FL FL - Ocala Natl Forest,WhtMale 281UMFL, 36-45, Australian coin, Dec'97

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I stumbled across this dude while looking at a couple of other Florida cases.

6233


Doe network case: 281UMFL
NAMUS case: 2911 (https://identifyus.org/cases/2911 might work)
Florida Department of Law Enforcement: known as John Doe 2, apparently

White male 36-45, about 5'6" (roughly 167cm.) and 144 lbs., who hanged himself in 1997.

Old gunshot wound on lower left leg.

From Doe: "He was wearing a green Nike cap, an Eddie Bauer jacket; blue Rustler jeans, size 33; a brown belt, brown hiking boots and thermal underwear. The golf logo on the man's shirt was traced to a country club in California. He had an Australian coin, leading investigators to think he may have been a foreign visitor to Florida, and three laminated four-leaf clovers. Experts will examine the plants to determine where they might have grown. He also had a white handkerchief, blankets, a pocket knife and a Swiss army knife attached to a chain around his neck. He wore Luxottica eyeglasses."

The photos in NAMUS show more possessions, including what appears to be a backpack that must have contained other clothing. Also a copy of The Celestine Prophecy: a Compact Guide to the Nine Insights. (I think I have that right.) I don't know whether that's a clue, but it's certainly unusual!
 
Following the Australia idea, I came up with James Rothfield(http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1928dmnsw.html), who left New South Wales in July of 1996. Mr. Rothfield is or was schizophrenic. He's the right size, though at 31 when the UID was found, he'd be a bit younger than the age range.

Not sure about the resemblance. The chin is in the ballpark, though with Mr. Rothfield's head tilted, it's hard to be sure. The proportions of the face seem close. The cheekbones seem about right.

What do y'all think?
 

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Following the Australia idea, I came up with James Rothfield(http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1928dmnsw.html), who left New South Wales in July of 1996. Mr. Rothfield is or was schizophrenic. He's the right size, though at 31 when the UID was found, he'd be a bit younger than the age range.

Not sure about the resemblance. The chin is in the ballpark, though with Mr. Rothfield's head tilted, it's hard to be sure. The proportions of the face seem close. The cheekbones seem about right.

What do y'all think?

The resemblance is OK, and his height/weight and DLC are reasonably consistent. I'm just not sure there's enough there to overcome the glaring question of how a guy with mental issues who disappeared with no passport (or even an ID) could make it into the U.S. from Australia undetected, along with various possessions including a pair of glasses (which there is no indication that he wore).
 
The resemblance is OK, and his height/weight and DLC are reasonably consistent. I'm just not sure there's enough there to overcome the glaring question of how a guy with mental issues who disappeared with no passport (or even an ID) could make it into the U.S. from Australia undetected, along with various possessions including a pair of glasses (which there is no indication that he wore).

It certainly sounds implausible, I agree.

I wonder if that was before Canada tightened up their immigration requirements? I think other former British colonies used to have more relaxed entry rules and he might not have needed a passport -- I'll have to look into that.

(OT -- my list of things to research is getting sooooooo looooong...)
 
His nose sure reminds me of Tony Clinch, who was supposed to meet his parents in England but disappeared after reaching France. Time frame maybe a little tight for getting to America, losing most of his identifiably Australian stuff and then suiciding and becoming very decomposed. He was a veteran, so maybe that's where the old gunshot wound is from... gun crime being not that big a thing in Australia.

http://www.missingpersons.gov.au/profile.aspx?Id=1349
 
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/281umfl.htm

281UMFL2_LARGE.jpg


Date of Discovery: December 30, 1997
Location of Discovery: Ocala, Marion County, Florida
Estimated Date of Death: 1997
State of Remains: Skeletal
Cause of Death: Suicide by hanging
Physical Description

Estimated Age: 36-45 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5'6" to 5'7"
Weight: 144 lbs.
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Healed gunshot injury to lower left leg.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Green Nike cap, an Eddie Bauer jacket; blue Rustler jeans, size 33; a brown belt, brown hiking boots and thermal underwear. The golf logo on the man's shirt was traced to a country club in California.
Jewelry: Unknown

Additional Personal Items: White handkerchief, blankets, a pocket knife and a Swiss army knife attached to a chain around his neck. Luxottica eyeglasses. Three laminated four-leaf clovers. An Australian dollar coin was also found, leading investigators to believe he could be foreign to the country.
 
