u/blinkycosmocat

From DNASolves.com: "On October 2, 1982, two men who were fishing discovered the remains of an unidentified man floating face down in an unnamed lake north of Highway 301 near Interstate 4 in Tampa, Florida.

Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded and began an investigation. The man was unclothed and carried no identification. His official cause of death was determined to be drowning.

Prior analysis documented decomposition and multiple healed fractures with surgical hardware present. Despite investigative efforts, the man could not be identified. Details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP214, and the case remained open for decades.

As part of the investigation, the remains were exhumed through a collaboration involving the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, and the University of South Florida’s Institute of Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science for comprehensive analysis."

In 2024, investigators with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram, where their scientists developed a comprehensive genetic profile for the unidentified man. Their genetic genealogy team then used the profile to develop new investigative leads, which law enforcement used to locate the man's potential relatives. Subsequent testing led to the positive identification of the man as Robert William Hart.

Othram didn't include any other information about him and it's unclear if he was ever reported missing (or if his reconstruction was close to his actual appearance). Rest in peace Robert.

Links

Othram:

https://dnasolves.com/articles/tampa-florida-1982-robert-william-hart/

Archived NamUs: https://web.archive.org/web/20260107094239/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/214#%2F214

Doe Network: https://www.thedoenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=3149UMFL

Broward County Jane Doe was discovered on June 20, 1982, floating face-down in the Rinker rock pit pond. She was estimated to have died two weeks prior and could not be recognized due to decomposition. She was estimated to be age 13-20, with a height range of 5' 2" - 5' 6" and a weight range of 75-85 lb.

The update page: https://www.doenetwork.org/update.php

Her Doe Network page, which does not have an "identified" tag yet: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=637UFFL

Case

I could not find any articles about this case so NamUs is the source for this post. Aside from a Facebook post and an Unidentified Wiki listing, this case seems to have gotten little attention, either locally or elsewhere.

On April 13, 2023, the decomposing remains of an adult male were found on the side of a gravel quarry in Morristown, Indiana. He was wearing Nike shoes and a blue cigarette lighter was found nearby. While his face was no longer recognizable, he had some distinctive tattoos that were at least partially visible.

Details of NamUs UP102498

ME/C Case Number: 2023-15503

Biological Sex: Male

Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian, Hispanic / Latino

Estimated Age Group: Adult

Height: 5' 4"-5' 10"(64-70 inches) , Estimated

Weight: Cannot Estimate

Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered

Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction

Hair and Eye Colors are unknown.

Distinctive Physical Features - Tattoos:

Left Lower Leg: Virgin Mary Tattoo 'Carmen'

Right Forearm: 'PON' [There appears to be other letters below this.]

Left Bicep: Virgin Mary Skeleton Tattoo / Possible Santa Muerte

Left Forearm: names listed medial to distal on the anterior portion:

Angel

Edwin

Stephanie

RIght Forearm: Scorpion

Footwear: Nike Shoes, on the body

Accessories: Blue Lighter, near the body

Exclusion (Missing person who has been ruled out)

Tino Cardella

Links

NamUs (source of the tattoo pics, NSFW): https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/102498?nav

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Shelby\_County\_John\_Doe\_(April\_2023)

Case

On Easter Sunday, April 19, 1981, a jogger running through the Wentworth Woods Forest Preserve in Calumet City, Illinois, discovered the body of a teenaged or young woman. The location where her body was found was 50 feet from Cinder Road, near 159th St and Wentworth Av and within a mile of the IL/IN state line. Her cause of death was not disclosed on NamUs but was described as a homicide by strangulation, per an article found by a commenter. It is thought that she was killed elsewhere the previous day or evening and dumped in the forest preserve.

She is thought to be age 15-25, with a height of 5'5" and a weight of 130 lb. She had short, curly, black or dark brown hair and brown eyes. Per the NCMEC's page, she was four months pregnant. She had scars on her right knee, a scar on her left arm, and a scar on her lower back / upper buttock. She was wearing a white v-neck pullover sweater, a white t-shirt, blue jeans with a belt, a white bra, white bikini underwear, and one bootie sock on her left foot. One brown cloth right shoe was found near her body.

