NC NC - Mebane - Wht/HispMale Child 437UMNC, 10-11, Aside Hwy I-85, Sep'98 [Archive]

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 01:10 PM

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/437umnc.html
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpg
Reconstruction of Victim by NCMEC

Unidentified White Male

* The victim was discovered on September 25, 1998 near Mebane, Alamance County, North Carolina
* Skeletal Remains
* Died sometime during 1998.

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 10 - 11 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 4'11" (150 cm); 50 lbs (23 kg)
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair; unknown eye color.
* Dentals: He had sealant on the surfaces of some of his teeth.
* Clothing: He was wearing "Fox Polo Club" brand khaki shorts, size 3 "2XS Sports" brand black and white athletic shoes, and white tube socks.

Case History
The child's body was found along Industrial Drive near Mebane, NC on September 25, 1998.
He may have been part of a migrant worker group that populates the area every harvest

Please note: The NCMEC did the reconstruction. The Doe Network has the information as he was 10-11 years old when he died in 1998. The NCMEC has him listed in the "age now" field as 10-11 years old! Further in, under "circumstances" they list him as 10-11 yrs old when he was found, in 1998.
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=400069&orgPrefix=NCMU&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

That would make him 17-18 years old, in 2005, in the "age now" if he's listed as a missing child.

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 01:32 PM

I have found no "aha!" matches. I searched for children reported missing from January 1, 1998 to January 1, 2000. I will list the closest matches... but ALL have problems.

http://www.nampn.doenetwork.us/cases/images/lugo_luis.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpg
Luis in 1998 on left, John Doe on right

For an age progressed pic of Luis go to:
http://www.nampn.doenetwork.us/cases/lugo_luis.html (http://www.nampn.doenetwork.us/cases/lugo_luis.html)

Luis Lopez Lugo

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

# Missing Since: June 20, 1998 from Guayanilla, Puerto Rico
# Classification: Endangered Missing
# Date Of Birth: September 3, 1988
# Age: 9
# Height: 4'5"
# Weight: 90 lbs.
# Hair Color: Black
# Eye Color: Brown/Black
# Race: White/Hispanic
# Gender: Male
# Distinguishing Characteristics: Scar over left eyebrow.
# Clothing: Blue shorts and a white shirt.
# Case Number: NCMC855408

Details of Disappearance
Luis was last seen on June 20, 1998 in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. He may be living in New York State.

***********************

1. The photo of Luis looks like the reconstruction of John Doe
2. Luis is White/Hispanic, John Doe is listed as white - discrepancy
3. Luis is listed as having Black hair (and it does look black in the photo), John Doe is listed as having Brown hair - discrepancy
4. Luis had almost reached his 10th birthday when he disappeared in 1998. John Doe is estimated to be 10-11 - match
5. Luis is listed as 4'5" and 90lbs, John Doe is listed as 4'11 and 50lbs - could this difference be a result of growing/change in activities?
6. Luis was thought to possibly be in New York State. Is it possible that he travelled with migrant workers, and was with them in NC?

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 01:56 PM

Actually I elimated another possibility I had because he'd be too old now.

So that's it. I checked U.S., Canada, and Mexico through NCMEC and either the missing dates don't match up, or the age is way off.

So who is this boy??????? Could John Doe indeed be Luis????

anthrobones

01-15-2006, 01:58 PM

I had no idea he was listed on doe network already.

anthrobones

01-15-2006, 02:30 PM

2xs sports shoes are sold at Walmart. Not sure where else.

Fox Polo Club I have no clue on.

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 03:39 PM

Could this be the same boy?

http://doenetwork.us/cases/96umfl.html (http://doenetwork.us/cases/96umfl.html)

http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://doenetwork.us/cases/images/96UMFL.jpg
John Doe on left, boy in photo on right (note bottom of face is reconstructed)

# Unidentified White Male A photograph of this boy was found on June 15, 1989 in Port St. Joe, Florida.

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 12 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 4'0"
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair; blue eyes.

