VA VA - Oilville, WhtMale 3-6, UP82515, found in army duffel bag, clothes, Mar'51

[TheArtfulDetective]

Goochland County, #Virginia - Seventy years ago, a highway worker on a crew cleaning litter from roadside ditches in Goochland County came upon a most gruesome discovery: the body of a young boy stuffed in a duffel bag.

The state medical examiner believed the boy to be 5 or 6 years old and estimated he had been dead for about a week, though at the site for a much shorter time, when he was found March 5, 1951, a few feet from state Route 670, just south of U.S. 250, near Oilville.
According to law enforcement reports, the boy was wearing blue jeans; a striped T-shirt; and red, white and blue socks, but no shoes. He wore a cardigan sweater. Size 4. The bottom button on the sweater didn’t match the others, leading to speculation, noted weeks later in a March 30 story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, that “somebody had thought enough about this boy to sew a button on the sweater for him.” <modsnip: 10% copyright rule>


Lohmann: 70 years later, a Richmond writer is trying to solve a Goochland cold case involving the death of a child

 

[mishbloom]

Thanks! I saw this little guy on Facebook today, and I was hoping someone would bring him in here. It's a cryin' shame the way he was tossed out like trash!

 

[victoriarobinson642]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Added to NAMUS with age range of 3-6.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

I hope the NCMEC get involved in this case.

 

[sonz82]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

• 

UNIDENTIFIED
Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP82515Male, White / Caucasian
Date Body FoundMarch 5, 1951
Location FoundOilville, Virginia




Case Information


Case Numbers
NCMEC Number--
ME/C Case NumberC1951-00001
Demographics
SexMale
Race / EthnicityWhite / Caucasian
Possible First Name--
Possible Middle Name--
Possible Last Name--
Nickname/Alias--
Estimated Age GroupPreAdolescent
Estimated Age Range (Years)3-6
Estimated Year of Death--
Estimated PMI--
Height3' 6"(42 inches) , Measured
Weight44 lbs, Measured
Circumstances
TypeUnidentified Deceased
Date Body FoundMarch 5, 1951
NamUs Case CreatedJuly 22, 2021
ME/C QA Reviewed--
Location Found Map
LocationOilville, Virginia
CountyGoochland County
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped)--
Found On Tribal LandNo
Circumstances of RecoveryThe remains of a 3-6 year old white male child were found in a military-style duffel bag off the side of the road. No injuries or apparent cause of death was found.
Details of Recovery


Inventory of Remains--
Condition of RemainsRecognizable face
Physical Description
Hair ColorRed/Auburn
Head Hair Description--
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye ColorBlue
Right Eye ColorBlue
Eye Description--
Distinctive Physical Features
No Information Entered

Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing
Sweater: coat style with red and pink block checks and brown sleeves and waistband. Label in the neck of the sweater read "Checks, size 4, J.C Penney Company" Socks: red, white and blue stripe, elastic-top cotton anklets, size 9-10 Shoes: none, but would wear size 7-8 T shirt-red, white and blue strip on brown cotton short-sleeved shirt, 11 1/2 inch across shoulders, 12 inches in length from the neck Overall pants: new, dungaree-type, elastic top blue denims, 14 inches in length, one pocket on the right hop Underwear: white wool button-down front, union-suit type with short legs and sleeves. Label: "C-Y is best, age 6-8." 13 inches across the shoulders and 1 inches long
On the Body

Clothing
Woman's gray finish raincoat, treated by "Zelan" method, size medium
Near the Body

 

[madamx]

I thought I would post Floradean Walker. Her stats would match the stats for the raincoat. The bash the boy was found in was supposedly stolen in Texas and Floradean and the boy have similar hair. Anyway I just thought I would post her incase there is a connection.
TX - TX - Floradean Walker, 25, Hext, January 1st 1951

 

[madamx]

I found this add on eBay for a zelan raincoat by DuPont. Zelan seems to be a water repellant fabric.
I am surprised they have never been any photos of the raincoat the duffle bag or the boys clothing?


1960 Du Pont Zelan Fabric Durable Water Repellant Raincoats Vintage Print Ad | eBay

 

[HopeRains]

I downloaded the FBI bulletin and am happy to share it here. I just want to make sure I am following policy with regards to posting post-mortem pictures. What I have is of better quality than that in his namus file. I do believe this case is solvable.

 

[HopeRains]

I do believe this young child is identifiable, perhaps not necessarily scientifically (although footprints were taken and fingerprints were classified), but I do believe that there are living pictures of him somewhere and a story to be told.

<modsnip: no source link>

 

[HopeRains]

I do believe this young child is identifiable, perhaps not necessarily scientifically (although footprints were taken and fingerprints were classified), but I do believe that there are living pictures of him somewhere and a story to be told.