Details of NamUs UP17038

NCMEC Number: 1184580

ME/C Case Number: 454 Apr 81

Biological Sex: Female

Race / Ethnicity: Black / African American

Estimated Age Group: Late Teen/Young Adult

Estimated Age Range (Years): 15-25 on NamUs, 17-25 per the NCMEC.

Height: 5' 5"(65 inches), Measured

Weight: 130 lbs, Measured

Location: Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois

Circumstances of Recovery: The decedent was found by a jogger, located about 15 feet off of a jogging path in Wentworth Woods in Calumet City, Illinois, on April 19, 1981. It was Easter Sunday. Police believe she had been there only overnight.

Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered

Condition of Remains: Recognizable face

Estimated PMI: Less than one day.

Hair Color: Black

Head Hair Description: Short, dark brown curly hair

Eye Color: Brown

Piercing: Both earlobes are pierced.

Scars / marks: 7" scar on right knee, slightly curved;

A curved 2" scar on the upper portion of left arm;

A 2" vertical scar on her upper buttock / lower back.

Her pregnancy is not noted on NamUs, but the NCMEC indicates that she was four months pregnant.

Clothing: A white v-neck pull-over sweater, blouse, or white t-shirt, depending on the source.

blue jeans with a belt, a white bra, white bikini underwear, and 1 bootie sock on left foot.

Accessories: 2 white metal earrings

Footwear: 1 brown cloth right shoe, found near the body.

She has no exclusions.

Links

NamUs: https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/17038?nav

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=853ufil

NCMEC: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=853ufil

Chicago Tribune: https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-namus-up17038/206074874/

*Note: There are postmortem photos on her Project Doemain listing so I will provide an NSFW warning if anyone goes to that page.*

On May 11, 2023, a landscape nursery worker found the skeletal remains of a woman in a wooded area off South Military Trail in unincorporated Boynton Beach, Florida. She had been wearing a gray tank top with a "Gildan Heavy Cotton" tag and black pants with an elastic band (possibly sweatpants). It was determined that the remains had been in the location for an extended period of time.

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy but could not determine a cause of death. Staff and students from the Florida Gulf Coast University College of Arts and Sciences Human Identity and Trauma Analysis Program helped with the excavation and later analyzed the remains, PBSO said. That analysis pointed to a white woman roughly 5 feet to 5 feet 4 inches tall, with an estimated age range between her 40s and 70s. Her details were added to NamUs as case 110520.

In 2024, Bode Technology developed a partial DNA profile, which was added to CODIS. In August 2024, the PBSO Forensic Imaging Unit produced a facial reconstruction showing what the woman may have looked like while she was alive and released it to the public.

After no leads were generated from those efforts, the sheriff's office partnered with Othram to begin genetic genealogy work on her case. In April 2026, Othram developed leads that the PBSO used to develop a possible identity, while Bode Technology linked the candidate to her deceased sister. This and additional genealogical work led to the identification of the woman as Regina Hess, born on August 22, 1948.

The PBSO located her next of kin, a first cousin, who said that Regina had been estranged from her family for many years. Other family members indicated that they last spoke to her 10-12 years prior and had not seen her in over 50 years. They did not have a photograph of her (the picture above is a reconstruction).

The authorities are trying to locate anyone who may have knowledge of her whereabouts in the years preceding the discovery of her remains. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Nancy Milliner of the PBSO Cold Case Unit at 561-688-4003 or MillinerN@pbso.org, or Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 1-800-458-8477. Crime Stoppers tips can be made anonymously.

RIP Regina.