Case History
On June 15, 1989, a Polaroid photo of this boy, bound and gagged in the back of a van, was found in a Port St. Joe, FL convenience store parking lot by a customer. The lower part of the face of the child is reconstructed. The tape was on his face from below the nose to the point of the jaw.
The photo also showed an unidentified girl, also bound. The photo was found where a white Toyota cargo van with no windows had previously been parked.
Investigators are still trying to ascertain the boy's identity, which would allow them to close the case or investigate further.
There have been speculations that the girl in the photo is Tara Calico who disappeared from New Mexico in 1988.

1. The both look a lot alike, if the age is based around when the photo was found then they are the same age.
2. Since the photo was taken sometime before 1989, its possible that it was taken in 1988, when John Doe was thought to have been killed
3. Both John Doe and the boy in the photo had brown hair.
4. John Doe is estimated to be 4'11", boy in photo is estimated to be 4"0"-discrepancy
5. There is no eye color listed for John Doe, but boy in photo had blue eyes.
6. Tara Calico disappeared on September 20, 1988. John Doe's remains were found on September 25, 1998 and they were skeletal, so he would have had to have died sometime before. Boy in the photo - its unknown if he was even a victim as all they found was the photo.

THIS WAS A DATING ERROR-IT CAN NOT POSSIBLY BE THE BOY IN THE PHOTO, PLEASE DISREGARD THIS POST.

Mr. E

01-15-2006, 03:48 PM

I know that the general concensus is that Michael Anthony Hughes is dead, but I have always thought that he resembled the unidentified Mebane boy.

Michael: http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/1061dmok.html

Unidentified: http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/437umnc.html

I'm not one to discount anything. It would be a stretch, but what if Floyd gave the child away, and he was later murdered? Their ages match up, and I think they resemble one another.

anthrobones

01-15-2006, 04:01 PM

John Doe died in 1998, not 1988.

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 04:06 PM

http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/MAHughes1.jpghttp://doenetwork.us/cases/images/96UMFL.jpg

Good eye Mr. E!

Yes they all look alike... and have brown hair... and would be about the same age. John Doe is unknown eye color, Michael has brown eyes, and boy in photo has blue eyes... so at least one of them doesn't match John Doe... but which one.... or both?

Note: Please disregard boy in the photo on right - dating error, can not possibly be him!

Mr. E

01-15-2006, 05:36 PM

Floyd had ties to NC, I think. I recall that Sharon's high school friend got a strange call from Sharon asking her (while at the same time NOT asking her) to come to NC. I might have my states mixed up.

I always wanted to believe that Michael didn't die by Floyd's hand, although I know he has said to some that he murdered the boy, and cadaver dogs did sniff out a scent in the pickup truck shortly after Michael was taken from school. Still, Floyd had a large network of "friends." Maybe he passed the boy on and something happened to him later.

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 05:37 PM

Anthrobones thank you! I got mixed up on the dates when I was looked at the boy in the photo details http://www.websleuths.com/forums/images/smilies/crazy1.gif.... so, since his photo was found in 1989 he can not possibly be John Doe or Michael Anthony Hughes.

PLEASE DISREGARD THE INFORMATION/COMPARISONS TO THE BOY IN THE PHOTO.

All other comparisons though still stand.

John Doe/Micheal Anthony Hughes
John Doe/ Luis Lopez Lugo

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 06:10 PM

I followed up on Mr. E's theory and went through the NCMEC records for all boys:

1. Who would be 9-12 years old in 1998
2. Who had been abducted/diappeared between Jan 1, 1994-Jan 1, 1997 (which covers an earlier period that I hadn't previously searched)
3. Who had brown hair & brown eyes.
4. Please note, most of these boys would have to fall between their actual photos and their age progression photos.

****************************************
http://www.charleyproject.org/images/p/phillips_jack.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://www.charleyproject.org/images/p/phillips_jack_ap.jpg
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/phillips_jack.html

Left: Phillips, circa 1995; Age 9
Center: John Doe
Right: Age-progression at age 17 (circa 2003)

Jack Daniel Phillips
Date Of Birth: June 22, 1986 (age in 1998=12)-disappeared when he was 9
brown hair, brown eyes

http://doenetwork.us/cases/images/BFHerda.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://doenetwork.us/cases/images/BFHerda1.jpg
http://doenetwork.us/cases/1168dmwa.html

Left: Herda, circa 1995;Age 7
Center: John Doe
Right: Age-progression to age 17 (circa 2005)

