Identified! AK - Anchorage, 'Fire Island Man' WhtMale 716UMAK, 39-55, overbite, Jul'89 - Michael Allison Beavers

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http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/716umak.html

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Unidentified White Male




  • The victim was discovered on July 24, 1989 on the west side of Fire Island off-shore from Anchorage, Alaska
  • Estimated Date of Death: unknown
  • Cause of Death: unknown
  • Remains badly decomposed
  • Called the" Fire Island Man" by Law Enforcement

Vital Statistics



  • Estimated age: 39-55 years old
  • Approximate Height and Weight: 5'10"-6'2"; 180-200 lbs.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: Possibly dark hair; unknown eye color. He had dark colored body hair; previous broken nose and or facial injury.
  • Dentals: Available. He had unusual and somewhat rare dental work including a porcelain and gold dental bridge; authorities suspect the facial injury was the reason for the extensive dental work. He also had a severe over-bite.
  • Clothing: unknown
  • Fingerprints: Available.
  • DNA: Available.
Case History
The badly decomposed body of the victim wahed ashore on the west side of Fire Island near Anchorage, Alaska on July 24, 1989.

 
Interesting that he was found on the west side of the island...

You can see how this island is situated here:


I have a few theories about this John Doe:

a) He mired himself in the glacial mud that is much of the shoreline in those parts. Apparently people die there every year, I suspect mostly people "from Outside". Basically because the Inlet is so shallow, at every low tide there are just miles and miles of mud comprised of glacial silt. It looks firm enough to walk on, because the silt is so dark, but is more like quicksand in how it acts. If you get mired in the mud, you'll drown when the tide comes in.

b) There were abandoned sites there belonging to the Air Force and the FAA. Presumably one or more of these could have worked as a shelter. Historically, the island was used by the Dena’ina for seasonal fish camps. If he knew this, he could have set up there during summer and if he was a real "backwoods" type, might not have left much trace (or others did the same things, so who could tell the difference?).

c) He died on one of the rivers/glaciers to the north and west of the island, and washed down and came in on the current.

The lack of clothing is problematic, because it would help establish the time of year when he died. Anchorage is still experiencing spring in June. If he was dressed in lighter clothing he could only have died in June, July or August of the previous year unless he was preserved by cold water/ice. Of course, if he was up in the mountains he could have dressed for winter in summer.

I find this one intriguing...I hope someone can solve this!!! My feeling is that knowing how free-spirited many Alaskans are, and given that so many people go there to start over, if he disappeared no one might have reported him missing. There is a substantial homeless population, as well. I suspect that part of the population would assume that someone fell afowl of mother nature if they did not come back from a fishing trip.

Of course, there is also always the possibility that he was seasonal labor on a fishing boat, and was dumped into the Inlet rather than someone wanting to deal with law enforcement. That might explain the lack of clothes, if not that they simply rotted away...

It's been so long...anyone know anything else about this guy?
 
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bumping to move over to the UID forum.

No NamUs link for this UID
 
Was just coming here to post about Ralph Allen Newcombe, but I see I'm three years late! All the stats are pretty close, and Ralph was last seen three months prior to when our John Doe was found. His truck was found at the Alaska Ferry Terminal.
 
Does anyone have a contact with police in the Anchorage area so that we can get this guy into NamUs? I just noticed that he's still not in there.
 
I can't see his NamUs page while searching the Alaska cases, but the DoeNetwork page has this link as information source
Unidentified Person Case

I can't see if there are any rule outs.
 
iulia said:
I can't see his NamUs page while searching the Alaska cases, but the DoeNetwork page has this link as information source
Unidentified Person Case

I can't see if there are any rule outs.
Click to expand...

Updated NamUs link: Unidentified Person Case

Two ruleouts:

MP39107
James Miller*
12/09/1986
Story, IA

MP13907
Ralph Newcombe
04/17/1989
King, WA

DN has date of discovery as July 24, 1989 but estimated date of death as a month later - August 24, 1989 (which jives with NamUs). I'm sending them an update form with the discrepancy.
 