Links

Boca Post: https://bocapost.com/boynton-beach-news/pbso-regina-hess-identified-remains-military-trail-boynton-beach/

DNASolves.com: https://dnasolves.com/articles/palm-beach-county-florida-regina-hess-2023-homicide/

Archived NamUs: https://web.archive.org/web/20260711190935/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/110520#%2F110520

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Regina\_Hess

[supprimé]

From DNASolves.com: "On November 25, 1983, the remains of an unidentified man were recovered from a waterway in the 2400 block of 10th Avenue North in unincorporated Lake Worth, Florida. Officers responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. The man was found in an advanced state of decomposition, and investigators were unable to identify him at the time. His death was later ruled an accidental drowning.

Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and became known as Palm Beach County John Doe (1983). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP812."

In April 2025, investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office submitted evidence to Othram's laboratory, where scientists built a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. PBSO's forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile to develop new investigative leads.

A follow-up investigation was conducted that led investigators to potential relatives of the man. Detectives traveled to California, where they interviewed a likely child of the unidentified man and collected a reference DNA sample, which was compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man.

This investigation led to the positive identification of the man as Archie Patterson Jr., born on August 15, 1940. Following the identification, next of kin were notified and the investigation was closed.

RIP Archie.

Links

DNASolves.com: https://dnasolves.com/articles/lake-worth-florida-1983-archie-patterson-jr/

Archived NamUs: https://web.archive.org/web/20260303021659/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/812#%2F812

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=89umfl

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Palm\_Beach\_County\_John\_Doe\_(November\_23,\_1983)

Case

On the afternoon of November 14, 1969, a crew of Cleveland (Ohio) Water Department workers were cleaning a sewer in the area of E. 9th Street and Erieside Av when they observed a woman's body wedged in the pilings.

An examination determined that the deceased woman was Caucasian, with short black hair and brown eyes, 5'5" height and a weight of 201 lb. She was thought to be between 35-45 years old and had been in the water for only a few days.

Details of NamUs UP16689

ME/C Case Number: 134409

Biological Sex: Female

Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Estimated Age Range (Years): 35-45

Estimated PMI: Days

Height: 5' 5"(65 inches), Measured

Weight: 201 lbs, Measured

Hair Color: Black

Head Hair Description: Post mortem photo indicates apparent shoulder-length or shorter hair.

Eye Color: Brown

Scar/mark: 1/4" circular hyperpigmented (darker than surrounding skin) area of scarring in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen.

Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered

Condition of Remains: Recognizable face

Clothing: Aqua dress, white full length girdle

Footwear: Black or brown loafers

Jewelry: Gold wristwatch on left wrist;

Ring on left hand ring finger;

Necklace on neck

Links

NamUs (NSFW for postmortem photo): https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/16689?nav

Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 16, 1969: https://www.newspapers.com/image/1063429666/

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Cuyahoga\_County\_Jane\_Doe\_(1969)

Exclusions (missing persons who have been ruled out)

Ida Anderson

Leila Bryan

Rosemary Calandriello

Thora Chamberlain

Cynthia Constantine

Dora Forstein

Iva Foss

Beth Franks

Mary Hammonds

Pam Hobley

Bessie Linder

Beverly Mastny

Marion Morton

Karen O'Donoghue

Joan Risch

Elsie Roane

Betty Roberts

Doris Scandalis

Lora Skaggs

Patty Spencer

Debbie Spickler

Cora Stokes

Patricia Sturbaum

Floradean Walker

Grace Zoeller

Note: There's a different NSFW postmortem image on [Project Doemain] (https://www.projectdoemain.com/cases/UP16689) that shows unusually long earlobes - I wonder if she wore clip-on earrings frequently. Clip-on earrings from that era tended to include glass beads and other heavier materials.

Case

970 people were murdered in Chicago in 1974, a number not seen before or since. More recent articles about the murders of that year don't mention this case, but for a few months in late 1974 and early 1975, this case received attention in an attempt to identify the young man.

On the evening of August 23, 1974, in the 1100 block of West Wilson Street in the Uptown neighborhood on Chicago's North Side, three teenagers went into the lobby of the Wilson Men's Hotel, a single-room occupancy hotel, to buy sodas. While they were there, a 35-year-old resident, identified as Richard Wilson, threatened the teenagers with a knife and chased them into the street. A young man seemingly came out of nowhere to intervene and de-escalate the situation, but instead of backing off, Wilson started chasing the young man. An unlucky misstep caused the young man to trip and fall, and Wilson stabbed the young man in the chest. The police soon arrived, but the young man was already dead.