Bryce Florian Herda
Date Of Birth: July 24, 1988, Age in 1998=10, Disappeared at age 6
Brown hair, brown eyes

http://www.missingkids.com/photographs/NCMC809314c1t.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpg
Romero on the left; Age 5
John Doe on the right
Note: no age progression photo

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=809314&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

RENE ALBERTO ROMERO
DOB: Nov 29, 1989 (Age in 1998=9) disappeared when he was 5
Brown Hair, Brown Eyes

http://doenetwork.us/cases/images/RPerez.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://doenetwork.us/cases/images/RPerez1.jpg
http://doenetwork.us/cases/968dmca.html (http://doenetwork.us/cases/968dmca.html)
Left: Perez, circa 1994; 6
Center: John Doe
Right: Age-progression to age 17 (circa 2005)

Rene Perez Jr.
* Date Of Birth: February 16, 1988 (Age in 1998=10) Disappeared (foul play possible) when he was 6
Brown hair, brown eyes

http://doenetwork.us/cases/images/MLorusso.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpg
http://doenetwork.us/cases/1496dmny.html (http://doenetwork.us/cases/1496dmny.html)

Lorusso on left;age 8
John Doe on right
There is no age progression for Lorusso

Michael Lorusso
Date Of Birth: April 13, 1988, (in 1998 he was 10), family abduction age=8
Brown Hair, Brown Eyes

http://doenetwork.us/cases/images/JoshuaGarcia.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://doenetwork.us/cases/images/JoshuaGarcia1.jpg
http://doenetwork.us/cases/1375dmor.html (http://doenetwork.us/cases/1375dmor.html)

Left: Garcia, circa 1995; Age 8
Center: John Doe
Right: Age-Progression to age 15

Joshua Garcia

Date Of Birth: September 14, 1987, Age in 1998=12, Family Abduction Age 8 **Has Twin, Brown Hair, Brown Eyes

http://doenetwork.us/cases/images/CalebGarcia.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://doenetwork.us/cases/images/CalebGarcia1.jpg
http://doenetwork.us/cases/1374dmor.html

Left: Garcia, circa 1995;Age 8
Center: John Doe
Right: Age-Progression to age 15

Caleb Garcia

Date Of Birth: September 14, 1987, Age in 1998=12, Family Abduction Age 8 **Has Twin, Brown Hair, Brown Eyes

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 06:26 PM

I did the same as above, and went through the NCMEC records for all boys:

1. Who would be 9-12 years old in 1998
2. Who had been abducted/disappeared between Jan 1, 1994-Jan 1, 1997 (which covers an earlier period that I hadn't previously searched)
3. Who had brown hair & blue eyes. **I also included blonde hair
4. Please note, most of these boys would have to fall between their actual photos and their age progression photos.

http://doenetwork.us/cases/images/WDShoemaker2.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://doenetwork.us/cases/images/VDShoemaker1.jpg
http://doenetwork.us/cases/833dmwv.html

Shoemaker on right: Age 5
John Doe: Center
Shoemaker on right, age progressed to age 16

Victor Dewight Shoemaker
Date Of Birth: March 30, 1989 (Age in 1998=9)-disappeared when he was 5
Blond hair, blue eyes

http://doenetwork.us/cases/images/SJMcBride.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpghttp://doenetwork.us/cases/images/SJMcBride1.jpg
http://doenetwork.us/cases/1394dmin.html
Left: McBride, circa 1995; Age 6
Center: John Doe
Right: Age-Progression to age 16 (circa 2005)

Steven Joseph McBride

Date Of Birth: January 21, 1989, (Age in 1998-9), Family Abduction-Age 6
Blond hair, blue eyes

http://doenetwork.us/cases/images/RLanders.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/437UMSC.jpg
http://doenetwork.us/cases/1151dmin.html (http://doenetwork.us/cases/1151dmin.html)

Landers on left; Age 5
John Doe on right

Richard Landers
Date Of Birth: October 26, 1988, (age in 1998=10), family abduction when he was 5
Brown Hair, Blue Eyes

PonderingThings

01-15-2006, 06:35 PM

Ok I'm done posting, for now. My brain and eyes need a break as I'm starting to feel really http://www.websleuths.com/forums/images/smilies/crazy1.gif after all of that counting and checking.

