WA WA - Bellingham, Georgia Pacific plant, WhtMal 20-40, 862UMWA, Continental Airlines ticket, Sep'87

[whorton]

I will share a few of the items from the case file, and you can get an idea of how exclusions were made. Most all of the notes in this case are transcribed into computer or word-processed documents, all though there are some hand written reports.

Of note is item 45-3644198e3f.jpg where the "strange woman" story was recounted.

I think that the Bellingham police have done just about all the could be reasonably expected to do, given what they had to work with. I continue to look back on NAMUS for missing persons that fit the description of missing persons who could fit the bill, but without success. Whoever the person was, appears to have not had any family that were concerned enough to file a missing persons report.

I will close with my feelings that this person was NOT murdered and the stack used as an avenue to hide the body. Such actions would have just required too much effort on anyone's part. You don't haul a body onto controlled property, up three flights of stairs and a ladder to dump a body into a smokestack. There are just too many other valid options in such an area.

I am aware the case has been made that someone tricked him into going up there, and perhaps pushed him into the stack, but it just seems quite unlikely. Easier to trick someone into going on a "nature hike" and disposing of them in the woods or ocean. But I digress. .

 

[whorton]

I am going to start by publishing the original contact report as in their file. It is a .jpg format. 6 pages in length. Includes a list of recovered items.

The first number 126-133 is the correct serial (or page number) from my copy of the file.

 

[whorton]

I am attaching a few documents that may be helpful. . .

First is a list of names associated with the case, and who/what they were.

The Second is a copy of the transcript of the video version of "the body in stack 9" by Curious World on Youtube. (c) Curious world. Transcription by Whorton. His retelling is probably the best version, but one stated fact is incorrect. There is no evidence that he put his socks on his hands. I emailed an corresponded with Curious world, he was suppose to find where that tidbit came from, but never responded.

The third is a copy of my remarks to Curious Worlds video on Youtube wherein I outline the case that the man was an urban explorer who took a fatal fall. With citations.

 

[whorton]

An odd statement to make... If he was concerned about intruders, how was it so easy for this woman to stroll into the plant he worked at?? Hr should have asked "How did you get in here?" instead of "do you want a tour?"

He didn't mention that to his boss so they could contact the other plant to advise them to be on the lookout for this person??

He said you could see the GP boilers from the plant he worked at. Being familiar with the layout of the plant he worked in and being able to see the other plant, he wouldve had a good idea of how to access the various entry points of the GP plant.

I wonder if he lured someone to that building for something and killed them by tossing them down the chimney. The UID's coat was underneath them and the shirt was around his ankle. Sounds like he was possibly trying to block the heat from coming through the vented areas between the parallel poles he landed on.

I just want to clarify this point for the new reader. The woman in question, did not visit the boiler plant at the GP plant. The story recounted by Robert Severson was in relation to a visit she had made to a local college. She was never at the GP plant, nor was she associated. See "A few interesting comments.pdf" (currently on page 5, which addresses the matter.)

 

[whorton]

Page 147-148, includes some of the people considered and eliminated.

154 is the original call to Bellingham police, and

155-58 is an illustration of the stack, dimensions and how the remains were found.

160-161 are the dates of boiler 9's firings.

162 is Roy Harris's original notation of the boiler fault.

 

[whorton]

Maybe not. I think @whorton would be the best to ask. Looks like the police file he has in his possession only lists NCIC ruleouts.


Also welcome to WS @taytayajne

To clarify, there are some rule outs that Bellingham Washington made, but the person is,

NOT listed in the NAMUS DATABASE.

 

[whorton]

I will offer one other bit of info from the case file. The ticket remains apparently found with the body. It has been published that there is insufficient material left which allow the material to be of any use. Here are some photos of what was left. Photos 76, 111, 178, and 182.

I am also enclosing two reconstructions, which were NOT released to the public. I believe these were done by Canadian officials. They are 168 and 169, respectively.

Lastly, the Disarticulated skeleton. (GRAPHIC PHOTO WARNING) but it highlights the poor condition of the recovered remains.

 

[dotr]

I will offer one other bit of info from the case file. The ticket remains apparently found with the body. It has been published that there is insufficient material left which allow the material to be of any use. Here are some photos of what was left. Photos 76, 111, 178, and 182.

I am also enclosing two reconstructions, which were NOT released to the public. I believe these were done by Canadian officials. They are 168 and 169, respectively.

Lastly, the Disarticulated skeleton. (GRAPHIC PHOTO WARNING) but it highlights the poor condition of the recovered remains.

Thanks for all this great information whorton,!

 

[wary]

I will offer one other bit of info from the case file. The ticket remains apparently found with the body. It has been published that there is insufficient material left which allow the material to be of any use. Here are some photos of what was left. Photos 76, 111, 178, and 182.

I am also enclosing two reconstructions, which were NOT released to the public. I believe these were done by Canadian officials. They are 168 and 169, respectively.

Lastly, the Disarticulated skeleton. (GRAPHIC PHOTO WARNING) but it highlights the poor condition of the recovered remains.

