine maple tree which had grown between the lower jaw and the skull. A cross-section of the tree showed it was approximately 30 years old.
Foul play is not suspected, although the exact cause of death could not be determined based on the condition of the remains.
Inventory of Remains: One or more limbs not recovered; One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: Extensive gold dental work, with gold crowns in his lower front teeth and molars. He likely did a lot of hard physical labor based on the condition of the vertebrae.
Clothing and Accessories
- Leather coin purse (Near the Body)
- Hamilton pocket watch, possibly silver, with a chain (Near the Body)
- Folding pocket knife (Near the Body)
- Multiple coins: a 1919 penny, a 1916 dime, three nickels, including a 1904 liberty V nickel, a 1923 and 1922 silver dollar, and a silver dollar so worn that the date is gone (Near the Body)
- Suspender or bib overall fasteners (Near the Body)
- Round-toed, lace-up leather work boot with a leather sole than had been reheeled, approximately size 8 (On the Body)
News Coverage
"Logger finds skeletal remains near Rainier," Longview Daily News, 22 October 1990, B1.
Lt. Bob Ewen of the Oregon State Police said a logger doing some work just off old Highway 30 less than a mile north of Rainier discovered the human remains.
[...]
"It looks like they had been there some time; exactly how long we don't know," he said.
Pauline Bains, "Examiner: Rainier bones may be 30-40 years old," Longview Daily News, 26 October 1990, B2.
The human bones found near Rainier Saturday may have been lying there as long as 30 or 40 years, Oregon's medical examiner said today.
At a minimum, he said, the remains are 10 years old.
[...]
"We have very limited material, so what I'm telling you is based on a lot less material than we'd like," [state medical examiner Larry] Lewman said.
[...]
The partial skeleton -- which includes a skull, jaw bone and parts of bones from the arms and legs -- shows no evidence of any injury, Lewman said. And there is no way to determine the cause of death.
[...]
"Frankly," he said, "I don't think we'll ever identify this person..."
"Police ask for help in identifying human bones," Longview Daily News, 27 October 1990, A4.
Larry Lewman, Oregon's medical examiner, said Friday that the remains have been lying in the brushy area where they were discovered for 10 to 40 years.
The man was about 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7 and was probably over 50 years old when he died. He had extensive dental work, with gold crowns in his lower front teeth and molars.
Items found with the remains include: a folding pocket knife, a Hamilton pocket watch with a chain, a coin purse and some U.S. coins with dates ranging from 1904 to 1923.
Oregon State Police Lt. Bob Ewen said the man appears to have been wearing a pair of lace-up leather work boots in about a size 8. Evidence also indicated he had on bib overalls or some type of suspenders.
Kathy Lindsley, "Bones of mystery: Coins, watch, teeth are the only clues to Rainier find," Longview Daily News, 17 December 1990, A1, A2.
[part 1] [part 2]
As Dale Witham was pioneering a new logging road near Rainier, the bulldozer blade brushed the ground in a tangle of alder and vine maple.
From the driver's seat, Witham glanced down to see what he first thought was a gray, deflated, weathered volleyball.
On second look, he knew he had uncovered a skull.
[...]
[Dale] Witham, a Rainier Elementary School sixth-grade teacher, said he got off the bulldozer to take a closer look at the moss-lined skull, resting on its left side.
The first thing I though was 'Oh, a monkey skull.'" But then, Witham said, he saw a gold cap on a front tooth.
He knew not to disturb the scene further.
"It was a beautiful day for skidding logs, but I thought, 'Well, that's not going to happen now.'" He drove his car back to Rainier to find a police officer.
[...]
Oregon State Police, county sheriff's deputies and an Explorer Scout troop helped search the area for more remains. They turned up more bones are a few other items: a suspender or overall button, a crumbling leather coin purse, leather work boots with leather soles that had been reheeled, Hamilton pocket watch, possibly silver, with a chain, a 1919 penny, a 1916 dime, three nickels, including a 1904 liberty V nickel, a 1923 and 1922 silver dollar, and a silver dollar so worn that the date is gone.