Also I could just http://www.websleuths.com/forums/images/smilies/bang.gif for creating the confusion about the boy in the photo! Oh well... I'm just a http://www.websleuths.com/forums/images/smilies/loser.gifI guess... gotta be one sometime! http://www.websleuths.com/forums/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

anthrobones

06-08-2006, 12:43 PM

bumping up post

SewingDeb

08-07-2006, 07:27 PM

bumping up post

Bumping again. I lived near Mebane when this John Doe was found and have often wondered if anyone had ever identified him. Since he did not match any missing children from NC, I thought at the time that someone brought his body there from out of state. So sad to think that a family may be looking and not aware of an unidentified body found in NC.

anthrobones

07-09-2007, 02:33 PM

Bumping up again

anthrobones

07-16-2007, 08:51 PM

Bumping Up. Doe Network added a new reconstruction.

http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/517541.html

Published: Dec 04, 2006 12:30 AM
Modified: Dec 04, 2006 01:50 AM

Dead child found; caregivers missing

Thomasi McDonald, Staff Writer
HILLSBOROUGH - Orange County Sheriff's investigators have a different kind of missing person case.
For more than eight years, they have been trying without success to find the parents and loved ones of a deceased boy. On Sept. 25, 1998, someone cutting grass and underbrush around a billboard near Interstate 85 in Hillsborough discovered the boy's skeletal remains at the edge of a wooded area. Authorities think the child was murdered.
"Someone just dumped his body on the side of the road," Orange County Sheriff's deputy Tim Horne said. "They didn't bury the body or even try to cover it up with anything."
Deputies think the boy was white or Hispanic and between 8 and 12 years old, Horne said.
The brush cutter had last worked in the area in April and had seen nothing unusual. So, investigators think the remains had been in that patch of woods for three to four months. They found a pair of khaki shorts, underwear and white tube socks still inside a pair of black, size three athletic shoes. Medical examiners measured the bones and estimated the child's height at 4 feet 11.
The sheriff's office contacted the news media, talked with Hispanic residents and distributed fliers about the boy, but they couldn't identify him. No missing person report that fit the description was filed locally, and no school authorities reported a student who had suddenly vanished.
Worse still, no one came forward to claim the remains.
In 2001, authorities decided to move the case into the national spotlight by contacting "America's Most Wanted."
"It was supposed to air in 2001," Horne said, "but then the terrorist attacks happened, and it got bumped."
The sheriff's office did receive assistance from the FBI and the Smithsonian Institution, where a series of facial sketches were created based on the child's skeletal structure and DNA.
Sheriff's investigators tried to trace the manufacturer of the child's pants and shoes. They found that the inexpensive 2SX sport shoe is sold at a number of retail outlets. They also learned that the khaki shorts worn by the child appeared to be an Izod knock-off commonly found at the Buckhorn Flea Market, which is near where the child's remains were found.
After examining the clothing, Horne came up with a theory: "This child was with someone who was here illegally. Something happened to this child, and they were scared to contact somebody, so they left the remains."
A team of sheriff's deputies worked on the case. But Horne, who did the forensics work, has been with it since day one. He keeps a box of evidence related to the case under his desk.
Horne wants justice done, if possible, and to help parents who may be out there with no clue about what happened to their son.
"Everyone is alarmed when something happens to a child," Horne said. "There's a universal concern to give the parents closure."
Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office at (919) 644-3050.
Staff writer Thomasi McDonald can be reached at 829-4533 or tmcdonal@newsobserver.com. (tmcdonal@newsobserver.com)

Mr. E

07-17-2007, 09:06 AM

Odd that he had $50 in his pockets. I don't remember that detail from before.

Meyahna

08-28-2007, 08:02 PM

I've wondered about this case, doing some lil research I found out that North Carolina had a "seal the state" campaign the year this boy was found for kids from poor families. I read there were about 3000 kids who beneficiated from this campaign, I dk if LE have tried checking the wellness of all the kids who participated to the campaign, maybe 3000 is a lot though but by then they could have asked schools their listings of students it would probably have removed a bunch of them as most probably hadn't moved out of the state. Now it'd be a little to late for that I think. I haven't read that other states organized this campaign. He could very well be from NC. I just don't get the motive of his death. Maybe a violent parent.