Irritatingly enough, generic parts of the ticket are easily readable. That raises the question, is there any possibility that modern techniques could reveal anything on parts of the ticket that are charred but still exist? I’m thinking about recent attempts to read charred scrolls, without unrolling them—scrolls found at Herculaneum? I wonder if the ticket still even exists.

I guess the first question would be—where would any ticket information be? Parts of the ticket that no longer exit—that’s hopeless. Parts of the ticket that were unreadable in 1987? Maybe not quite as hopeless?

 

[whorton]

Irritatingly enough, generic parts of the ticket are easily readable. That raises the question, is there any possibility that modern techniques could reveal anything on parts of the ticket that are charred but still exist? I’m thinking about recent attempts to read charred scrolls, without unrolling them—scrolls found at Herculaneum? I wonder if the ticket still even exists.

I guess the first question would be—where would any ticket information be? Parts of the ticket that no longer exit—that’s hopeless. Parts of the ticket that were unreadable in 1987? Maybe not quite as hopeless?

Apparently that was considered, and some effort made to track the info down, but were unable to make any sort of a conclusion.

I just went through the contents of the Bellingham police file, and there is no mention of the burned and ostensible baggage claim check. It appears that no serious effort was really made to look into the matter, as the felt there was no unique identifying information on the claim check record. And in looking at the burned fragments, I tend to concur.

It would have been nice had the police at least made an effort to identify which airline the check was associated with, as it would have at least narrowed down the possibilities. But, at this point, it appears a lost issue.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Listed in NAMUS now.

 

[MadMcGoo]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Listed in NAMUS now.

NamUs UP77459 (for keyword searches )

 

[madamx]

I will offer one other bit of info from the case file. The ticket remains apparently found with the body. It has been published that there is insufficient material left which allow the material to be of any use. Here are some photos of what was left. Photos 76, 111, 178, and 182.

I am also enclosing two reconstructions, which were NOT released to the public. I believe these were done by Canadian officials. They are 168 and 169, respectively.

Lastly, the Disarticulated skeleton. (GRAPHIC PHOTO WARNING) but it highlights the poor condition of the recovered remains.

Wow Warton thanks for all this original info ... I just happened to come across this today. I never seen it before. I have to catch up !!! Thanks again wow wish we could get all this original info on all cases!!
Iam confused though it says he died of hypothermia but was burned?

 

[RememberingRyan]

In July 1987 Robert W Fox went missing from Buffalo, NY (re: "A Few Interesting Facts" PDF "A prank gone bad" claim) - he was 40 years old and listed as 5'8 and 135lbs at the time. There is almost no other information about him available, though. I am having trouble seeing where there may be an exclusions list so I can't tell if he's on it.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[whorton]

Yet another year goes by and we still have no name for this poor fellow.. That is the real tragedy here. . .

 

[MagicCityMan]

Wow Warton thanks for all this original info ... I just happened to come across this today. I never seen it before. I have to catch up !!! Thanks again wow wish we could get all this original info on all cases!!
Iam confused though it says he died of hypothermia but was burned?

Could be they meant hyperthermia.

 

[Valiant]

Wow Warton thanks for all this original info ... I just happened to come across this today. I never seen it before. I have to catch up !!! Thanks again wow wish we could get all this original info on all cases!!
Iam confused though it says he died of hypothermia but was burned?

It is possible he was dead (from hypothermia) while the chimney was not in use and only burned after he died.
It would make sense that someone would choose to explore a chimney not actively in use at the time. One of the posts above shows the hours the furnace operated per day.

 

[madamx]

Just a thought here. Could he have been a stoke away on a plane that died of hypothermia then fell out of the plane and actually fell into the chimney? I know .. what are the chances but still I guess could be possible?

 

[MagicCityMan]

Per Namus:
The air was 95 degrees, unless the boiler was running, when temperatures reached 370.

If stuck in an enclosed space at 95 degrees (boiler not running) death from hyperthermia would be possible. Akin to being locked in a hot car which unfortunately happens down here in Florida quite often.

 

[Blurgle]

It's obviously meant to be hyperthermia; there's no way anyone could tell if remains in that condition originally came from a hypothermic victim or not.

Edit: Working back from where the plant was, it seems very unlikely to me that this victim fell from an aircraft wheel well. Bellingham Airport itself doesn't have the kind of overseas flights that you would see stowaways on; the only international flights it has these days are to Canada, and back then you could make it from Canada to the US with little more than your feet - there were lots of places to walk across the border and not be stopped, and you could get a Greyhound ticket in Blaine for a few bucks. The nearest big airports are Vancouver and the Seattle airports, but Bellingham is too far away for an aircraft landing at either city to open the wheel bay doors. You don't do that until you're much closer to the airport; having the wheels down increases drag, and you don't want that until you're lower and slower.

Looking at the video posted above, this poor guy seems to have been found in a fairly wide boiler stack rather than a tall narrow chimney. It would be possible, I suppose, for someone intent on disposing of a body to fly over in a helicopter or private plane and give him the ol' heave ho.