The police questioned Wilson and the three youths, but none of them knew who the man was. The police then asked around the neighborhood, also to no avail. Meanwhile, investigators at the morgue submitted his fingerprints to the FBI but did not get a match. That led the police to conclude that he had neither committed a serious crime nor served in the military.

Investigators also documented his injuries and noted that he had tattoos, most notably a "Born to Raise Hell" tattoo underneath a cigar-chomping skull wearing a top hat on his right forearm. He also had the initials "KSH" tattooed on his chest, a pair of dice on his right shoulder whose numbers added up to 7, and a heart shape on his left ankle.

Two months later, on October 23, Richard Wilson was charged with the murder of the unidentified man but was granted bail, which he could not afford to pay. The granting of bail to people accused of murder had been a growing problem in Illinois, and a Chicago newspaper, The Tribune, started reporting on the case a few days later. The reports included a basic description of the unidentified man, but neglected to mention his tattoos. No sketch was produced. (I did not find any reports of the murder in August or September of 1974.)

By late November, the young man was still unidentified, and The Tribune reported that he would be interred in a pauper's grave at the cemetery that Cook County was using at that time. At this point, a businessman stepped up and paid for a grave and vault at Oak Woods Cemetery, near the Hyde Park neighborhood, while an unnamed funeral home provided a coffin and additional services.

On December 30, 1974, he was buried at Oak Woods Cemetery in an interfaith service that included a rabbi, a Catholic priest, and a Protestant minister. Attending were a Tribune columnist, a photographer, a cemetery employee, and a few mourners, including his benefactor. Reports of the funeral were published on the Associated Press wire service and many versions included details of the young man's tattoos that none of the Tribune's articles mentioned. A couple of potential leads resulted from the flurry of articles but did not result in his identification.

Description of Chicago John Doe (8/23/1974)

Biological Sex: Male

Race / Ethnicity: White

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 146 lb.

Hair Color: Brown or reddish-brown hair

Eye Color: Hazel

Tattoos:

"Born to Raise Hell" and a skull wearing a top hat with a cigar in its teeth on right forearm.

Heart-shaped design above left ankle.

Pair of dice with the numbers 2 and 5 on right shoulder.

"KSH" on chest.

Clothing: Multicolored shirt, green pants, black zip-up boots.

Postmortem Interval: Minutes

Condition of Remains: Recognizable face

Cause of death: Stabbing

Links

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Chicago\_John\_Doe\_(1974)

Findagrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63659600/white\_male-unknown#

Chicago Tribune articles:

Trial Set: https://www.newspapers.com/image/383803423/

Morgue article that mentions him: https://www.newspapers.com/image/383834367/

Funeral plans: https://www.newspapers.com/image/383831404/

Funeral: https://www.newspapers.com/image/383839040/

Article about bail: https://www.newspapers.com/image/383932806/

Daily Pantagraph (Bloomington-Normal, IL) article about the funeral: https://www.newspapers.com/image/72575587/

Richmond, IN Palladium-Item:

https://www.newspapers.com/image/253074621/

While the man mentioned did not turn out to be a match, the article does have additional info about John Doe, including that he did not serve in the military and that his hair was reddish-brown.

A couple of months ago, I had mentioned this case on r/UnresolvedMysteries, which led to a discussion about his tattoos:

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/s/uuhPIu7pSf

He does not have a NamUs or a Doe Network entry, but Cook County only has a few NamUs entries prior to 1980.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about this case, including whether Wilson was ever convicted of the unidentified man's murder, the exact location of his grave, why the Tribune didn't mention his tattoos when newspapers elsewhere did, and the possible identity of KSH. As a result, I have started a subreddit, r/ChicagoJohnDoe1974, with a longer version of this writeup; I will add updates as I find them.