Meyahna

08-28-2007, 08:29 PM

Though well not it might not be too late yet for that they can always ask the listings of kids who participated to the campaign and the listings of September 1998 students and see who was no longer there. My thought is that generally kid does are from poor families and generally poor families can't afford plastic sealant and that was what didn't make sense to me before but if he participated to the campaign then it makes sense.

anthrobones

06-02-2008, 07:59 AM

Updated information:
Reward Offered to Identify Remains Found in 1998

Posted: Feb. 5, 2008
Hillsborough, N.C. — Orange County authorities on Tuesday announced a reward for information that would help them identify the remains of a boy found near Mebane almost a decade ago.
The Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation (http://www.carolesundfoundation.com/) put up a $5,000 reward to help generate leads in the case, Orange County Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass said.
The skeletal remains were found on Sept. 25, 1998, near the Buckhorn Road exit off Interstate 40/85 by a worker mowing under a highway billboard. The billboard was on Industrial Drive, which parallels the southbound lanes of the interstate.
An autopsy determined the remains belonged to a white or Hispanic boy who appeared to be about 10 years old. He was about 4 feet, 11 inches tall and had dark brown hair about 3 to 4 inches long. White boys briefs, Polo-brand khaki shorts with a rider-and-horse emblem embroidered on cuff of a leg, white athletic socks and a pair of size 3 black-and-white athletic shoes with the brand “2XS” or “ZXS” were found on the remains.

More here: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2396542/

anthrobones

06-02-2008, 08:10 AM

An article from 1998:

Young Boy's Body Found in Orange County

http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/1998/09/27/131331/607792-220x165.jpg

Posted: Sep 27, 1998
MEBANE — Orange County Sheriff's deputies are trying to identify the badly decomposed body of a young boy found Monday. Officials say the Caucasian or hispanic boy was between 10 and 12 years old.
Investigators say there was no sign of blood or trauma, but they suspect foul play.
Deputies say their biggest problem is they have no reports of any missing children in that age group anywhere in the area.

More here: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/131331/

anthrobones

06-02-2008, 08:12 AM

Anyone with more fashion sense than me, please clarify--Polo is made by Ralph Lauren which is not exactly cheap?

forthelost

06-02-2008, 10:19 AM

Bryce Herda was checked and ruled out. Steven McBride was found a while back. I don't know who else they checked though.

OceanEyes

06-02-2008, 01:54 PM

http://missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=823722&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

Maybe if he was held for a while and grew a little?

anthrobones

06-10-2008, 11:35 PM

Phillips looks similar to the reconstruction to me

anthrobones

09-20-2008, 04:33 PM

Bumping him up

Seifsister

02-07-2010, 09:27 AM

Frank Bender did a new reconstruction on this child. It was reveled last night in Raliegh, North Carolina. It looks good.

teonspaleprincess

02-07-2010, 10:57 AM

Here is the link to the new construction:

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6978528/

traveler

02-07-2010, 03:07 PM

traveler

02-07-2010, 03:11 PM

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6978528/

An autopsy determined the remains belonged to a white or Hispanic boy who appeared to be about 10 years old. He was about 4 feet, 11 inches tall and had dark brown hair about 3 to 4 inches long. White boys briefs, Polo-brand khaki shorts with a rider-and-horse emblem embroidered on cuff of a leg, white athletic socks and a pair of size 3 black-and-white athletic shoes with the brand “2XS” or “ZXS” were found on the remains.

badhorsie

02-07-2010, 04:01 PM

How utterly sad-someone must wonder where he has gone......?

jessunlil

02-07-2010, 05:03 PM

His Doe Network page:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/437umnc.html

Seifsister

02-07-2010, 07:59 PM

Frank Bender did a great job. The world will be losing a great person when he is gone. I have admired him for a long time. The group that has been working on this case here in NC are wounderful people. Knowing them makes you a blessed person for all the work that they do.

CarlK90245

02-07-2010, 09:08 PM

Here is my shot at it.