[...]
His worn teeth show he was 40 to 60 years old. He probably did a lot of hard physical labor, based on the condition of his vertebrae. He was white, perhaps with Indian ancestry, about 5 foot 5 inches to 5 foot 7 inches tall. He probably wasn't robbed and there were no injuries to the skull to indicated foul play. No remnants of heavy clothing were found, so he may have died during mild weather.
[Oregon State Trooper Ray] Downey is waiting for a report from a forensic dentist on the extensive gold dental work that could date back to the late 1800s and another report from a jeweler about the watch.
The year of death was 1923 at the earliest (because of the coins) and probably 1960 at the latest, Downey said.
A tree helped set the more recent date. A vine maple tree had grown up through the lower jaw separating it from the skull. A cross-section of the trunk showed the tree is about 30-years-old.
Photograph of the items found near the remains
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White / Caucasian (news reports say he may also have some Native American ancestry)
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 60
Estimated Age Range (Years): 40-55 (news reports say he was mostly likely over 50 years old)
Estimated Year of Death: N/A (news reports say he likely died between 1923 and 1960)
Estimated PMI: Years (news reports say between 10-40 years, more likely 30-40 years)
Height: 5'5" (65 inches), Estimated (news reports say between 5'5" and 5'7")
Weight: Cannot Estimate
Cause of Death: Unknown
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: October 20, 1990
NamUs Case Created: January 26, 2015
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Rainier, Oregon
County: Columbia County
Circumstances of Recovery: A sixth grade teacher at Rainier Elementary School teacher was attempting to clear a new logging road just off old Highway 30, less than a mile north of Rainier, when he uncovered what he initially thought was a deflated, weathered volleyball. The teacher got out of the bulldozer he was using to clear the land to get a closer look at the object. At first glance he thought it might be a monkey skull, but then he saw what appeared to be a gold cap on a front tooth and realized the skull was likely human in origin. The teacher abandoned his work and drove back to Rainier, where he alerted police to the discovery.
Oregon State Troopers, county sheriff's deputies, and members of a local Eagle Scout troop began conducting a search of the area for any additional remains or personal items which could be used to identify the body. They found numerous additional bone fragments as well as multiple coins with dates ranging from 1904 to 1923. They also located a pair of lace-up leather work boots with leather soles which had apparently been reheeled, but they did not find any clothing fragments, leading authorities to speculate the man may have died during a period of mild weather.
Oregon state medical examiner Larry Lewman examined the partial skeletal remains and determined the man was likely between 40 to 60 years old at the time of his death and had probably done hard physical labor based on the condition of his vertebrae. The man was most likely white, but may have had some Native American ancestry. There was no evidence of trauma to any of the bones.
The man likely died some time between 1923 and 1960. The earliest possible date of death was established by a 1923 silver dollar that was found at the scene. The latest possible date of death was determined by a vine maple tree which had grown between the lower jaw and the skull. A cross-section of the tree showed it was approximately 30 years old.
Foul play is not suspected, although the exact cause of death could not be determined based on the condition of the remains.
Inventory of Remains: One or more limbs not recovered; One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: Extensive gold dental work, with gold crowns in his lower front teeth and molars. He likely did a lot of hard physical labor based on the condition of the vertebrae.
Clothing and Accessories
- Leather coin purse (Near the Body)
- Hamilton pocket watch, possibly silver, with a chain (Near the Body)
- Folding pocket knife (Near the Body)
- Multiple coins: a 1919 penny, a 1916 dime, three nickels, including a 1904 liberty V nickel, a 1923 and 1922 silver dollar, and a silver dollar so worn that the date is gone (Near the Body)
- Suspender or bib overall fasteners (Near the Body)
- Round-toed, lace-up leather work boot with a leather sole than had been reheeled, approximately size 8 (On the Body)
News Coverage
"Logger finds skeletal remains near Rainier," Longview Daily News, 22 October 1990, B1.