Case

On January 19, 2021, a logger found the skeletal remains of a woman, along with some clothing and personal effects, in a wooded area near Edwin Williams Road in Metcalfe County, Kentucky. The logger then called the Kentucky State Police. Several units responded and located the skeletal remains on the property.

The remains were taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville for identification. They determined that the remains belonged to a white female, age range 44-86, with a height range of 5'1" - 5'7". The DNA Doe Project has taken on her case.

Details of NamUs UP80867

ME/C Case Number: KY ME21-130

Biological Sex: Female

Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Estimated Age Range (Years): 44-86

Height: 5' 1"-5' 7"(61-67 inches), Estimated

Weight: Cannot Estimate

Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton

Hair and Eye Colors are unknown.

Clothing (pictured on NamUs): A female sweatshirt Hollister brand with the inscription on the left front: “H CO SURF CO” with a seagull logo; on the left outer arm: “Hollister”;

A small pair of decorative leggings with metal buttons and rhinestone studs on the pockets, embroidered and weaved back pockets with a symbol of a butterfly, and on the waistband “Almost Famous”;

A short sleeved T-shirt.

Personal Effects: A pair of women's sunglasses;

A pink and red NFL blanket with "Journey Team Advocate" (a reconstruction is pictured above);

A pill bottle containing multiple coins including American and Canadian pennies and Maruhan Pachinko Tower Shibuya tokens (the token is pictured above);

A piece of wire frame glasses with blue ear piece;

Two watches;

A yellow metal heart shaped pendant with a central red stone;

A Bible;

A white plastic bag with "Close to Home" [A comment on [this Websleuths thread](https://websleuths.com/threads/ky-center-metcalfe-co-whtfem-44-86-up80867-bones-on-farm-clothing-jewelry-other-items-19-january-2021.576593/) mentioned that there was a disability and support services organization by that name in Lexington.];

And dark colored zippered fly pants.

A comment on [a Websleuths thread](https://websleuths.com/threads/ky-center-metcalfe-co-whtfem-44-86-up80867-bones-on-farm-clothing-jewelry-other-items-19-january-2021.576593/) found reviews of the blanket on Walmart's website up to December 2015, though the blanket could have been donated at a later time.

Hopefully she gets her name back soon.

Links

NamUs: https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/80867?nav

Unidentified Wiki:

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Metcalfe\_County\_Jane\_Doe

DNA Doe Project:

https://dnadoeproject.org/case/metcalfe-county-jane-doe-2021/

Websleuths:

https://websleuths.com/threads/ky-center-metcalfe-co-whtfem-44-86-up80867-bones-on-farm-clothing-jewelry-other-items-19-january-2021.576593/

WKBO: https://www.wbko.com/2021/01/22/kentucky-state-police-investigate-human-remains-found-in-metcalfe-county/

From DNASolves.com: "On October 28, 2013, skeletal remains belonging to an unidentified man were discovered in a wooded area of Daytona Beach, Florida. A woman and her husband found a human skull and bones approximately 15 feet into the woods from the grass shoulder of the roadway near Mason Avenue and Clyde Morris Boulevard. The Daytona Beach Police Department responded and began collecting evidence and investigating.

Investigators determined that the remains were near-complete and belonged to a white male estimated to be between 40 and 60 years old. A pants waistband with a Wrangler patch and a blue hospital-type shoe with two Velcro straps were recovered with the remains. No signs of trauma indicating foul play were found, and the cause of death could not be determined.

Despite investigative efforts, the man could not be identified and became known as Volusia County John Doe. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP12822."

The Daytona Beach Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory, where scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided evidence and built a DNA profile for the man. Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement, who used the leads to identify potential relatives of the man. DNA samples were collected from relatives of the man and compared to the profile of the decedent, leading to his positive identification as Mark Addison Hasbrouck, who was born on October 11, 1947.

RIP Mark.