CCJD said:
Updated NamUs link: Unidentified Person Case

Two ruleouts:

MP39107
James Miller*
12/09/1986
Story, IA

MP13907
Ralph Newcombe
04/17/1989
King, WA

DN has date of discovery as July 24, 1989 but estimated date of death as a month later - August 24, 1989 (which jives with NamUs). I'm sending them an update form with the discrepancy.
Click to expand...

Thank you for posting the ruleouts. I was confused for a while because of the discrepancy between the two dates on DN, until I saw the NamUs profile. :)
 
***The exclusions listed in post #9 on this thread are not for this particular UID. I also confused them, there is one male found in July (the one on this thread) and another found in August of 1989 (this one). Just wanted to clarify :)***

recon1.jpg recon2.jpg recon3.jpg
Reconstruction of the decedent.

Date of Discovery: July 24, 1989
Location of Discovery: Anchorage, Anchorage Borough, Alaska
Estimated Date of Death: 1989
State of Remains: Decomposed
Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial remains with soft tissues
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 30-50 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Hair Color: Black or dark brown, curly facial hair. (no head hair recovered).
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: "Severe" overbite. He had previously broken his nose.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Large, short-sleeved, green Designs Alive T-shirt with a mountain design on left breast pocket. "Capistrane Beach, California" on the tag.
Jewelry: Unknown.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown.

Circumstances of Discovery
The badly decomposed body of the decedent washed ashore on the west side of Fire Island, near Anchorage, Alaska on August 24, 1989.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Alaska Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Stephen Hoage
Agency Phone Number: 907-334-2200
Agency E-Mail: medical.examiner(at)alaska.gov
Agency Case Number: 89-00190

Agency Name: Alaska Missing Person Clearing House
Agency Contact Person: Malia Miller
Agency Phone Number: 800-478-9333
Agency E-Mail: dps.missing.persons(at)alaska.gov
Agency Case Number: 89-52835

1 Missing Person Exclusions
MP17542 Dennis Woods 01/01/1988 Los Angeles CA
 
I tried to look on Namus database for possible matches. I put age estimate, height (give or take an inch), weight (give or take five pounds), a full year before discovery.
I got two possible matches for people who fell overboard (which I notices is the main reason for disappearance in Alaska). Unfortunately, none of them have pictures.

One is a fisherman named Jack G. White who fell overboard in a boating accident in Shelikof Straits. it happened in March 1989, and three other people are missing in that accident.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

The other, which is more possible, is another fisherman named Michael Ken Barry, who fell of a vessel in Cape Douglas near Soldotna. Two other men went missing in the same accident.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
 
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After 32 years, Fire Island John Doe is Identified

Genealogy research by Othram indicated that the victim might be Michael Allison Beavers.
-------
ABI investigators located a close blood relative of Beavers’ and obtained a reference DNA sample. Subsequent DNA analysis confirmed that the remains found on Fire Island were in fact those of Michael Beavers. The investigation into this incident is on-going. If anyone has any information regarding Beavers’ disappearance and murder, please contact the ABI CCIU at (907) 375-7728 or the main ABI number at (907) 269-5611.
 
CCJD said:
After 32 years, Fire Island John Doe is Identified
Click to expand...
Genealogy research by Othram indicated that the victim might be Michael Allison Beavers.

Beavers had been reported missing to the Anchorage Police Department (APD) in January 1980, by his spouse. He was last seen alive in late November 1979, when he left his residence in Chugiak, to travel by automobile to Seattle, WA, to contact a business associate there. Beavers never arrived in Seattle. No information was developed to indicated what become of Beavers and the investigation was closed in 1982. In 1992, Beavers was official declared deceased. Beavers was 41 at the time of his disappearance. He was a heavy equipment operator, and he owned an excavation business in the Chugiak.
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CCJD said:
After 32 years, Fire Island John Doe is Identified

Genealogy research by Othram indicated that the victim might be Michael Allison Beavers.
-------
ABI investigators located a close blood relative of Beavers’ and obtained a reference DNA sample. Subsequent DNA analysis confirmed that the remains found on Fire Island were in fact those of Michael Beavers. The investigation into this incident is on-going. If anyone has any information regarding Beavers’ disappearance and murder, please contact the ABI CCIU at (907) 375-7728 or the main ABI number at (907) 269-5611.
Click to expand...
You all are too fast!!
 
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