Joshua Johnson or his brother Jeremiah Johnson
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/j/johnson_jeremiah.html
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/j/johnson_joshua.html

http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q697/Carlkopp90245/Missing%20Persons%20Photos/2261035460045078242S200x200Q851.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q697/Carlkopp90245/Missing%20Persons%20Photos/2461470760045078242S600x600Q85.jpg
http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q697/Carlkopp90245/Facial%20Reconstructions%20002/2615407120045078242S500x500Q851.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q697/Carlkopp90245/Facial%20Reconstructions%20002/2471505290045078242S200x200Q851.jpg

The resemblance is not real strong for Jeremiah and there is a moderate resemblance for Joshua, but:
Jeremiah has a severe overbite. The photo of Joshua is not clear as to whether he has an overbite, but his high-lower-lipped closed-mouth smile is typical of someone who is self-conscious about his teeth.
Joshua was 10 and Jeremiah was three months short of his ninth birthday (i.e., close to the 10 - 12 year age estimate
They disappeared 1 1/2 years before the discovery of the remains
The circumstances of disappearance are not inconsistent with the great distance between California and North Carolina. The possibility that their father could have taken them across the country after abducting them is possible. Since he is unable to account for their whereabouts, there is a good possibility that he murdered them.

jessunlil

02-07-2010, 10:22 PM

I definitely see a resemblence between the reconstruction and Jeremiah.

Was the father arrested in CA?

carbuff

02-07-2010, 10:37 PM

There's certainly a resemblance -- worth a shot, I'd say.

GannyP

02-08-2010, 12:32 AM

CarlK, I think it could be a good call. The first link Traveler listed above stated the UID child did have an overbite. Go for it.

SewingDeb

02-08-2010, 09:50 AM

I hope someone comes forward and this boy is finally identified. He actually had $50 in his pocket...a gift from a grandparent maybe? Someone misses him.

Another article with a picture of Bender's reconstruction:

http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/02/06/article/dying_sculptor_hopes_to_learn_child_s_name

SewingDeb

02-08-2010, 10:01 AM

There is another thread for this case...maybe they can be merged.

teonspaleprincess

02-08-2010, 10:01 AM

Praying that he is identified before Mr.Bender passes away.

carbuff

02-08-2010, 10:29 AM

http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/02/06/article/dying_sculptor_hopes_to_learn_child_s_name

10-12 year old boy found Sept. 25 1998 along Interstate I85/40 near Mebane, NC (Buckhorn Road Exit).

John Doe Case #98-21372.

It was the scattered remains of a skeleton, a 10-year-old child, with tube socks and new boy’s sneakers still on the child’s feet. Folded neatly in the pocket of a pair of khaki shorts was $50 — two $20s, one $10.

New clothes plus money in the pocket seems to indicate to me that there was a recent transfer of custody -- from grandparent to parent, maybe, sending him off in good clothes with a gift in his pocket, or perhaps the boy was going off to boarding school and a grandparent/aunt gave him spending money etc.

Mr. E

02-08-2010, 11:22 AM

I didn't realize that the boy had a severe overbite. I don't remember reading that before, or I overlooked it.

I really like Bender's work. The bust and the drawing look very different, though. But I like the sad, lost look of Bender's rendition.

CarlK90245

02-08-2010, 04:39 PM

I just submitted the Johnson Brothers (Jeremiah and Joshua) as possible matches.

Soulmagent

03-01-2010, 01:38 AM

This kid looks like micheal hughes. Even his hair cut but his stats are off but he really does look like him.http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US&caseNum=795152

CarlK90245

05-17-2010, 03:58 PM

I checked with Tim Horne to find out if the Johnson brothers (Jeremiah or Joshua) had been ruled out on this case. He says that he forwarded everything on that case to Gerald Nance of the NCMEC, and that it usually takes about six months to hear anything back from them.

forthelost

05-20-2010, 10:35 PM

I only know one ruleout on this case - Bryce Herda.

I doubt it's either of the Johnson brothers because neither are listed on the LADA site anymore.

Danaya

12-06-2010, 12:15 AM

Carl, what happened with this submission, any updates?

CarlK90245

12-06-2010, 12:35 AM

Carl, what happened with this submission, any updates?

Tim Horne of the OCSD forwarded this case (and all possible matches) to Jerry Nance of the NCMEC. But FWIW, he said that he didn't think that the Johnson brothers were matches to this case. I never contacted the NCMEC to follow-up on this case.