Links

Othram / DNASolves.com: https://dnasolves.com/articles/daytona-beach-john-doe-2013-mark-addison-hasbrouck/

Archived NamUs: https://web.archive.org/web/20260217130122/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/12822#%2F12822

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=2807umfl

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Mark\_Hasbrouck

From DNASolves.com: "On May 15, 1988, the decomposed remains of an unidentified man were found floating in a canal off Grass Lake on the Lykes Citrus Management property in Minneola, Florida. The Districts 5 and 24 Medical Examiners Office responded along with the Lake County Sheriff's Office and began collecting evidence and investigating. Investigators determined the man was a white male estimated to be between 50 and 70 years old and approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall. Because of the condition of the remains, the man could not be identified.

Despite investigative efforts, the man could not be identified and became known as Lake County John Doe (1988). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP6295."

Working with the Districts 5 and 24 Medical Examiners Office, the Lake County Sheriff's Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory, where scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided evidence and built a DNA profile for the man. Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile to develo,p new investigative leads that law enforcement used in their follow-up investigation. They located potential relatives of the man, which led to his positive identification as Roy Arthur Torvik, who was born on November 22, 1929.

RIP Roy.

Note: I could not find any reconstructions or photos for Roy unfortunately.

Links

DNASolves.com: https://dnasolves.com/articles/lake-county-florida-1988-john-doe-roy-arthur-torvik/

Archived NamUs: https://web.archive.org/web/20260604184548/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6295#%2F6295

Lake County Sheriff's Office: https://www.lcso.org/coldcase/cases/case24/

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Roy\_Torvik

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=3786UMFL

From DNASolves.com: "On December 7, 1991, the remains of an unidentified woman were discovered in Sorrento, Florida. A hiker found the woman beneath a pile of tree branches along a hiking trail about 75 yards north of Ethel Drive in a wooded area near Sorrento. The Lake County Sheriff's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating.

Investigators estimated the woman was between 25 and 40 years old, approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighed about 124 pounds. She had brown hair with blonde tips and hazel eyes. Investigators determined that she had been strangled and sexually assaulted prior to her death. While the woman could not be identified, Joseph A. Rolle, Jr. was charged with her rape and murder. A jury convicted Joseph A. Rolle, Jr. for the woman's rape, but not her murder. Rolle, Jr. denied knowing the woman's identity.

Despite extensive investigative efforts, including fingerprint analysis and follow-up on numerous leads, the woman could not be identified. The case remained unresolved for more than three decades. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP6031."

In 2024, investigators with the Lake County Sheriff's Office submitted evidence to Othram's laboratory, where scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided evidence, and then built a comprehensive DNA profile for the woman. Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement, who followed up on the leads and located potential relatives of the woman. This investigation led to the positive identification of the woman, who is now known to be Leslie Shaw, born in 1958. Shaw had gone missing from the central Florida area in approximately 1991.

RIP Leslie.

Links

DNASolves.com: https://dnasolves.com/articles/lake-county-sorrento-florida-leslie-shaw-1991/

Archived NamUs (NSFW for postmortem photo): https://web.archive.org/web/20260710142200/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6031#%2F6031

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=412uffl

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Leslie\_Shaw

This case was reopened recently. The authorities were only able to locate the Coroner's Verdict and the evidence as their documentation. I located a couple of articles in the Casper, Wyoming Star-Tribune from the period that had some additional details.

On July 10, 1973, someone reported seeing a body floating in the Greybull River about 50 feet north of the Highway 30 bridge, eight miles west of Basin, Wyoming. The authorities responded and recovered the body of a male with an approximate age range of 18-26 years. He appeared to have been in the water for several days.

He was wearing a possible polo shirt and blue and white striped cutoff pants. He did not have a wallet or identification and no vehicle was found. Several items were found along the riverbank, which described below. It has not been verified that they belonged to the man though. While a citizen had reported seeing several young men swimming in the area several days before the body was found, it is unclear if any of the swimmers were located or if the deceased young man had been among them.

