OH OH - Garfield Heights, East 81st St, BlkMale 18-21, UP1878, note from Cynthia & Boo Boo, Sep'91

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Irish_Eyes said:
He was found in a pretty residential area though. A weird place to drop a body.
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It sounds like a weird place to get mugged and not be discovered for a month too. Or a weird place to just die at his young age. I am thinking this was not a natural cause of death. He was not discovered for sometime, which it seems to me, someone would have smelled a body if that close to where kids play. Anyway, I would check with shelters, or churches in the area.
 
I wondered if he was carrying the note in his shoe because Cynthia was not the only woman in his life and, possibly the other woman would look through his things (like his wallet)? I guess, if that was the case, that could also be a motive if he met with foul play. Was cause of death determined?
 
I'm thinking that the shoes were fakes.

As far as I can tell, they were based on Nike Air Cross "Grapes" which were manufactured beginning in February 1991 - they are really similar, but the detail on the tongue is different. I can't find any Nike shoes which have the detail from the picture on Namus on the tongue, which is what leads me to think they're fake.

Link to vintage Nike catalogue below - the shoes I'm looking at are 6 pictures down.

http://niketalk.yuku.com/topic/105895#.T0f70IdmIQM

My original thinking was, that if they were legit Nike shoes released that year, a homeless person or recently released prisoner wouldn't be able to afford brand new sneakers. If they're fake, that theory is pretty much shot, though.
 
I'm not sure. My frame of reference is only for the UK, so all I can say for sure is that in my experience, most fake 'name' brands are sold on market stalls over here. As for the US, I have no idea - I'd have to bow to you guys on that. It's definite that fakes were circulating during that time period, because I've found a guide on-line detailing how to spot fake vintage Nikes.
 
MsWeatherwax said:
I'm not sure. My frame of reference is only for the UK, so all I can say for sure is that in my experience, most fake 'name' brands are sold on market stalls over here. As for the US, I have no idea - I'd have to bow to you guys on that. It's definite that fakes were circulating during that time period, because I've found a guide on-line detailing how to spot fake vintage Nikes.
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There are some parts of Los Angeles and San Francisco where you can buy that sort of thing -- also, some people in California cross the border into Tijuana or Mexicali where they can buy that (I had a friend in the late 1980s who went on vacation to Mexico and came back with a bunch of phony Guess brand clothing). I'm not sure where you would get that sort of thing around Cleveland, though.

Another thought occurred to me -- could they have been authentic Nike shoes, but not for the US market?
 
They did release special editions, but I haven't been able to find anything specifically released for one country or the other. The shoes are very nearly an exact match for the '91 air cross trainers I linked - there are just tiny details that are wrong.

I'm not sure why I find this case so frustrating. I think it's probably because Cynthia has maybe been sitting there for the last 21 years maybe thinking this guy ran out on her. Another thought - could he have been travelling to find work?

ETA: I had been thinking that where he was found was pretty weird because it sounds like a residential street. I Google mapped it and it is, but at the back there are some pretty dense woods. They aren't that big, but I do understand why he might not have been found for a month now.
 
MsWeatherwax said:
I'm thinking that the shoes were fakes.

As far as I can tell, they were based on Nike Air Cross "Grapes" which were manufactured beginning in February 1991 - they are really similar, but the detail on the tongue is different. I can't find any Nike shoes which have the detail from the picture on Namus on the tongue, which is what leads me to think they're fake.

Link to vintage Nike catalogue below - the shoes I'm looking at are 6 pictures down.

http://niketalk.yuku.com/topic/105895#.T0f70IdmIQM

My original thinking was, that if they were legit Nike shoes released that year, a homeless person or recently released prisoner wouldn't be able to afford brand new sneakers. If they're fake, that theory is pretty much shot, though.
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Or he got them at a thrift shop or someone threw them away and he retrieved them from the trash, if homeless.
 
Bumping for my friend here - has it really been four years since we looked at this case?

I don't really know this kid, but I would like to see this case solved. Names does say he is African-American, about 18-21 YOA, and he had been dead for about 1 month when he was found. When I look at that letter he had with him I know someone loved him. He deserves to have his name back and go home to his family.

ETA: There are now 19 rule-outs per NAMUS
 
Irish_Eyes said:
This case has been on my mind for a while:

http://doenetwork.org/cases/1117umoh.html

Victim was found September 11, 1991 behind a house on E. 81st Street in Garfield Heights, Ohio.

Description: Black Male, 18-21 yo. Light complexion. 5'5" - 5'7"
He wore a red short sleeved shirt and 34W x 30L blue jeans

In his shoe was a note that read:

For Daddy
We can't wait to see you!
Love, Cynthia and Boo Boo
Miss you!

(picture of note and shoes at Doe Network)

This UID obviously had someone who loved him....can we bring him home??
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I wish we knew if it was a child's writing on the note. Wonder if Cynthia was a child. Boo Boo sounds like a cat.
 
The note is viewable. Here it is on Doe Network, I think it may be in his Namus also: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1117umoh.html

Definitely the writing of an adult female. I get the impression that Cynthia is the adult and Boo Boo is their baby. Cynthia may even have been pregnant and they hadn't picked out a name yet and maybe that's why Boo Boo. Could also be that the adult female is not named and Cynthia and Boo Boo are both their kids, etc.
 
Irish_Eyes said:
The note is viewable. Here it is on Doe Network, I think it may be in his Namus also: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1117umoh.html

Definitely the writing of an adult female. I get the impression that Cynthia is the adult and Boo Boo is their baby. Cynthia may even have been pregnant and they hadn't picked out a name yet and maybe that's why Boo Boo. Could also be that the adult female is not named and Cynthia and Boo Boo are both their kids, etc.
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Much better to take a look. Thank you! Interesting that the pre-printed part of the note is "For Daddy". Like a notepad readily available in stores around Father's Day? The note is also in good shape for being in a shoe. If it's paper, I think it couldn't have been in there very long. If it is card stock it would hold up better, but then I wonder, why card stock? Then I think, cards handed out at jail for a kid to fill out while visiting?
 
I tried to do a calendar date search for Garfield heights muni court, came up with no results, they must not have the calendars in the system for back that far.
 
Irish_Eyes said:
I found this place....wonder if he could have been a resident? http://www.hmhousing.org/2opportunity.htm

A kid who had aged out of foster care is the kind of person who may end up not reported missing.

I wonder if it was in operation in 1991
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I am assuming that the dates on this map indicate the year each place was established. If you disagree, please let me know as I have contacts with the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.

http://www.hmhousing.org/1locations.htm
 
I'm assuming that the note wasn't in the shoe very long. It would had already been crinkled and ruined if it was in there for long, unless it was standing up and down by the heel (maybe?). But Maybe he was a jogger or played some sort of sport and placed it in his shoe for good luck? My Mom told me once that one of her friends on the track team would place a lucky penny in their shoe for good luck. So maybe since they weren't around he thought their note would give him good luck in what ever he was doing. I can't really think of any other reason why he would put it in a shoe instead of his pockets. I know he wasn't dressed in sports gear, but maybe he had been before he died?
 
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