WA WA - Grayland, UncMale 15-25, UP12862, washed ashore, extensive dental work, Apr'97

[outofthedark]

The Doe Network:
Case File 359UMWA
Unidentified White Male

• Discovered on April 30, 1997 in Grayland, Gray's Harbor County, Washington.
• He had been in the water for at least three months
• Unknown cause of death
• State of Remains: Decomposed

Vital Statistics

• Estimated age: Late teens to early 20s
• Approximate Height and Weight: 5'10" - 6'0"; 170 lbs.
• Dentals: Extensive dental work, including four stainless steel crowns and a missing front tooth.
• Fingerprints: Not available

Case History
The victim was found washed onto the beach 1.5 miles south of Bonge Avenue in Grayland on April 30, 1997.

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
Gray's Harbor County Coroner Ed Fleming
360-532-2322
You may remain anonymous when submitting information.
NCIC Number:
N/A
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case. Source Information:
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

http://doenetwork.org/cases/359umwa.html

Since Homocide isn't indicated yet, my theory is that he could be a drowning victim or he possibly commited suicide (jumping off a cliff or some other way)

 

[Bluecat]

That's a long time in the water. I suppose he could have fallen off of a fishing boat, or maybe washed down out of Olympic? How far would a body travel in the ocean in 3 months?

 

[outofthedark]

If his body did travel for 3 months he could have been from an area far or near Grays Harbor (i.e. Canada, anywhere in the USA)

I'll have to try and PM Youmans about this guy

 

[Donjeta]

Do the dentals ring any bells?

He hasn't made it to Namus.

 

[webrocket]

here is a missing guy from CA, Jasen Demello. no info on dentals but the cheekbones look similar (to me at least) to the UID.

Jasen was 24 y.o., 6'0" and 185 lbs when last seen March 1, 1996:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2225dmca.html

 

[ghostINshell]

Bump it's been 19 years...

 

[Janeway]

Daniel Trojanek maybe? Right age, height and weight, went missing from a coastal town in Oregon. He could have drowned and the current could have taken him north.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4336dmor.html

What speaks against him is that he went missing a year before the Doe was found, I doubt there'd be anything left of a body in the water after that time.

 

[iulia]

NamUs page for this UID

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Melt71]

UP12862 has 0 exclusions in Namus.

 

[HopeRains]

I don't see it listed anywhere in thread (it is on Namus casefile link) - race is unknown. Actually, I now see in the original post and subj title the Doe is listed as White. The namus case file indicates Male, Uncertain.

 

[Melt71]

I don't see it listed anywhere in thread (it is on Namus casefile link) - race is unknown. Actually, I now see in the original post and subj title the Doe is listed as White. The namus case file indicates Male, Uncertain.

Seems to have come from the original Doe Network file - that file # no longer appears on their website.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current list of NamUs exclusions for this John Doe? I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Caring1]

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current list of NamUs exclusions for this John Doe? I would greatly appreciate it.

0 Missing Person Exclusions

 

[imstilla.grandma]

*I found this article interesting and didn’t know where to post it. I’ll start with this thread because of the dental work in the title:

Forensic odontology is a tool the Washington State Patrol (WSP) uses to identify missing persons.

Forensic dentists, or odontologists, make identifications by matching the arrangement or condition of human remains to known dental records when they are available, or by using technology to compare the post-mortem dentition to records available in a database of missing or unidentified persons.

Washington was the first state to implement digitization of dental records.

MUPU is a resource for law enforcement that utilizes digital data on missing and unidentified persons, available in one place, where it can be easily and quickly compared in order to make identifications. It assists with identifying victims of accidents, homicide, landslides, car crashes, fires and more.

The records are uploaded to NCIC, or the National Crime Information Center. The coding then generates a cross-match report to the person’s postmortem dental scans.
"They can make an identification to a missing, unidentified person within minutes and it's no cost to law enforcement in the state of Washington," Gordon said.

However, DNA can cost up to $5,000 to process and get uploaded to the system. It’s also time-consuming, with results coming back anywhere from six months to a year.

That's why experts like Gordon want to see it used more frequently and effectively.
There are over 2,100 missing people in the state of Washington. Just over one-third have dental records in NCIC, whereas approximately 80% of the population has seen a dentist at some point.

“Any type of dental work you’ve had done, it shows up on an X-ray in a metallic form. Everybody’s restorations are different and unique,” Gordon said.

Here's how WSP uses forensic dental records testing to solve missing persons cases

While DNA testing can cost thousands of dollars and take months to get back, dental record testing is free for law enforcement and takes just minutes.

www.king5.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

A couple of thoughts--

We need to know if there is a DNA profile for this man. Had he been compared to missing men in NamUs who have DNA available?

How closely did LE on his case work with LE in Canada? Have they touched base with each other in recent years? Because he could eventually be reported missing at any time.

Does his dental work give a clue whether he's Canadian, American, or a tourist from another country?

NamUs lists his estimated age as 19 - 29 years old.

 

[POPPPPPPYPPYPYP]

It’s important to establish whether a DNA profile exists for this man. Has he been compared against missing men in NamUs who already have DNA available? That could help narrow down possible matches significantly.

Additionally, how closely did law enforcement in his case collaborate with their counterparts in Canada? Have they maintained communication in recent years? If he was never formally reported missing, that could change at any time, and an open line of communication might prove crucial.

His dental work might also offer important clues. Does it indicate whether he was more likely to be Canadian, American, or possibly a tourist from another country? That could help direct the search efforts.

NamUs currently lists his estimated age as 19-29 years old, so that should be taken into account when considering potential matches.