Lt. Bob Ewen of the Oregon State Police said a logger doing some work just off old Highway 30 less than a mile north of Rainier discovered the human remains.
[...]
"It looks like they had been there some time; exactly how long we don't know," he said.
Pauline Bains, "Examiner: Rainier bones may be 30-40 years old," Longview Daily News, 26 October 1990, B2.
The human bones found near Rainier Saturday may have been lying there as long as 30 or 40 years, Oregon's medical examiner said today.
At a minimum, he said, the remains are 10 years old.
[...]
"We have very limited material, so what I'm telling you is based on a lot less material than we'd like," [state medical examiner Larry] Lewman said.
[...]
The partial skeleton -- which includes a skull, jaw bone and parts of bones from the arms and legs -- shows no evidence of any injury, Lewman said. And there is no way to determine the cause of death.
[...]
"Frankly," he said, "I don't think we'll ever identify this person..."
"Police ask for help in identifying human bones," Longview Daily News, 27 October 1990, A4.
Larry Lewman, Oregon's medical examiner, said Friday that the remains have been lying in the brushy area where they were discovered for 10 to 40 years.
The man was about 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7 and was probably over 50 years old when he died. He had extensive dental work, with gold crowns in his lower front teeth and molars.
Items found with the remains include: a folding pocket knife, a Hamilton pocket watch with a chain, a coin purse and some U.S. coins with dates ranging from 1904 to 1923.
Oregon State Police Lt. Bob Ewen said the man appears to have been wearing a pair of lace-up leather work boots in about a size 8. Evidence also indicated he had on bib overalls or some type of suspenders.
Kathy Lindsley, "Bones of mystery: Coins, watch, teeth are the only clues to Rainier find," Longview Daily News, 17 December 1990, A1, A2.
[part 1] [part 2]
As Dale Witham was pioneering a new logging road near Rainier, the bulldozer blade brushed the ground in a tangle of alder and vine maple.
From the driver's seat, Witham glanced down to see what he first thought was a gray, deflated, weathered volleyball.
On second look, he knew he had uncovered a skull.
[...]
[Dale] Witham, a Rainier Elementary School sixth-grade teacher, said he got off the bulldozer to take a closer look at the moss-lined skull, resting on its left side.
The first thing I though was 'Oh, a monkey skull.'" But then, Witham said, he saw a gold cap on a front tooth.
He knew not to disturb the scene further.
"It was a beautiful day for skidding logs, but I thought, 'Well, that's not going to happen now.'" He drove his car back to Rainier to find a police officer.
[...]
Oregon State Police, county sheriff's deputies and an Explorer Scout troop helped search the area for more remains. They turned up more bones are a few other items: a suspender or overall button, a crumbling leather coin purse, leather work boots with leather soles that had been reheeled, Hamilton pocket watch, possibly silver, with a chain, a 1919 penny, a 1916 dime, three nickels, including a 1904 liberty V nickel, a 1923 and 1922 silver dollar, and a silver dollar so worn that the date is gone.
[...]
His worn teeth show he was 40 to 60 years old. He probably did a lot of hard physical labor, based on the condition of his vertebrae. He was white, perhaps with Indian ancestry, about 5 foot 5 inches to 5 foot 7 inches tall. He probably wasn't robbed and there were no injuries to the skull to indicated foul play. No remnants of heavy clothing were found, so he may have died during mild weather.
[Oregon State Trooper Ray] Downey is waiting for a report from a forensic dentist on the extensive gold dental work that could date back to the late 1800s and another report from a jeweler about the watch.
The year of death was 1923 at the earliest (because of the coins) and probably 1960 at the latest, Downey said.
A tree helped set the more recent date. A vine maple tree had grown up through the lower jaw separating it from the skull. A cross-section of the trunk showed the tree is about 30-years-old.