BTW, what's with all these old threads you're bumping up? :)

Danaya

12-06-2010, 12:47 AM

It's good to get them brought to the top I think to get interest and new sets of eyes. I have been wasting time tonight browsing through doenetwork and when I see a case that interests me, I type the case number in the box here at WS and start looking for matches. If I find any, I post them. But sometimes, I just want to bump it because it is touching to me. Some posters bump things for the missing, I like bumping for the still unidentified.

CCD

03-08-2011, 10:11 PM

Here's the NamUs page

https://identifyus.org/cases/5971

It has a few rule outs:

Adam, Trevor and Mitchell O'Brien
Scott Echols
Jimmy Morris
and Victor Shoemaker

momof7

03-09-2011, 08:24 AM

Just curious, as I can not find anything but has Tristan Meyers from Roseboro been ruled out as well?

Clothing is definitely different than what Tristan was last seen wearing. ***NM..I had thought he was in the same time frame but he did not go missing until 2000***

Kelly

TripleA

03-09-2011, 09:44 AM

I think that based on the shoe size and height that this boy could have been younger than 10 yo. My nephew fit those stats at about 8 yo. For those who are searching possibilities, would it help to open it up to a child a bit younger?

Soulmagent

03-09-2011, 12:01 PM

carbuff

03-09-2011, 01:57 PM

They're probably using dental information and bone growth as well as, or more than, size.

CCD

03-09-2011, 02:37 PM

They're probably using dental information and bone growth as well as, or more than, size.

Is is possible that if they opened up the age range a bit, that there could be a boy who is very small (or large)? I know that bones fuse and teeth form at certain ages, but is that just used for a guideline? Would it be possible for a large eight year old to have bones similar to that of a 10-12 year old? Just wondering.

carbuff

03-09-2011, 02:48 PM

Is is possible that if they opened up the age range a bit, that there could be a boy who is very small (or large)? I know that bones fuse and teeth form at certain ages, but is that just used for a guideline? Would it be possible for a large eight year old to have bones similar to that of a 10-12 year old? Just wondering.

I think it would be possible, depending on the nature of the early growth, but I'm not really sure. The teeth are more reliable indicators; wish they had the full dental chart because it looks like there was something odd about his back molars. I don't really know the details of how it works. It's just something I've picked up reading lots of UID cases :p

I know one of my brother's friends was 6 feet tall and starting to have beard growth at 12, so I imagine a year or two either way on this unidentified boy's age range is possible.

TripleA

03-09-2011, 05:25 PM

My son is almost 14 and just erupting his 12yr molars, and my 8yo is just erupting her 6yr molars. There is a huge varience in dental age IMO. I an not an expert in any way though.

carbuff

03-09-2011, 10:33 PM

My son is almost 14 and just erupting his 12yr molars, and my 8yo is just erupting her 6yr molars. There is a huge varience in dental age IMO. I an not an expert in any way though.

Yeah, exactly -- so if somebody is within a year or two of the range, it's probably worth considering.

The NAMUS description says "pre-adolescent," which I would interpret as 9-12 or thereabouts. Older than elementary school but not yet starting to mature.

CCD

03-09-2011, 11:26 PM

Has anyone been researching this and knows of anyone that would be included if the age range was widened? I'm going to start looking I think.

I'm getting kind of attached to this case in the couple of days that I've been seriously looking into it. I was 10 in 1998 and it just feels too close.

KaylynnCouture

03-14-2011, 12:47 AM

Young Boys Death Stays Mystery For Over a Decade

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9264081/

Soulmagent

03-14-2011, 01:06 AM

CarlK90245

03-14-2011, 03:49 AM

I always got the feeling he came from a upper middle class family.

Can they run his DNA though familial DNA programs? It seems it might be a good place to start. Everyone has that one felon in their family right? :waitasec:

I just learned recently from David VanNorman (San Bernadino County, CA Coroner investigator) that you need more than one sample of familial nucDNA to get a nucDNA hit in CODIS, and the system won't even do the comparison if only a single Family Reference Sample is entered.

BTW, this does not apply to a mtDNA comparison to a maternal relative. As I understand it, a single sample from a maternal relative is sufficient for a mtDNA comparison.

