Identified! NC - Glenville, WhtMale 969UMNC, 15-18, Thorpe Reservoir dam, Feb'84 - James Reymer

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The Doe Network:
Case File 969UMNC
http://doenetwork.org/cases/969umnc.html
NamUs Case 2197 https://identifyus.org/cases/2197

969UMNC.jpg

Reconstruction of Victim

Unidentified White Male

* The victim was discovered on February 12, 1984 near Glenville, Jackson County, North Carolina
* Estimated Date of Death: at least several weeks prior to discovery
* Formerly Hot Case # 611

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 15 - 18 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 5'11"; 171 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Light brown hair. He was circumcised.
* Dentals: Available; wisdom teeth not erupted. All other teeth present, except for #32 missing postmortem; no caries, slight discoloration on #30.
* Clothing: Blue jeans; tennis shoes; white socks; multi-blue plaid shirt; brown jacket with front and pocket zippers.
* Fingerprints: Available

Case History
The victim was located by a man checking hunting traps below the Thorpe Reservoir Dam in the mountains, near Glenville, North Carolina on February 12, 1984.
He was fully clothed and snuggled up in a blanket. A wallet with a driver's license and other identification was found nearby. The ID belonged to a Pinellas County, Florida, man who had lost it several months previously. Apparently, this man was known in the area to be using the name on the ID, and reportedly had been living in the area for several months.
There was evidence of camping at the scene, perhaps with a companion.
He was reportedly last seen sometime around the middle of December, 1983, in the Cashiers area.
 
Clifton Patrick Leonard looks like a pretty good possible.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/l/leonard_clifton.html
leonard_clifton2.jpg
leonard_clifton.jpg
969UMNC.jpg


The bridge of the UID's nose has obviously been poorly retouched, so there's no way to know if they look similar at the bridge of the nose. However their facial resemblance aside from the bridge of the nose is pretty strong.

They both have the same chins and jawlines. They also have the same flat-across eyebrows.

As for circumstances and timeline, they match up very well.

The UID was using a fake ID that he apparently stole from a man in Pinellas County FL. CPL's hometown of Lakeland is about 50 miles from Pinellas County.

Also, the man who lost his ID lost it "several months" before the UID was found. CPL's DLC was six months prior to the UID's date of discovery.

CPL's history of schizophrenia is consistent with the UID's apparent homelessness.

The vital stats are good. CPL's Height (6'0") is within an inch of the UID (5'11"). His age (16) is within the UID's range (15-19). His hair was brown, and based on his glasses photo, appears to be light brown as was the UID's hair. The UID's hair was longer than CPL's (as you would expect for someone who has been wandering for six months)
 
I called this one in, and spoke with Clyde Gibbs of the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. They have not yet compared Clifton Leonard's case to this one.

I asked him if they have any other names on their rule-out list and he said John Troha of Michigan is their only rule-out for this case. John Troja is listed in NamUs as a rule-out, so in this case, NamUs reflects the complete record of who has been ruled-out.

He indicated that this UID has been cremated, and they have no biological samples in storage so they will not be able to get DNA on him. They do have complete dental info, and it appears based on what is said in NamUs that they have dentals on Clifton Leonard, so this should not be a problematic comparison

He also indicated that this UID probably died of hypothermia, as it was very cold at that time of the year and anyone trying to sleep out the open air in those temperatures with just a blanket probably would not have survived. That info provides strong a good circumstantial link to Clifton Leonard because of his schizophrenia.
 
Clifton Patrick Leonard looks like a pretty good possible.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/l/leonard_clifton.html
leonard_clifton2.jpg
leonard_clifton.jpg
969UMNC.jpg

Clifton Leonard was ruled out on dentals.

Mr. Leonard doesn't match w/our unidentified from Jackson county found in 1984. Mr.
Leonard's records indicated that he has numerous restorations and our individual did not have any. Thank you and I'll check any other cases we might have to compare Mr. Leonard to.


Clyde B. Gibbs, Jr.
Medical Examiner Specialist
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7580
Phone (919) 966-2253
Fax (919) 962-6263

Rats!! - I really thought this one was going to turn out to be a good match.
 
I ran another screen for this UID, and came up with Brandon Robbins
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/robbins_brandon.html

robbins_brandon.jpg
969UMNC.jpg


Resemblance is good. Age is good. Height is spot-on.

LE suspects foul play in Brandon's case, which would be somewhat inconsistent with the circumstances of the UID's death. But there's nothing in the narrative that indicates a strong likelihood of foul play. His friend was driving his van, but says that he left to Philadelphia. Sounds suspicious, but if that's all they have, other scenarios are entirely possible.
 