This case seems perfect for a Parabon snapshot, really narrow down ethnicity, hair/ eye colour etc.
Very sad, I hope someone gets an answer if they are wondering what happened to a family member.
 
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281UMFL2_LARGE.jpg


The Doe Network: Case File 466DMNSW

Ian Jeston Homfray last contacted his family on Sept 3, 1992. He is missing from Ashfield, Sydney, Australia. Anyone think he could be a match?

Quite a amazing find, yes very much alike, although nose is broader.
Ian Jeston Homfray
Missing since September 3, 1992 from Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia.
Classification: Endangered Missing



Vital Statistics

    • Date Of Birth: February 13, 1953
    • Age at Time of Disappearance: 39 years old
    • Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 175 cm
    • Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair; blue eyes. Medium build. He is a British citizen.


Circumstances of Disappearance
A friend of Ian contacted police on September 21, 1992 to report him missing. He stated that he had no contact or heard from him since 3 September 1992. This was totally out of character for him.



Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

New South Wales Police
1 800 622 571


Source Information:
New South Wales Police
NSW Police
 
Missing Person Page Worldwide Facebook post dated 10/22/13. No comments.

Ian Jeston Homfray
Missing since September 3, 1992 from Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia.
Classification: Endangered Missing

Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: February 13, 1953
Age at Time of Disappearance: 39 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 175 cm
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair; blue eyes. Medium build. He is a British citizen.
Circumstances of Disappearance
A friend of Ian contacted police on September 21, 1992 to report him missing. He stated that he had no contact or heard from him since 3 September 1992. This was totally out of character for him.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

New South Wales Police
1 800 622 571
 
“A nylon strap with a plastic buckle dangled from a tree branch about 10 feet above him, leading deputy sheriffs to conclude he hanged himself.”

How long was this strap? If it’s a plastic buckle it won’t hold the weight of a human for long. Even if it did, the Florida sun & heat would deteriorate the plastic quickly.

Did Ian tell his family he was traveling to the US or Florida in particular? Seems like a long way to go to commit suicide.
 
Did anyone submit to the NSW Police in Australia? I can do so if noone else has.

Note that old gunshot wound, as has been pointed out above, Australia has almost no gun crime since gun ownership is mostly banned with a few exceptions. It would be unusual to meet an Aussie that has experienced a gunshot wound, unless they are a veteran perhaps.

Thinking from another side, maybe he was an American who had travelled to Australia or kept this as his lucky coin/momento from someone/somewhere.
 
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) was just in the news for their genetic genealogy team solving some old rape cases. I bet that 4 person team will grow to more now that they have had such great success in their first year. I also hope these remains are on their To Do List.
 
Did anyone submit to the NSW Police in Australia? I can do so if noone else has.

Note that old gunshot wound, as has been pointed out above, Australia has almost no gun crime since gun ownership is mostly banned with a few exceptions. It would be unusual to meet an Aussie that has experienced a gunshot wound, unless they are a veteran perhaps.

This guy is the exact age to have been a Vietnam veteran, but if he was a US veteran he couldn’t have picked up the coin from an Australian soldier during the war; the dollar coin wasn't introduced until 1984. I wonder if travelling there was on his 'bucket list'.

I suppose he could be an Australian Vietnam veteran. Although Australia wasn't as involved in Vietnam as the US they did send over 7,000 troops there between 1965 and 1972.
 

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