TX TX - Austin, Redbud Trail, Whtmale, 20-35, suicide, eyeglasses, a Bible, 10-speed bicycle, May’98

[djanga]

Redbud Trail John Doe 1998 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

On May 27, 1998, an employee of the local water treatment plant was driving near Redbud Trail in Austin, Texas, when he discovered the body of a man hanging from a tree. The trail is a half mile loop popular with hikers located near caves that were often inhabited by people experiencing homelessness.

The man was Caucasian, and estimated to be between 20-35 years old, approximately 6’ tall and 150-155 pounds. He had hazel eyes, slightly wavy brown hair and a full beard and mustache. His dental work had been extensive. Scars were also present on the inside of both wrists.

He was discovered wearing a green dress shirt, black Dockers pants, a camouflage hat, brown belt and black Nike sneakers. He was also wearing a Timex watch with a broken band. Other items recovered near the body included eyeglasses, a Bible, a black flashlight and a 10-speed bicycle.

His cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging.

NamUs ID: UP8560

Date Body Found: 5/27/1998

Race: White/Caucasian

Sex: Male

Estimated Age: 20-35

Estimated PMI: 24 hours

Agency of Jurisdiction:

Travis County Medical Examiners Office
Sandra Call
512-854-9599

More Information:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

750UMTX

TxDPS Missing and Unidentified Persons Online Bulletin

https://🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬/wiki/Travis_County_John_Doe_(May_1998)

 

[Hochman]

Renderings from TXDPS link

 

[WingsOverTX]

Age of this MP is older but he has inner wrist scars, similar eyeglasses, height, green eyes.

What do you think?

942DMTX - Haskell Wilson Gonzales

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

 

[BrownBear]

2 Exclusions
MP37267 John Gregory 07/06/1997 Travis TX
MP21652 James Clark 01/01/1997 Travis TX

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[ChatteringBirds]

What do you think?

I think HWG would be worth submitting...

Being on the pending list at DNA Doe Project means this man will hopefully be identified through genetic genealogy, right?

 

[ziggystarshay]

3271DMAK - Steven Lee Harbaugh

I know the simplest explanation is usually the answer, but I often wonder in circumstances like this (suicide), if John Doe had grown in a beard and had glasses to disguise himself?

Couldn't find much more info on Steven Lee Harbaugh, but the timeline works, as does height/weight/hair/eyes. I realize that's certainly a long way to travel, but just a thought!

3360DMIA - John Steven Conaway

There's also this guy, John Steven Conaway. The stats match, including the glasses and facial hair. But since his car is missing too, I feel like he is likely in water and there was an accident on his way home after beers with friends at the bar. But perhaps another to consider, anyway.

 

[iamshadow21]

Age of this MP is older but he has inner wrist scars, similar eyeglasses, height, green eyes.

What do you think?

942DMTX - Haskell Wilson Gonzales

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

There's well over a decade between Haskell going missing and this Doe being found. That's a long time to live in the world without a trace.

Also, the dumping of his car at a longterm airport carpark... he could have done it himself, I suppose, but that's a move I've seen in cases before when the missing person is missing due to homicide. People are often easier to 'disappear' than a car, so they put the car amongst dozens of other cars, where it not being moved for days or weeks will never be noticed.

If you feel strongly about it, submit it. It's a close visual resemblance, and he has wrist scars. Personally, I think it more likely that Haskell wound up in a river or under cement, and not by his own doing, based on the little on Doenet, but that is just an unqualified opinion. I am just another amateur with a keyboard.

MOO

 

[djanga]

According to the DDP’s Dashboard he is now in active genealogical research

 

[imstilla.grandma]

She said she considers local cases especially dear. She is the team lead on two Travis County cases: Slaughter Creek Jane Doe, whose body was found in a wooded area behind an apartment complex on April 12, 2020, and Redbud Trail John Doe, a homeless man whose hanging body was discovered on May 27, 1998, by a water treatment plant employee.

Getting their names back: How three Austin-area residents help solve identity cold cases

Three Austin-area residents help law enforcement agencies identify John and Jane Does across the United States and Canada.

www.statesman.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Redbud Trail John Doe 1998 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

 

[ziggystarshay]

3383DMTX - William Clark Crumpacker

While William's weight is significantly different from the Doe's, the rest aligns - height(ish), wears glasses, hazel eyes, age, but physically the resemblance is SO strong to me (if he were to have grown a mustache and full beard in the 2+ months since his disappearance). This story of William going for a midnight swim while his two young sons slept on the boat just seems odd. I did at first think the fact they were out there on a Tuesday night was worrisome, but I dug around and it appears it was spring break week for the local schools. (Although still, it wasn't exactly comfortable sleep-on-boat temps dipping from 71 to the high 50s at night - and then a swim?). They never recovered his body from the lake, but found his towel on shore. Did he stage everything, then go live amongst the unhoused community for the next 2 months before taking his life??

Since he isn't on the rule out list, I thought it might be one to consider. Thoughts anyone?

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Since he isn't on the rule out list, I thought it might be one to consider. Thoughts anyone?

Agree, he should be looked at for this case.

With the recent case of a man faking a drowning death, we know people do that. And IMO it makes no sense William wanted to take a swim in the middle of the night with his children left behind on the boat. Perhaps he was struggling mentally/emotionally, wanted one last nice time with his kids, and ended up as this John-Doe victim?
I really feel for his family.

 

[ziggystarshay]

Have made a call in to the ME's office listed, and after being transferred twice, I'm now waiting for a call back from a superior who can access the file and take the report.

And @ChatteringBirds you're right, it definitely makes me think of the man faking his drowning death from the news last month. Wild story.
Even though family members are quoted in news articles from the time William went missing stating 'he would never leave' and 'he was not depressed', we never truly know what some people are going through. It's the midnight swim that just bothers me so much too..

 

[ChatteringBirds]

we never truly know what some people are going through. It's the midnight swim that just bothers me so much too..

You are amazing for following up on this and calling it in.

I also think people really don't necessarily know if someone is struggling, though we wish we could tell. And in this case if they found a towel on the shore that they think he might have used, he may have made it out of the water.

Another fact we learn here at Websleuths is that mental illnesses can appear at any time, with early- or late-onset of different diagnoses. And it's not something the person can change, not their fault at all.

 

[ziggystarshay]

This would be such a double edged sword - while it would be great to have answers about who Redbud JD is, it would be absolutely devastating for the family of William to know he didn't actually drown and this was his true ending.

And agreed about mental illness and mental health crises. They are far more prevalent than we can imagine, and they certainly do not discriminate.

No word back yet from the ME, will follow up tomorrow if I don't hear anything.

 

[ziggystarshay]

Little update: Called and followed up yesterday, left a message, and then received a call back today. Marissa told me that the better avenue would be to make a report with the sheriff's dept. I said I contacted the ME's because that was the contact info listed. All so confusing! So anyway, I'll do that tomorrow.

But she did agree the connection/circumstances were interesting, between Redbud and William. There are fingerprints on file. There is a name that had recently come to their attention they explored as a match, but he did not match the prints nor was it William. So, back at it tomorrow!

 

[ziggystarshay]

Update! After many phone calls, emails, and jurisdictions, I did finally get the cold case detective working on Redbud's case. He said he is currently working with the ME's office in making an identification, and they are 'pretty certain'. He said the name they are working to confirm is not William. But the good news is it sounds like an identification announcement will be coming soon! And that's always the goal, right, to give the Doe's their names back.