MI MI - Ida Twp, WhtMale 25-45, UP8379, massive head injuries, muscular, overbite, dental work, Oct'86

sls314

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Skeletal remains of white male estimated 11-21 years old found 10/17/1986.

Estimated height 68 inches. No hair/eye color due to decomposition. Dental record is available.

Clothing found with remains is as follows:

Steeplechase pullover polo shirt, tan in color with blue stripes - Size Lg.
Lee Rider brand blue jeans.
Fruit of the Loom brand jockey style underwear shorts size 34-36-gray with two green stripes.

Tube socks gray with white stripes
Jogging shoes size 9 1/2


Link to NamUs profile: https://identifyus.org/cases/8379
 
This case haunts me - I grew up in Monroe County, and the deceased would be about my age. I don't remember hearing about a boy's body being found back then, but then again my parents probably would have tried shelter me from hearing the info.

Why was no one looking for this boy? Was he a chronic runaway or foster child? Was he a victim of child abuse, dumped by family and forgotten? (The skeletal remains show signs of tauma.)

So sad. I'm hoping that by publicizing his case, the details will trigger a memory with a family member or friend. Someone must have noticed that this boy was no longer around!
 
Finally found a news archive reference - there seems to be an age conflict. This news article from the Toledo Blade dated November 7, 1986 lists the body as a "man in his 20s."

The article contains some details not in the NamUs profile:

- The UID was found in a wooded lot off Lewis Avenue, just south of Ida. (Note - Ida is a community in Monroe County.)

- The remains had been in that location "at least 2 months" before being found, and the skull was fractured.

- He had had extensive dental work done, including a root canal, 2 caps, and many fillings.

- He was estimated to be 5'8" and 180-200 pounds.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ykVPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7064,2939848&dq=skeletal+remains+found+ida&hl=en
 
The above news article raises several questions:

1) The article states the man was in his 20s, but the NamUs profile gives an age range of 11-21. I'd be inclined to believe he was in his 20s, given the extensive dental work. Could this age conflict be hindering any possible matches to missing persons?

2) The article mentions that another male body that was found near that time, in a different part of Monroe County. Were the cases related? Was the other man's identity ever determined? (I'll do some further digging.)
 
A news article dated 12/27/1986 about another body that was found in Monroe County at that time (a female - she is on NamUs as well https://identifyus.org/cases/8380).

This article references the 2 male bodies that were found in October 1986. The woman found in December was said to have been deceased since "late summer or early fall." This would mean that all 3 individuals died in a pretty close time frame. Also, the woman and the black male were found less than 2 miles apart! (I'll create another thread for her when time permits.)

That seems like a big anomaly to me for Monroe County, MI in 1986. As I said, I grew up there - overall it was a pretty safe place. Could the deaths of any of these individuals be related?

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FldPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PwMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2246,3180632&dq=skeletal+remains+found+monroe&hl=en

If I find any additional information on whether the other man's body was ever identified, I will update.
 
I created a Websleuths thread for the woman as well: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132757


Also, this male is mentioned in a Monroe Evening News archived article from July 26, 2006 entitled "Thirty Years of Monroe County Bodies." I can't link it, because I had to purchase the article. But the snippet pertaining to this man is as follows:

October, 1986 - Man's unidentified body found in wooded area off Lewis Ave. north of Albain Rd. in Ida Township. Cause of death was massive head injuries. Victim was in his early 20s and he was wearing a white "Steeplechase" polo shirt with blue stripes and blue jeans.
 
NamUs now gives an age range of 25-45, not 11-21...? This seems to be more in line with sls314's findings.

I think the info they provided is super cool. "Muscular build, probably right-handed, long head-front to back, long narrow face with a pronounced overbite, high forehead and a prominent nose-all noted by the Anthropologist (Frank Saul, PhD)" I like that they know he was probably right handed... the info should narrow down possible matches, given that we don't have a facial reconstruction to work with. There's no DNA or fingerprints, but there is definitely dental charting. So there's something to work with, at least?

Very glad to see that the aforementioned woman was a match sometime in the past, like, 5 years since this thread was updated. RIP Ruth Hoffman.
 
NamUs UP8379
Decedent at locaiton of discovery.jpg
Date Body Found: October 17, 1986
Location Found: Ida Township, Monroe County, Michigan
Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton
Sex: Male
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 25-45
Estimated Year of Death: 1986
Estimated PMI: 3 Months
Estimated Height: 5' 9" (69 inches)
Weight: Cannot Estimate
Hair Color: Brown; straight
Eye Color: Unknown; Decomposition precluded eye color assessment.

Distinctive physical characteristic: Muscular build, probably right-handed, long head-front to back, long narrow face with a pronounced overbite, high forehead and a prominent nose-all noted by the Anthropologist (Frank Saul, PhD)

Clothing: Steeplechase pullover polo shirt with two-buttons, tan in color with blue stripes - Size Lg. Blue striped Lee Rider brand jeans. Fruit of the Loom brand jockey style underwear shorts size 34-36-gray with two green stripes, tube socks gray with green stripes Blue and white nylon Adidas brand Jogging shoes size 9 1/2

0 Missing Person Exclusions
 
Does anyone know if a reconstruction was ever made in this case? I have been unable to find any.
 
I'm a little creeped out. I can no longer find the thread or NAMUS entry for the female UP mentioned above. But I found another Monroe County unidentified body, this one found in 1978.

So that is three male UPs, all in the same general age range (young adult), all in Monroe County over the course of a decade.

I used the map locations on NAMUS for the 10/17/86 remains (the remains in this thread) and the 1978 remains (that I just linked). I used the intersection information from the Toledo Blade article re: the other body found in 1986. And I put them all on a map.

NAMUS Map.jpg

I am particularly freaked out because I lived between Ida and Dundee from 78-79, and my parents owned property in Raisinville Twp. until the 1990s. There is zero reason for me to believe that any of these cases is related to my family, but it's just strange to have stumbled on these cases all so close to "home".

Off to research the other case mentioned in the Toledo Blade now ...
 

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