LA LA - Clarence, off US 84, BlkMale 18-30, UP846, shirt/jacket w/drawstring hood, Oct'05

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/846

The attached image is a composite but looks like a real photograph! They are getting good now.

ME/C Case Number: J-00506-05/LSU 05-34
Natchitoches County, Louisiana
18 to 30 year old Black/African American Male

Date found October 16, 2005

Found in a shallow creek just off US 84.
Height (inches) 68, Estimated
Estimated postmortem interval 1 Years (note Doenetwork says 1-25 years - http://doenetwork.org/cases/1422umla.html)
Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only

Johnny Babino?
http://doenetwork.org/cases/1198dmla.html
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/babino_johnny.html

Missing since July 9, 1995 from Avondale, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. - match

Date Of Birth: June 6, 1976
Age at Time of Disappearance: 25 years old - match
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'6"; 125 lbs. - match
Distinguishing Characteristics: Black male. Black short hair; brown eyes. Medium brown complexion.
Tattoos: Tattoo on the left hand with the letters "HDP".
Dentals: Five upper gold crowns. (damage to UID teeth, were these ripped out?)
Clothing: White Reebok shirt, black Girbaud shorts, black Jordan tennis shoes, white footie socks, also a watch with a blue band and blue and chrome face.
AKA: Mookie



There is no mention of a necklace on either the UID or Johnny but look at the necklace worn in both photographs.

Timing could be out depending on how good the estimated date of death is (though 1 to 25 years is a pretty big range!)

I've submitted this.


PS. I'm numerically dyslexic so please bear with me, I'm really struggling with this... date of birth to date of disappearance - wouldn't that make him 19 not 25?

Doe Network has an error in the age when missing, he was born 1976 and disappeared 1995 so he was 19, not 25. Charley has it right. But it's still a match.
He looks good to me.
Four and a half hours away. Not too far to drive for drugs I guess.

The only thing is that Babino disappeared in 1995 and if he met with foul play back then the UID might have had imo a surprising amount of identifiable clothing for someone whose remains spent a decade in a shallow creek. Namus estimates the TOD at one year.

Medium size Hanes boxer shorts and an unidentifiable, cotton-blend, greenish-blue item, possibly a shirt or jacket with a drawstring collar or hood.

Click to expand...

But he might have gone underground if he wanted to dodge the warrant.

Appreciate the calculations, I couldn't get my head around it.

Doenetwork has a bit more information:

The victim was located in a shallow creek just off US 84, encased in cement inside a metal drum.

Click to expand...

so clothing is less likely to rot or float away. I'll see if I can get any more information from my submission.

Johnny Babino's Namus page https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/4044/3
says he has DNA available. Wonder if his DNA is in the database. In that case it might be a ruleout by default.

Otherwise the dentals might be an easy ruleout. The UID has several F's towards the back of the mouth in his upper dental chart indicating the presence of fillings or crowns but I think if he had any gold crowns present they might have been likely to mention it in the verbal description.

I tried to search for another photo of Johnny Babino that would give a better view of the front teeth to see if there is gold in them but everybody seems to have the same photo.

Just had confirmation that it's not a match.

Also the The postmortem interval is less than a year so Doe is wrong.

Not close matches, but possibilities?

Eddie Albert Bunion

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/bunion_eddie.html

http://www.nampn.org/cases/bunion_eddie.html


William Larry Roland

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/9636/0/

http://www.nampn.org/cases/roland_william_l.html

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/roland_william.html

Maybe Brian Hatfield? He went missing from Baton Rouge in May 2004 when he was 21.
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/4122/0

Andrew Hargrove - findthemissing.org/cases/9678

Jake479 said:

Andrew Hargrove - findthemissing.org/cases/9678

Click to expand...

Andrew Hargrove was added to the ruleouts list.

Dorian Gaines - findthemissing.org/cases/22827
Michael Howell - findthemissing.org/cases/12011

I sent these matches in to NAMUS.

New possible match in Namus, Jerome Robinson, missing from Tunnis, TX in 2001: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/c...angers/UnsolvedHomicides/Details.aspx?&id=173

This is a case that is driving me crazy! I graduated from NSU in May of 2005 and the house that I lived in was actually not too far from where he was located!

BTW it wouldn’t be a far stretch to say that he was either going to Northwestern (although I don’t believe that there are any missing student cases open) or that he was involved with the lovely Natchitoches drug world. There are 2 things that make that town what it is - old money and college students. The town and university are both small...they are both amazing but drugs are a HUGE factor and it’s not just the younger generation either (they can only afford a little here and there) but the main customers of the dealers are old money heirs!