<modsnip: no source link>

Thank you moderator. Do I just need to post the link and then add back in the snapshots?

 

[HopeRains]

I do believe this young child is identifiable, perhaps not necessarily scientifically (although footprints were taken and fingerprints were classified), but I do believe that there are living pictures of him somewhere and a story to be told.

From the March 1951 FBI LE Bulletin: (specifically pgs 18, 24 &25, PM warning on pg 24 but not providing snapshot here). In addition to better quality print (Namus is photo copied info), footprints and fingerprint classification is provided.

 

[perfectingpink]

I do believe this young child is identifiable, perhaps not necessarily scientifically (although footprints were taken and fingerprints were classified), but I do believe that there are living pictures of him somewhere and a story to be told.

From the March 1951 FBI LE Bulletin: (specifically pgs 18, 24 &25, PM warning on pg 24 but not providing snapshot here). In addition to better quality print (Namus is photo copied info), footprints and fingerprint classification is provided.

View attachment 334692 View attachment 334693 View attachment 334694

I believe this is the correct link:

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin - May 1951 — LEB

 

[RyGuy611]

It's a shame there's no DNA on profile or where his body is buried. I do have hope for this case, though.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

• 

UNIDENTIFIED
Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP82515Male, White / Caucasian
Date Body FoundMarch 5, 1951
Location FoundOilville, Virginia




Case Information


Case Numbers
NCMEC Number--
ME/C Case NumberC1951-00001
Demographics
SexMale
Race / EthnicityWhite / Caucasian
Possible First Name--
Possible Middle Name--
Possible Last Name--
Nickname/Alias--
Estimated Age GroupPreAdolescent
Estimated Age Range (Years)3-6
Estimated Year of Death--
Estimated PMI--
Height3' 6"(42 inches) , Measured
Weight44 lbs, Measured
Circumstances
TypeUnidentified Deceased
Date Body FoundMarch 5, 1951
NamUs Case CreatedJuly 22, 2021
ME/C QA Reviewed--
Location Found Map
LocationOilville, Virginia
CountyGoochland County
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped)--
Found On Tribal LandNo
Circumstances of RecoveryThe remains of a 3-6 year old white male child were found in a military-style duffel bag off the side of the road. No injuries or apparent cause of death was found.
Details of Recovery


Inventory of Remains--
Condition of RemainsRecognizable face
Physical Description
Hair ColorRed/Auburn
Head Hair Description--
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye ColorBlue
Right Eye ColorBlue
Eye Description--
Distinctive Physical Features
No Information Entered

Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing
Sweater: coat style with red and pink block checks and brown sleeves and waistband. Label in the neck of the sweater read "Checks, size 4, J.C Penney Company" Socks: red, white and blue stripe, elastic-top cotton anklets, size 9-10 Shoes: none, but would wear size 7-8 T shirt-red, white and blue strip on brown cotton short-sleeved shirt, 11 1/2 inch across shoulders, 12 inches in length from the neck Overall pants: new, dungaree-type, elastic top blue denims, 14 inches in length, one pocket on the right hop Underwear: white wool button-down front, union-suit type with short legs and sleeves. Label: "C-Y is best, age 6-8." 13 inches across the shoulders and 1 inches long
On the Body

Clothing
Woman's gray finish raincoat, treated by "Zelan" method, size medium
Near the Body

 

[Melt71]

It's a shame there's no DNA on profile or where his body is buried. I do have hope for this case, though.

Maybe the writer mentioned in the article will find out where he was interred, though currently (according to the article in the first post) "noone seems to know were the child's remains were buried", though it seems more likely he was cremated after a year, if police followed the policy that the investigator outlined at that time.

 

[CCJD]

7 Mar 1951, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com

 

[John/Jane Doe]

I do believe this young child is identifiable, perhaps not necessarily scientifically (although footprints were taken and fingerprints were classified), but I do believe that there are living pictures of him somewhere and a story to be told.

From the March 1951 FBI LE Bulletin: (specifically pgs 18, 24 &25, PM warning on pg 24 but not providing snapshot here). In addition to better quality print (Namus is photo copied info), footprints and fingerprint classification is provided.

View attachment 334692 View attachment 334693 View attachment 334694

To summarize, this child has the following Identifiers:

Dentals: Unknown (If anyone could find an article on this we would appreciate it)

Fingerprints: Available

DNA: Not available

 

[CCJD]

Haven't located any photo of the plaster cast.
18 Sep 1957, 2 - The Richmond News Leader at Newspapers.com

 

[John/Jane Doe]

I hope this little boy gets added to The Doe Network.

 

[RyGuy611]

Haven't located any photo of the plaster cast.
18 Sep 1957, 2 - The Richmond News Leader at Newspapers.com

Hopefully it will surface one day. At least we have a postmortem photograph. Though he is decomposed someone could make a reconstruction out of that.