No autopsy or inquest was done, apparently due to the degree of decomposition. He was buried in the Basin Cemetery. While the Coroner's office FB post considered the death to be suspicious, an article from 1973 indicated that the sheriff in Basin did not suspect foul play because officials found where the man had walked into a hole by the bridge, walked out, and then walked in again.

Details for Big Horn County John Doe (1973)

Biological Sex: Male

Race / Ethnicity: Unknown

Estimated Age Range: 18 - 26 years

Height: 5' 6" - 5' 7" (5' 8" in the 7/17/1973 article)

Weight: 150 - 160 lb, estimated

Hair Color: Brown, described as dark brown in the July 17, 1973 article.

Eye Color: Brown

Facial Hair: Mustache with reddish hair ("sandy" hair in the 7/17/1973 article)

Condition of Remains: Decomposing

Clothing: Blue and white striped cutoff pants, possible polo shirt

Jewelry, either worn on the right ring finger (7/17/1973 article) or possibly found on the riverbank: A 14k gold ring depicting the head of a bird (described as "an eagle about to land" in the 1973 article), a diamond, and the initials "MK." The ring appears to be custom but did not appear to have a mark inside. (One interesting comment in the FB post suggested that the creature was a snake, and that combined with the pseudo-Asian font could reference the Chinese Zodiac snake.)

Moccasin-type shoes, found on riverbank: black, with rubber soles. Google's AI search determined that the patent number was for the Quoddy Moccasin, made by the Spiegel-Stanley Co. of Portland, Maine. The design patent was for a sole design that was in use between the 1940s - 1970s. The town name mentioned on the shoe sole appears to be Sabattus (formerly named Webster), Maine, which had a plant that manufactured rubber shoe soles.

Additional items, found on the riverbank: Prescription Ray-Ban sunglasses, a pack of Marlboro cigarettes with 17 cigarettes remaining.

Links

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Big\_Horn\_County\_John\_Doe\_(1973)

Cowboy State Daily: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/08/11/big-horn-county-reopens-case-of-man-found-floating-in-greybull-river-in-1973/

Big Horn County Coroner's Office, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story\_fbid=122176768970815579&id=61574467388000

Casper Star-Tribune, July 17, 1973: https://www.newspapers.com/image/446221359/?search-id=b8fa1e3b-c521-4cc3-9f81-b945a4cfa232&search-rank=2

Casper Star-Tribune, July 18, 1973: https://www.newspapers.com/image/446223101/?search-id=b8fa1e3b-c521-4cc3-9f81-b945a4cfa232&search-rank=1

In the process of being added to NamUs; I will add the link when it's available.

On May 5, 2025, a cross-country runner spotted what appeared to be human remains in a draw of a ravine in the foothills north of Salmon, Idaho. He reported the discovery to the County Sheriff's Office on 5/9/2025 and the authorities responded to the location on 5/24.

The site had partial skeletal remains, some of which appeared to have been unearthed recently while others appeared more weathered. Per a Facebook post from an area cold case group, the bones are thought to belong to an adult.

Per NamUs, there was a shovel head lying next to the recovery site. The handle appeared to have rotted away, as the securing bolts were still in place. The shovel head had Baldwins Monongah Brand printed on it. The size of the shovel was listed as a #2. The shovel was researched and it was found that the company was in business from 1910 to 1931.

Some of the bones were sent to the Idaho State Police Lab in Meridian for analysis and to determine if the bones matched to any area missing persons.

The remnants of a shovel nearby would seem to exclude a pioneer type burial because a shovel would not have been left behind.

Details of NamUs UP154135

ME/C Case Number: 25-0189LCSO

Biological Sex and Race / Ethnicity are unknown.

Height, Weight, Hair Color, and Eye Color are also unknown.