Reconstruction of Victim

Unidentified Black Male

• • The victim was discovered on October 16, 2005 in Clarence, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
  • Estimated Date of Death: 1-25 years prior
  • Skeletal Remains

Vital Statistics

• • Estimated age: 18-30 years old
  • Approximate Height and Weight: 5'6"
  • Clothing: Hanes' brand boxer shorts, medium size; cotton-blend green/blue fabric (possibly a shirt/jacket) with drawstring hood.
  • Dentals: Available
  • DNA: Available

Case History

The victim was located in a shallow creek just off US 84, encased in cement inside a metal drum.

Investigators

If you have any information about this case please contact:

• Agency Name: LSU FACES Lab

• Agency Contact Person: Dr. Ginesse Listi

• Agency Phone Number: 225-578-3906

• Natchitoches Parish Coroners Office

• 318-357-2260

• Agency Case Number:
  05-34
  
  Source Information:

• The Doe Network: Case File 1422UMLA
  FACES Lab

KaylaraOwl said:

New possible match in Namus, Jerome Robinson, missing from Tunnis, TX in 2001: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/c...angers/UnsolvedHomicides/Details.aspx?&id=173

Click to expand...

Started thread..
TX- Jerome Robinson, 21, last seen @“Team Club”, Tunis, 28 December 2001 *Fresh Incentive* (websleuths.com)

Keep in mind this person was discovered 6 weeks after Hurricane Katrina (tracked to the East of discovery) and less than a month after Hurricane Rita (tracked to the West of discovery). Both were very large storms affecting the entire region.

The area in which the UID was discovered was getting massive influx of people from all over the country at that time helping with the recovery effort (some just to make some fast $$). Utility companies and their contractors as well as "clearing crews" were abound as there were great swathes of trees downed that far inland.

Basically what I'm trying to say is there were a lot of people from all over the country "just passing through" and it was not unusual to see trucks full of trash/debris or carrying industrial equipment (like metal barrels) in areas you normally wouldn't. An ideal situation for dumping a body unnoticed.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

4 Exclusions:
MP10230 Thomas Flowers 07/01/2002 Lavaca TX
MP9678 Andrew Hargrove 07/25/2005 Washtenaw MI
MP4122 Brian Hatfield 05/09/2004 East Baton Rouge LA
MP727 Jeremiah Parker 04/01/2004 East Baton Rouge LA

Wilson Dewars, Jr possibly?

''In October 2005, a 55-gallon oil drum was found partially submerged in a shallow creek on private property in ''Clarence, a small community in rural Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. A portion of the oil drum had rusted out exposing skeletonized human remains encased in cement. The discovery was made by the property owner’s son. The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory was able to remove the remains from the surrounding cement and they were submitted to the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory for assistance with identification. The man's manner of death was determined to be homicide.

The remains were determined to belong to a black male who was approximately 18 to 30 years old and 5’6” to 5’10” in height. It was determined that the man had been deceased for as few as one and as many as twenty-five years. A cotton-blend shirt and medium Hanes brand boxer shorts were the only personal items recovered. LSU FACES utilized advanced forensic imaging and facial reconstruction to create an image depicting what the man may have looked like during his life in hopes that it would generate leads in the case.

Multiple individuals have been ruled out as being Natchitoches Parish John Doe. Dental x-rays of the decedent were utilized for comparison, eventually ruling out the man’s identity as that of Lester Davis and Jeremiah Parker. The case was featured in the film series, “The Killing Fields” where standard DNA testing excluded the possibility that the remains belonged to Curtis “Cochise” Smith. In 2008, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as case number #UP846. Despite law enforcement's exhaustive efforts to identify the man, the case has gone cold.

In 2023, the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office teamed with Othram to generate new leads in the case using advanced DNA technology and forensic genetic genealogy. Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to contact the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office by calling 318-357-2260 and referencing case number J-00506-05.

A DNASolves crowdfund has been created to raise funds for the casework costs. Anyone can contribute here. We are grateful for everyone's support!''

The coroner’s office says the case was featured on the film series, Killing Fields, and other DNA techniques were used. That led to a lead on the man’s identity, but turned out to not be a match. Several names were ruled out, including Lester Davis, Jeremiah Parker, and Curtis “Cochise” Smith. In 2008, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

Now though, the coroner’s office has teamed up with Othram and DNA Solves to use a new method of DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy. The coroner’s office is hoping to raise money to pay for this testing. Click here to donate.