However, I suspect that it is more complicated than that because as I recall, the Grim Sleeper suspect was captured based on a CODIS hit on a DNA sample submitted by his son.

Soulmagent

03-14-2011, 07:26 AM

The east coast rapist was just caught using this method as well. His uncle came back thought the system.

carbuff

03-14-2011, 08:51 AM

It's possible to run a familial DNA search on just one sample, but it usually takes quite a long time (I think in the Grim Sleeper case, it was three or four months to run it against all the possible databases, if I recall correctly) and costs quite a bit. And in some states there are privacy laws that prevent it. It can be done, but it's not something that most departments would undertake without likelihood of a result. It's not a "run it and let's see if anything comes back" situation.

I've always thought this boy was the son of illegal immigrants, possibly migrant workers heading south and/or back to their home country for the winter, who dressed him in new clothes and left the money for the burial. Or a case where the father killed the boy and the fearful mother secretly left him. Very sad to think about, no matter what happened.

Soulmagent

03-14-2011, 09:11 AM

carbuff

03-14-2011, 09:38 AM

The sealants on his teeth have me wondering. Sealants were not paid for by insurance where I live in 1997 and they were 115.00 a piece. I dont know anything about the practice of apply them of the cost in any other country ,much less state.

I will look up more about those later on today.

That might be a productive direction to start looking. I know there are/have been several programs on the east coast that provide dental care (often including sealants, since they reduce costs down the road) for children who can't afford dental care. I've read about traveling clinics that visit migrant camps as well as permanent ones associated with the major dental schools.

Deeds

08-29-2011, 03:52 PM

He would have been around 10 yrs old in 1998

Travis Jay Zwieg

Travis Jay Zwieg
Missing since March 10, 1991 from Pinyon Pines, Riverside, California.
Classification: Endangered Missing / Lost

Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: January 6, 1988
Age at Time of Disappearance: 3 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 3'0"; 35 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair; brown eyes.
Clothing: Red sweatshirt, blue jeans, gray socks, white Gerber brand tennis shoes with a blue stripe, Mickey Mouse jockey shorts
Dentals: Not available
DNA: Available

Circumstances of Disappearance
Zwieg was last seen in the hills above Palm Desert in California on March 10, 1991. He disappeared on a Sunday morning in the Santa Rosa Mountains community of Pinyon Pines.
His father had brought him to a concrete-block cabin to spend the weekend. Zwieg was playing with four dogs outside the cabin when he needed to go to the bathroom. His father took him into some bushes about 10:30 a.m., left him there, and went back to work on some saws. When Zwieg hadn't returned 10 minutes later, his father went looking for him. He couldn't find him.

More than 70 rescue workers searched for almost a week after Travis disappeared. Others searched from helicopters with infrared equipment to detect body heat. The last day, 100 inmates from county jails were brought in to search the hillsides before a fierce winter storm hit. The searchers found nothing. Temperatures dropped below freezing at night that week. The storm brought snow, hail and rain. After four nights, officials said he could not have survived. An aerial search two months later using infrared equipment again turned up nothing.

Law enforcement authorities explored the possibility of a kidnapping. They followed several tips that people had been seen with a boy matching Travis' description. None of the tips panned out. Zwieg's parents took lie detector tests and were cleared of any involvement in his disappearance.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/270dmca.html

belfastgirl73

08-29-2011, 07:53 PM

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3382dmpr.html

I know the stats. don't match up exactly with Louis listed as having black hair and being slightly smaller in size but what do you guys think as a possible?

Case File 3382DMPR

Right: Age-progressed to 18 years (circa 2006)

Luis Lopez Lugo
Missing since June 20, 1998 from Guayanilla, Puerto Rico
Classification: Endangered Missing

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vital Statistics
•Date Of Birth: September 3, 1988
•Age at Time of Disappearance: 9 years old
•Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 4'5" (135 cm); 90 lbs (41 kg)
•Distinguishing Characteristics: White/Hispanic male. Black hair; black eyes.
•Marks, Scars: He has a scar over his left eyebrow.
•Clothing: Blue shorts and a white shirt.
•AKA: Luis Guillermo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Circumstances of Disappearance
Luis was last seen on June 20, 1998 in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico.