AZ AZ - Phoenix, WhtMale UP1956, 35-50, mountain bike, "Barclay", Feb'99

I could have sworn I'd already seen this case on WS, but I've searched and searched under every keyword I can think of and can't find it. Forgive me if it's a dupe.




This fellow was 6'2" tall and weighed 200 pounds, with brown hair, a mustache, and a multicolored butterfly tat on his arm. He was wearing blue jeans, a beige print sweater, a red and black sweater with a plaid pattern, blue long underwear, two dark-colored shirts, fairly new white and blue tennis shoes, a watch, and two necklaces.

Also found were glasses, a green backpack with the name "BARCLAY" written on it in black marker, a ball cap with a skeletal cow pictured on it, a purple/gray bandana, a black t-shirt with a red heart logo on the left chest, a red plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves cut off, a small green stone, an AA coin, a hotel key, a Pardner brand 12 gauge shotgun, and a blue Cannondale 18-speed mountain bike.

He was reportedly found in a desert area near 22nd Ave and Dynamite Road, but I could find no such location on Google Maps. The nearest I could find roughly corresponds with the Sonoran Desert Preserve north of Phoenix. There is no indication given of manner of death, whether natural, self-inflicted, or other factors. There's no morgue photo of his face or a facial reconstruction image other than the full-figure sketch; I wonder if the shotgun is the reason for that.

This man should not have been so difficult to indentify; there are just too many clues here. I'm assuming the hotel key was checked, but no rooms were found rented to someone named Barclay who could not be accounted for. Was Barclay this man's name or was the backpack borrowed or acquired secondhand? Why was there no wallet found? I think this man was of at least average means; he seems better equipped than a transient type, and the Cannondale bike is not an inexpensive item. Was he on vacation when he met with misadventure, or did he choose this location far from home to off himself? Maybe he was robbed and killed, but that seems unlikely, given that the shotgun and bike were left behind.

I've been looking for possible matches but, so far, nothing jumps out at me as a good fit. Have at it, sleuthers!

<MOD NOTE: Several original links throughout the thread were broken and have been edited to include the current link (when available) and images as of January 6, 2024>

There was a David Barclay Miller LKA in Sedona in 1998.



The only other Barclay is Nicholas Barclay, a 13 year old boy LKA in Texas in 1994.

CarlK90245 said:

There was a David Barclay Miller LKA in Sedona in 1998.

David Barclay Miller – The Charley Project

The only other Barclay is Nicholas Barclay, a 13 year old boy LKA in Texas in 1994.

Click to expand...

Hmmmm. That's a really interesting find! Also, David Barclay Miller was carrying a FOREST GREEN backpack. It's interesting that the name, location, and gear fit, but the physical description (age, height, weight, and timing are off). I know this is probably "out there", but I wonder if the UID somehow acquired David Barclay Miller's gear in AZ.

Hmm, that is interesting. I just had a mental picture of our UID biking along at a pretty good clip, accidentally running over David Barclay Miller's abandoned backpack and crashing to the ground with a fatal injury. Probably not, though; I'd think a backpack that had lain in the desert from May to February would look more weathered than that. Faded from the sun, at least.

I wonder if Mr. Miller went by David or Barclay? He's too young to be our UID, who was estimated to be between 35 and 50 years old, but I can imagine a few different scenarios where his pack might wind up at the same place as an unidentified corpse.

I keep coming back to suicide, for some reason. Was our UID bent on anonymity a la Lyle Stevik or Mary Anderson, and someone else's name on a secondhand backpack seemed like a clever way to throw off investigators? And that's why there's no wallet? The UID report says there are no fingerprints available; I guess our guy was too decomposed buy the time he was found. I wonder if the bike, gun, or any other items present were ever checked for prints.

What was this man doing riding a bike in the desert with a backpack and a shotgun? Even if the gun had a shoulder strap, it all seems a bit cumbersome.

I was looking at some older UID cases and came across this one. I've added a map where 22nd Ave and Dynamite are located. Avenues are west of Central Avenue and Streets are East of Central Avenue.
There are houses There now but you can get an idea of the general location. The yellow pins were added to mark the location. Hope this is helpful in getting a visual of where he was found.

I'm thinking this guy could be homeless. Pepsi bottle with water, clothes in a backpack, and carrying a shotgun. I don't think people out for a bike ride would be carrying a gun that size. We have more homeless people here in Winter due to milder temps.
The highway just to the left is I-17 that goes from Phoenix to Flagstff.
Maps are attached. <modsnip: broken image links>

Rule Outs on this IUD from NamUs: Edward Foster, David Miller, Thomas Page Jr.

