PA PA - Philadelphia, 30th St Station, AsianMale 20-30, UP7438, gun stolen from WI, note, scars, Apr'94

[azure]

http://articles.philly.com/1995-12-13/news/25670148_1_asian-gangs-gang-members-rival-gang

Here's an interesting article from Philly.com written in 1995. It talks about an increase in violent crimes among Asian gangs in the city. The article notes that some gang members were known to be as young as 12 years old. Often, they joined gangs to escape strict parents, which could explain the lack of tattoos/scars on our uid. Gangs were seeing members of various Asian ethnicities joining up as they were more united by location and socioeconomic status. They used a number of gang names at the time, including Crips and Bloods (unaffiliated with the national gangs of the same name), and, as another poster mentioned, the Flying Dragons.

I wonder whether the Flying Dragons ever called themselves simply "the Dragons"?

 

[Ambercat]

White socks, white underwear, and no tattoos does not exactly scream "gangsta" to me (though it's possible), so I went looking for what that poem might mean.

I found this article from the LA Daily News, September 26, 2004, discussing Asian Gangs --

In the past, he [Monterey Park Detective Ron Lee] said gang members didn't want to be known by cops so they didn't tattoo themselves with the gang's name or weren't into tagging. Remaining anonymous was one way to make money.

http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/gangs/articles/sgvnp1_asian.asp

Also, isn't "chasing the dragon" slang for smoking heroin? Maybe this guy was having some nasty withdraw and thought this was the only way out? That is probably a stretch.

 

[Narkj]

I looked through archives and didn't find any mention of this in the news back in 1994. The Raven M-25 is a very small guy, a crappy gun too, so it might not have been that loud.

I'm stumped by this one.

 

[Narkj]

Amtrak police would have handled the original call.

 

[Filly]

I looked through archives and didn't find any mention of this in the news back in 1994. The Raven M-25 is a very small guy, a crappy gun too, so it might not have been that loud.

I'm stumped by this one.

Nothing? I guess it wasn't important that some poor Asian guy was found shot in the bathroom with latex gloves on and a note in his pocket.

This is crazy, and so sad.

 

[Filly]

Amtrak police would have handled the original call.

Would they have been responsible for the train that proceeded with blood on the steps when someone jumped up in Bristol? That I remember. Any Amtrak based crimes goes through them first?

 

[Filly]

Also, isn't "chasing the dragon" slang for smoking heroin? Maybe this guy was having some nasty withdraw and thought this was the only way out? That is probably a stretch.

Awful to say, but usually people in withdrawl go looking for more dope. Even worse is here in Philly especially back in 1994 he could have easily found some. All he would have needed was $10.00.

 

[Narkj]

I was in 30th Street station today and thought of this case. The bathooms are far from the main lobby and the building is so cavernous. Still, something about this one just sticks with me.

 

[Narkj]

bumping this one up. Too weird to forget about.

 

[zwiebel]

'Ride a *advertiser censored* horse to Banbury cross, to see a fine lady upon a white horse'

Quintessentially English. Maybe a former colonial country education? Hong Kong? Transfer of sovereignty was in '97. A lot of people chose to leave in the years leading up to that.

 

[zinc]

I don't think the English roots of the rhyme mean much. I grew up with that nursery rhyme in the United States. I recall it from both children's books and recordings of children's nursery songs.

 

[reasypeasy]

Somewhat similar to Ee Tiong Chan but a bit taller, and younger than Ee Tiong Chan would have been in 94... maybe not so much different that it would be totally impossible, but not a great match either. The eyebrows are remarkably similar, face shape isn't too bad. Ee Tiong Chan was last seen at Sydney International Airport in 1987.

http://doenetwork.org/cases/2191dmnsw.html

 

[Equinista]

The only sorta "connection" I could find in reference to "The Dragons" and being in Philly is a post on this forum:

http://www.nflfever2.com/nflfever/index.php?topic=25968.0

A poster replied saying "The thing is.. this would have never happened in lower north Philly. You go there around Arch street and it is like "Big trouble in little China". Any gaijin causes trouble there and they are never heard from again.... ever. I'm sure some of these thugs are in for a world of pain in their future. You don't *advertiser censored** with the dragons."

Perhaps there is a gang in Philly known as "The Dragons".

 

[vermontaigne]

I would say that it might be this guy, who disappeared after his gang shot up a restaurant in San Francisco in 1977, but . . .

* The UID is too tall
* The UID is too young
* The UID has no tattoos (which is strange, if this puzzler is, as lots of us seem to think, gang related)
* It's likely there would have been a fingerprint match.

Still, Sai Ying Lee, missing for ~35 years, is someone for whom you might want to keep an eye out.

 

[jenstar]

I'v read it over and thought for sure that he resembled a boy I went to school with. He was from the Philippines, but the skin tone of the UID is a little darker than my friends. Just thought I'd throw that out there. So odd. jmo

 

[jenstar]

The more i read/research the less likely this becomes gang related to me. Sorry for the reiteration of everyone else's thoughts. I'm still thinking it through as im new to this thread.

 

[jenstar]

Checked ncmec from 1992-1994. Also missing people of Canada. Nothing substantial popped out to me. Maybe he'd immigrated from somewhere else and the family hasn't reached out to the US yet?

 

[jenstar]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23631923

Holy Carp. Ok, so this is going to sound absolutely bonkers. But what if he was a victim of child trafficking or involved in some way?
snip from article "Hieu is one of more than 230 child-trafficking victims that the Vietnam-based charity Blue Dragon Children's Foundation has rescued since 2005."
of course this is purely speculation, but I think it's kinda odd with a Dragon reference and all.

 

[carbuff]

Has anybody looked at Jerome Maeth?
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/maeth_jerome.html
CA Jerome Maeth (20) - San Francisco CA, 1983 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community
http://dojapp.doj.ca.gov/missing/detail.asp?FCN=4679315232085

Jerome was 19 when he went missing from San Francisco in 1983, so he would have been 30, at the top end of the 16-30 range, when this UID was found.

Jerome was 5'11" and 145lbs. UID was slightly shorter at 5'9"and slightly heavier at 168lbs, but most guys put on weight in their 20's.

The UID had "small, snakelike, elevated scars on forehead, face, and neck" per Namus. A post from Filly (Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - PA PA - Philadelphia - AsianMale 1213UMPA, 20-30, Gunshot Suicide in Mens Room, Apr'94) indicated Asian gangs sometimes use more subtle signs like scarring to indicate gang membership. Jerome's information doesn't indicate either way about gang issues, etc. and the scarring could also be from somebody who had self-harm issues. He already had a scar on his left cheek, which is unfortunately not visible in the photo.

Side by side attached.

Does it look close enough to follow up on? There seem to be a couple of leads hanging out on the internet.

 

[vermontaigne]

Be nice to have a full front face pic of Jerome to compare.