Location: Salmon, Idaho 83467

County: Lemhi County

GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped): N 45.29630 W113.85989

Inventory of Remains: Head not recovered, Torso not recovered, One or more limbs not recovered, One or both hands not recovered

Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only

Links

NamUs: https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/154135?nav

The Recorder-Herald, 7/3/2025, the source of the clipping and the only article I found:

https://salmon.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=recorder&t=27844&i=t&by=2025&bdd=2020&d=07032025-07032025&m=after&ord=k1&fn=the\_recorder\_herald\_usa\_idaho\_salmon\_20250703\_english\_1&df=1&dt=10

The article references a press release from the sheriff's office but it's not available on their FB page.

ETA a Google Earth satellite image of the site: https://imgur.com/a/z0LZUaI

On the morning of September 26, 2004, a woman was found in the banks of the Rio Grande near the end of Calton Road in Laredo, Texas. She had no identification and was thought to be a migrant crossing the river based on evidence found at the scene. The woman had suffered multiple stab wounds, leading to a determination of homicide as her cause of death. While it's not clear in the reconstruction, she had distinctive dental work.

Note: Her NamUs listing is missing key details, like an age estimate and PMI. My thought is that she was a younger woman, based on the reconstruction and clothing and her PMI was recent, probably days at most, if the authorities could determine her eye color.

Details of NamUs #UP3220

ME/C Case Number: 04-31669

Biological Sex: Female

Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian [per NamUs], but possibly Hispanic

Height: 5' 6" (66 inches), Measured

Weight: 120 lbs, Measured

Hair Color: Black

Head Hair Description: Black

Eye Color: Brown

Clothing: Was wearing a black, transparent blouse with beige slacks.

Dental Work: Two gold upper teeth with the "Mercedes Benz" logo.

Jewelry: Two gold earrings and a necklace with a Virgin of Guadalupe medallion.

She has no exclusions.

Links

NamUs: https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/3220

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Webb\_County\_Jane\_Doe\_(2004)

Texas Department of Public Safety: https://www.dps.texas.gov/apps/coldCase/Home/Details/305

KGNS: https://www.kgns.tv/2022/03/09/laredo-police-reignite-18-year-old-cold-case/

Laredo Morning Times (archived): https://archive.ph/1fYKB

On October 31, 1990, two fishermen found a skeleton and combat-type boots in a wooded area near Nibbs Creek, outside of Chula in Amelia County, Virginia. Investigators later found a few other personal effects at the scene. The remains were determined to belong to a white male, estimated age range 30-45 years old, estimated height range 5'11" - 6'5".

Details of NamUs #UP6548

ME/C Case Number: C1990-16210

Biological Sex: Male

Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Estimated Age Range (Years): 30-45 (Doe Network); 42-59 (NamUs)

Estimated Year of Death: 1988-1990 (Doe Network); 1989-1990 (NamUs)

Estimated PMI: 1-2 Years

Height: 5' 11"-6' 5" (71-77 inches), Estimated (NamUs); 6' 3" (Doe Network)

Weight: Cannot Estimate

Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered

Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton

Hair and Eye Colors are unknown.

Distinguishing Marks/Features: Healed trauma on right shoulder bony spur of scapula. Large unilateral frontal sinus.

Clothing: Frayed red material (possibly a sock);

rope; Green material with elastic waistband and pocket

Eyewear: Aviator type sunglasses

Footwear: Right and left black military-type boots; plain toe Army boots, size 10 1/2 W, manufactured by Rosearch (Rosearch Manufacturers, Wellco Enterprises, Georgia Ave and Pine St, PO Box 188, Waynesville, NC 28786)

Other: Purple cigarette lighter

Pennies (latest date is 1987)

Two bolts

Lead weight

Blue comb

Dentals: Available.

Fingerprints: Unknown

DNA: Available.

Investigating Agency:

Agency Name: Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

Agency Contact Person: Lara Frame

Agency Phone Number: 202-782-2213

Exclusions (missing persons who have been ruled out):

Jerry Plaster

David Person

Rodney Olsen

Paul Sekel

David Bacon

Ronald Westwick

Randy Spring

Steven Thomas

Links

NamUs: https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6548

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=1369umva

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Amelia\_County\_John\_Doe\_(1990)

Richmond Times-Dispatch, 11/1/1990:

https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-remains-found/203337089/