Most likely this is a suicide who took measures to be sure he wouldn't be identified. I suspect he is from out of state. He probably arrived in Phoenix. Stayed in a hotel, purchased the shot gun and bike, pitched all identifying material and rode out to the desert.

Pardner Shotguns are commonly available and pretty much untraceable in Phonex. Cannondale bikes are a little different. They a higher end mountain bikes that sold only,by a limited number of retailers. In 1999 the cheapest one would run $400 new. I would expect something more basic for the intended use. Of course, money may not have been a consideration at that time. Still, makes me wonder if he wasn't a Mt. Bike enthusiast with a brand preference.

There are number of suicide cases here where the UID took measures to avoid identification. I always wonder how they avoid missing persons reports. It is possible that he is not from the US or he had concocted a story of he leaving that would discourage anyone from reporting him missing. He may have been so socially isolated that no one knew him well enough to file a missing person report.

maybe he stole the bike.

kemo said:

Most likely this is a suicide who took measures to be sure he wouldn't be identified. I suspect he is from out of state. He probably arrived in Phoenix. Stayed in a hotel, purchased the shot gun and bike, pitched all identifying material and rode out to the desert.

Pardner Shotguns are commonly available and pretty much untraceable in Phonex. Cannondale bikes are a little different. They a higher end mountain bikes that sold only,by a limited number of retailers. In 1999 the cheapest one would run $400 new. I would expect something more basic for the intended use. Of course, money may not have been a consideration at that time. Still, makes me wonder if he wasn't a Mt. Bike enthusiast with a brand preference.

There are number of suicide cases here where the UID took measures to avoid identification. I always wonder how they avoid missing persons reports. It is possible that he is not from the US or he had concocted a story of he leaving that would discourage anyone from reporting him missing. He may have been so socially isolated that no one knew him well enough to file a missing person report.

Click to expand...

Did someone try:

David Barclay Miller – The Charley Project


David Barclay Miller

• 

Miller, circa 1998

• Missing Since05/19/1998
• Missing FromSedona, Arizona
• ClassificationLost/Injured Missing
• Date of Birth07/06/1975 (43)
• Age22 years old
• Height and Weight5'11, 160 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry DescriptionA t-shirt, shorts and black hiking boots. Carrying a forest-green Gregory backpack.
• Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian male. Sandy blond hair, blue/gray eyes. Miller wears glasses or contact lenses.

Details of Disappearance
Miller was last seen leaving for a two-and-a-half-day hiking trip in Sedona, Arizona on May 19, 1998. He is an experienced hiker and was employed by the Sedona Forest Service at the time he went missing.

Miller never returned from his trip and has not been seen again. His vehicle was found abandoned at the Vultee Arch Trail. He is believed to have become lost or injured in the area, possibly by falling on slippery terrain, but his body has never been found.
Investigating Agency

• Yavapai County Sheriff's Office 520-771-3260

Source Information

• NamUs

I am not sure how to try to submit a match

David Miller is on the NamUs ruleouts list.

Edited to add current ruleouts list:

MP21350 Randolph Brookshire 02/13/1991 Maricopa AZ
MP1068 David Miller 05/19/1998 Yavapai AZ
MP527 Edward Foster 04/16/1996 Maricopa AZ
-- Thomas Page JR -- -- MN

I actually think whoever this Doe is, happened upon David Miller (who IMO had an accident out there) and for whatever reason, possibly out of necessity, took some of the items belonging to David. When I first saw that bike, I immediately noticed the pedal. It looks like it’s been damaged. Pretty significantly too! Those petals are pretty strong, so it looks like it endured a fall or impact with something pretty solid. I was quite surprised to see that David had been ruled out! That’s the only other scenario I can come up with. Very tragic sequence of events I feel like.

•MMcG•

I actually came across this missing person out of Canada (although his vehicle was found abandoned less than 2 hours from where the UID was found). He apparently left Canada for the US
In search of hair growth treatment. His vehicle was confirmed to have crossed into the States but there’s some question as to whether or not he was driving it. His car was found by some locals outside of Little Gorge Colorado Overlook (Grand Canyon) in Arizona with the keys still in the ignition. The guy who found it drove it for a few months until it broke down and he then abandoned it at a different location in Arizona. They never found any signs of foul play at either AZ location except for the car had been stripped of parts, which was apparently unrelated. I looked at the locations of both David and Steven and found that Steven (And I don’t think anyone is certain why he would have wandered off into the mountains) would have crossed paths with the route David would have likely been on. I tried finding out if Steven had a tattoo, but there’s no mention of it anywhere.

