WA - Unidentified Male: "Lyle Stevik", Grays Harbor, 17 Sept 2001 - #2

I still think he had a backpack and gave it a toss into the lake after he weighted it down, once he had reconciled himself with his planned death

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I wonder if the cops did a search of any lakes in that area for a backpack

Bluecat said:

http://209.206.175.157/nugguam.htm

Docwho3, I thought I would take another look at the Quinalt tribe - your guy is definitely not Lyle - his name is Guy Capoeman, and he is very much alive and well. Thought you would like to know the positive ruling out.

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Thanks very much for taking the time to look but I only posted the pics to show the basic similarities to the unidentified man so people might possibly decide if he was of that heritage or not. I never thought he was actually one of the people I found images of. Still, I thank you for the effort. It was nice of you.

coldcaseman said:

I'm sure most of you are aware, but the center for missing adults has the photos I took of Lyle. They are much better to work with than the sketch on the Doe network. Doenetwork doesn't show actual photos of dead people (and I really worked to make Lyle look alive), One thing I didn't do was comb his hair. When I first saw him, his hair was combed straight back.

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If it will help for this forum I can upload a copy of those pics you put on doe network up on my photobucket album and post a link here on the forum. I did not do it earlier because I had not asked. I also have a pic in black and white from an old pdf file but its quality is worse.

Outofthedark, I doubt it. It wasn't a high priority case, just a suicide. Only Lauren really cared about identifying this man, and that was simply to eventually locate him near his real family I think. After all that is the right place to be, with your people or family so they have a spot where they can come to honor and remember all the great things about you.

I think Lyle made the wrong choice in what he did. I think he tussled with it, had to reaffirm the why's of it, walked outside in the fresh air thinking and fought his good self, and finally succomed to his bad self in the darkness of that room. It wasn't a fair fight!

For someone who took such good care of his body, it is beyond me that he could so defile it and let life ebb away like that. I wish I understood the whys, but it isn't really important anyway. He did it. We just want to know which little speck of life he was here on earth. He did matter.


Scandi

Too bad Lyle couldn't leave behind a reason for killing himself- then we could understand why he did all of this- but knowing how baffling this case is, we'll never know for a long time

Only about 15% of people who commit suicide leave a note, which is so sad. The loved ones left behind are left with so many questions. I believe Lyle did notify his family, he just didn't leave a note for us. I have investigated several other suicides where people have come here from out of state, and had gotten rid of their identification, jewelry, etc. so they wouldn't "burden" their family with having to deal with the remains. I have always been successful in identifying them, until Lyle came along. The only lake close to the motel is Lake Quinault, which is very deep. We didn't search it, because we had no indication that a backpack was in there. Even if we did, it would be a needle in a haystack. I know of at least two people who drowned in the lake, and the bodies were never recovered. It is deep and very dark.

I didn't know the percentage was 15%!!

That's the national average, but I know from personal experience it seems less than that. When there is no note explaining why someone took their own life, the ones left behind begin second guessing, thinking they should have seen clues. People who are depressed will suddenly be more upbeat, then a week later they will kill themselves. When you are depressed, you feel that you have no control. When you come to the realization that you can control one thing (ending your life) you no longer have any worries. Things don't bother you as they once did, because you know that soon, there will be no more pain. To those around you, there is a sense of relief that you have been able to work through your depression, when in fact you should be seeking professional help.

Yes, Lake Quinault seems to be the supreme example of one formed by a big glacier, just like the Great Lakes. And if no one noticed a pack I can see where it would be a dead issue with nothing to go on. Just makes you wonder why he didn't bring a change of clothes. He was there 2.5 days plus you add in any travel time getting there and it is strange Lyle didn't care to wear clean clothes. It might say he didn't come from that far to Lake Quinault.

Knowing you are so familiar with suicides Coldcaseman, do you feel that he falls into the norm as to how he acted and his mental state? It seems like he was very low key with the maid and at the desk when he checked in. I don't see a period of being upbeat for him. What do you think about his pacing up and down the Hwy and also am curious to see what you think about him buying the Sunday paper !

Scandi

Arriving by bus, delaying leaving and seen pacing back and forth along the road. Sounds like he was rendevousing with someone that didn't show.

Knowing you are so familiar with suicides Coldcaseman, do you feel that he falls into the norm as to how he acted and his mental state? It seems like he was very low key with the maid and at the desk when he checked in. I don't see a period of being upbeat for him. What do you think about his pacing up and down the Hwy and also am curious to see what you think about him buying the Sunday paper !

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I guess he was pacing up and down the highway to I guess think over his plan- and him not being upbeat the whole time I guess means he was pretty serious about his plans. I'm guessing that when he got there, his plans weren't exactly in order

and foreign countries have been checked to see if he matched any missing persons? did he have an accent? he lookes russian, or eastern european.. maybe turkish or greek to me (might just be his ancestry, if he's an american). it's intersesting that his name also sounds eastern european, i wonder if it's not his real name, what the significance is (of the name matching his ethnic appearance). maybe it was the name of a relative?
has he also been checked against any criminals that are wanted in other countries, or young boys or babies that went missing years ago (ditto)? maybe he was involved in prostitution, the drug trade, or some other kind of criminal activity. i get the feeling he was on the run for some reason, or maybe there were people looking for him who wanted to kill him, and he was tired of running/hiding, thought there was no escape. or perhaps he knew he'd go to jail if caught, and death was a better alternative.