Okay, this is probably way off the mark here, but I thought of Roger Ellison. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/e/ellison_roger.html
Physical stats match well. Roger is said to have had dark blonde hair and the UID had light brown, which is pretty much the same to a lot of people. Clothing style is similar to what it sounds like Roger wore. Of course it couldn't be him unless he ran away.
 
86c72d5e-7e90-4cef-b5a7-d53c9c8b80ac_zps0183c0fb.jpg


http://www.wbtv.com/story/27478031/unknown-boy-remains-unidentified-30-years-later

Investigators determined the boy used the alias, "John Norris" and had been in the area since November of 1983, according to the center. He stayed with an acquaintance in a tent pitched in the Pine Creek area of the woods. The acquaintance said the boy was hired at a restaurant called, "Leah's" in Cashiers, NC, but was fired after acting suspicious around the cash register.

The center said the boy was forced to leave the tent to make room for the friend's brother. A rifle was stolen from the brothers, which was believed to be for the boy to commit suicide.

The center said investigators found clues in a cave where the boy's body was discovered, including playing cards, a bible with an inscription, "John" from Reverend R.E. Sounders, and a McDonalds placemat with employment details written on the back. It was revealed that he served in the military, went to high school in Streamwood, IL, and worked as a bus boy in two restaurants in Memphis, TN, between December 1978 and January 1983. It was not determined if that information, written on the back of the placemat, was accurate.
 
What about Kevin Ellsworth: NamUs MP # 12968

Height, weight and age are all good. Both have dental info in Namus.

Kevin Ellsworth.jpeg 969UMNC.jpg
 
What about Kevin Ellsworth: NamUs MP # 12968

Height, weight and age are all good. Both have dental info in Namus.

View attachment 64209 View attachment 64212

He has a much better resemblance to the NCMEC reconstruction. And his vital stats match too.

86c72d5e-7e90-4cef-b5a7-d53c9c8b80ac_zps0183c0fb.jpg
attachment.php


From what I recall, this John Doe had clean dentals - No fillings or missing teeth. I wonder if you can say that about Kevin Ellsworth.

According to the circumstances, he was supposedly in a building that had burnt down. If so, they should have found his remains. Structure fires don't normally burn hot enough to completely obliterate human remains.

And I recall just recently, there was a guy who showed up alive, a few decades after he supposedly died in a burning building.
 
According to the circumstances, he was supposedly in a building that had burnt down. If so, they should have found his remains. Structure fires don't normally burn hot enough to completely obliterate human remains.

I agree. I doesn't seem like he was in there to me.

I don't know much about either of these cases so, since you do, feel free to run with it if it looks good to you.


Kevin had a motorcycle accident and had a steel pin or screw placed in the area of one hand/wrist.

It says "all parts recovered" on JD so they should have found this but it looks like he was there for a bit so I was wondering if there was time enough for animal activity to cause issues with some of the hand bones.
 
I stumbled across this article a few days ago and couldn't find a thread for him anywhere so I decided to add it. This young man's case seemed right up our ally; there seem to be a lot of clues found with the remains and even witness testimony.

A nylon cord, comb, leather sling, wallet, and small knife were found near the body. The center says an ID was found inside the wallet that belonged to a man in Largo, Florida. Investigators told the center they contacted the man and he said he lost his wallet in 1983.

Investigators determined the boy used the alias, "John Norris" and had been in the area since November of 1983, according to the center.

[...]

The center said investigators found clues in a cave where the boy's body was discovered, including playing cards, a bible with an inscription, "John" from Reverend R.E. Sounders, and a McDonalds placemat with employment details written on the back. It was revealed that he served in the military, went to high school in Streamwood, IL, and worked as a bus boy in two restaurants in Memphis, TN, between December 1978 and January 1983. It was not determined if that information, written on the back of the placemat, was accurate.

Much more at article:
http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/27478031/unknown-boy-remains-unidentified-30-years-later
 
Here is an artist's rendering of him.

5998529_G.jpg
 
Now I haven't checked any other threads -- but doesn't Sharon Marshall/Suzanne have a missing brother? Sounds like the same geography and Floyd was handy with a wallet.
 
Wow - what an interesting (and sad) story. So much information, yet no identity...I guess they don't know for sure if all those details are true though.
 
I'd guess that if, as stated, he went to high school in Streamwood, which is not large -- its population now is listed at about 40,000 -- the answer as to his identity lies there in school records, waiting to be revealed.
 
NAMUS has a different sketch of him - looks much different, less boyish, longer hair.
 

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