-The Charley Project-
STEVEN VINCENT MYLAN

• Missing Since: 02/13/1998
• Missing From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Classification: Endangered Missing
• Date of Birth: 10/19/1977 (41)
• Age: 20 years old
• Height and Weight: 5'10, 150 - 155 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description: A black velvet v-neck sweater, a waist-length black nylon jacket with a sheep's wool collar and lining, a brown corduroy hat, and a gold chain with a small watch pendant. Carrying a black canvas backpack.
• Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Mylan has a two- to three-inch oval-shaped birthmark under his right arm.

Details of Disappearance
Mylan left his family's Mississauga, Ontario residence shortly after midnight on February 13, 1998. He was driving a black two-door 1991 Chevrolet Barretta with the license plate number 336-ZHK. He had previously mentioned wanting to travel to the United States for a medicine used to treat hair loss.

American customs officials recorded Mylan's vehicle entering the United States at the Rainbow Bridge on February 14, the day after he was last seen. It has not been established whether he was driving it at the time.

A few days later, a man found Mylan's car abandoned with the keys in the ignition. It was parked near the jewelry stands at the Little Colorado Gorge Overlook at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The man took the car for himself and drove it around for a few months until it broke down.

On June 8, 1998, nearly four months after Mylan's disappearance, his car was found stripped and parked off State Route 64 in Flagstaff, Arizona. It had been there for months. A search of the Little Colorado Gorge, beneath where the car was left originally, turned up no indication of his whereabouts.

Mylan's family told authorities that it is uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning; they cannot think of an explanation for his disappearance. At the time of his disappearance, he was a student at Humber College's north campus in Toronto, Ontario, majoring in business. Canadian authorities are investigating this case.

Although the Charley Project does not usually profile cases from outside the United States, an exception was made for Mylan because he may have traveled to America after his disappearance.

•MMcG•

(Top point is where Steven’s car was initially found, mid point is where David’s car was found and then bottom is where UID was found)
ETA: Photos!

I was looking at David Miller on this one too. Obviously that's not a go.

His AA coin says 12 years so if it's a recent coin his bike probably means he has had DWIs.

There are a few Barclay boys in the regional Arizona yearbooks on Ancestry that don't look to bad.

My first step would be to go to local bike shops and show his face to the employees or the local biking community but I suppose it's a bit late now.

I'm trying to imagine how Paul Buckley would look without the beard. He matches on all descriptors that are given, including wearing glasses. However, there's no mention of a tattoo. His story of boarding a bus with no known destination leaves open the possibility that he may have ended up in Pheonix around the time John Doe lived and died there. Perhaps if we had more info about Paul we could exclude him without an official comparison.

Physical description - Height 6' 0" (72 Inches) Weight 180 - 200 lbs Brown hair Blue eyes

His missing date is shown as Nov. 4 1998 which is confusing if he was last seen on Easter (March 30) 1997.
Circumstances - Buckley was last seen in Spokane on Easter 1997. He boarded a Greyhound bus according to family, but unknown where he was going.

Transportation Notes
Boarded a Greyhound bus in Spokane WA. Unknown which one or destination.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

ETA - changed first name from William (another PM) to Paul

Imo, Gary looks similar to JD. He disappeared from Ontario, Cali in 1996 without money or ID. The profile says that it's possible he was unaware of his own identity. There's no mention of him wearing glasses nor are any shown in his picture. Tattoos aren't mentioned either. His circumstances certainly leave room for doubt about a match to JD but based on visual comparison I couldn't turn away.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Height 6' 1" (73 Inches) Weight 195 lbs Brown hair Hazel eyes

Circumstances of Disappearance - Gary was last seen on October 29, 1996 in Ontario, California. He has no money or identification and may not know who he is.

@YaYa_521 not a bad comparison though one wonders how Gary may have supported himself in the intervening years.

Was looking at the picture of the bike. Cannondale is a nice brand. It looks like it was a 1997 M300 LE or M300 SE. The second decal is probably hidden by the bandana but the CAD1 decal is a big hint.

Cannondale started using CAD to design their bikes in 1996 but they didn't offer that blue color until 1997. It would have cost $454 new.

I would imagine that the bike belonged to someone who biked often due to the tool kit hanging under the seat. That's usually where bikers keep their tool kit and an extra tube in case one of the tires blows.

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current list of NamUs exclusions for this John Doe? I would greatly appreciate it.