reb said:

and foreign countries have been checked to see if he matched any missing persons? did he have an accent? he lookes russian, or eastern european.. maybe turkish or greek to me (might just be his ancestry, if he's an american). it's intersesting that his name also sounds eastern european, i wonder if it's not his real name, what the significance is (of the name matching his ethnic appearance). maybe it was the name of a relative?
has he also been checked against any criminals that are wanted in other countries, or young boys or babies that went missing years ago (ditto)? maybe he was involved in prostitution, the drug trade, or some other kind of criminal activity. i get the feeling he was on the run for some reason, or maybe there were people looking for him who wanted to kill him, and he was tired of running/hiding, thought there was no escape. or perhaps he knew he'd go to jail if caught, and death was a better alternative.

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The shape of his face made me think he was European:

Notice anything similar between him and this guy facial-feature wise?:

http://doenetwork.us/cases/233umwa.html (Lyle)
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/205umdeu.html
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/images/205UMDEU.jpg

I still think from the time Lyle gave up on living he started planning his death. Gradually he notched his belt a little as his first part of the plan was working and he lost weight. He chose a destination that was out of the way where he wouldn't be noticed, planned the bus trip and how to not leave anything behind to tell who he was and then how he would appear when they came in and found him - his back to the door so it might appear he was praying or so they wouldn't see his face. Lots of little things like that.

6 mos to a year I think from A to Z.

One thing I wonder. Did he read Steven's article on the web? He did several things Steve recommended, like using a metal ring {belt buckle} and a washcloth to buffer his neck.

I wonder how many people Steven has helped commit suicide by having his article on the web?


Scandi

Hi outofthedark,

I think the second guy has wider cheekbones and a more narrow chin. That is skeletal difference that weight wouldn't change. Good try though!

If I ever get time I'd like to see what the indians from Vancouver BC look like.



/Scandi

scandi said:

I still think from the time Lyle gave up on living he started planning his death. Gradually he notched his belt a little as his first part of the plan was working and he lost weight. He chose a destination that was out of the way where he wouldn't be noticed, planned the bus trip and how to not leave anything behind to tell who he was and then how he would appear when they came in and found him - his back to the door so it might appear he was praying or so they wouldn't see his face. Lots of little things like that.

6 mos to a year I think from A to Z.

One thing I wonder. Did he read Steven's article on the web? He did several things Steve recommended, like using a metal ring {belt buckle} and a washcloth to buffer his neck.

I wonder how many people Steven has helped commit suicide by having his article on the web?


Scandi

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From the way he did things, he sure wasn't a slouch- he must have been pretty good at being sneaky and must have been quite smart

Lyle doesn't fit the norm of the suicides I have investigated. The majority of them killed themselves at home, in their car, somewhere they feel comfortable. Very few have put this much forethought into it, which leads me to believe he is well educated. He didn't kill himself right away, he spent his last few days probably analyzing his situation. He probably read the paper to keep up on national events, such as the attacks, to confirm his decision to end his life. He may have just wanted something to read. If a person really wanted to disappear, they could walk miles into the woods (Grays Harbor is 1,900 square miles of woods). Lyle wanted his body to be found, to be taken care of, to be buried. I believe he just didn't want to burden his family. I handled a case years ago where the body of an older man was found on a hilltop outside a small town. The person had shot himself in the head. There was no identification, no jewelry, nothing. We put a description in the local paper. A woman called to tell us a male friend she grew up with had moved to Arizona years ago. The caller was friends with the mans wife, and the wife had informed the friend her husband had disappeared a month before. He left his truck, clothing, everything. We confirmed the dead man was the missing person from Arizona. Somewhere along the way, he disposed of his wallet, watch, and wedding ring, bought a bus ticket to Grays Harbor (to where he grew up years before) and killed himself. He was suffering some medical problems, and didn't want to burden his wife, so he chose to disappear. We know that Lyle isn't from Grays Harbor, but he may have lived here at one time, may have visited, or just went as far West as he could go.

coldcaseman said:

. . .Very few have put this much forethought into it, which leads me to believe he is well educated. . .

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I agree. So, to me, that says in order to identify him we need to get his pic seen by people at a lot of colleges and people who have been to college in about 1999 through 2001. Maybe some college prof or assistant will remember him. Maybe we can get his case on one of the national TV shows and get some national TV exposure of his face that way. I think the contacts for various TV sources are listed on one of the sticky forum threads here on websleuths.

Good idea, but most shows would prefer to deal with unidentified bodies rather than with people who chose to commit suicide. I think this is such an usual case, that everyone I've talked to about it usually offer theories as to who Lyle is.

coldcaseman said:

Good idea, but most shows would prefer to deal with unidentified bodies rather than with people who chose to commit suicide. I think this is such an usual case, that everyone I've talked to about it usually offer theories as to who Lyle is.

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Maybe if we talk up the mystery side of it we can interest them in showing the case. All we can do is try and if we get turned down we just have to find another way. Also I think the viewing public has more apetite for unsolved cases,and CSI shows of all types now as compared to the years past. I have been watching one such show from time to time called 48 hours where they show the first 48 hours of an investigation when a body is found. I guess I am just saying that I think our chances are better this year of 2006 & into 2007 than they would have been in 2001 or even in 2004 . . . . .how much better remains to be seen.