Identified! WA - Male: "Lyle Stevik", Grays Harbor, 17 Sept 2001 - #6 *name withheld*

[Roselvr]

Not directly, no. I think you misunderstood my post. My point was that the case became bigger on the net because of the photos. The Reddit crowds following were part of that. This is just my opinion, of course, and I may be wrong-- it may have still been a big case online (and no doubt some people cared without the photos), but I think many people felt compassion for Lyle and drawn to the case after seeing real photos of him (JMO). And the photos were useful for comparison to missing persons and making new sketches-- when they were released. I'm totally in agreement, however, that they serve no purpose now and should be removed wherever they can be. But to try to outlaw releasing morgue photos of UID's could make it harder to get people ID'd. That is the only thing I disagree with-- the notion that a law needs to be made to prevent release of photos in other cases. Some UID's may be identified by photos more quickly and easily than an expensive DNA Genealogy Search. It should be on a case-by-case basis if photos are released IMO.

(PS: Thanks for the background on the Lori Ruff connection-- I thought that might be how things unfolded because I followed Lori Ruff/Kimberly Mclean's case too but I hadn't read anything stating that background)

I don't think releasing photos should be outlawed, I think case by case. The most helpful were seeing g how his clothes hung on him. I just don't think releasing a huge batch is the answer. Without pics there wouldn't be recons. I wished Carl would have done a full body but I'm happy with his last one and hope that was the closest to how he looked

 

[Roselvr]

I will ask if they have the capacity to delete them (not sure if they were uploaded independent of an imgur account - if so, we'd have to go directly to imgur).

Some images showing on Google have been removed. I was looking before. One on Imgur and another on a photo hosting site. I saw some that look like they can't be removed either on a site called photo edit if I remember right.

Great job!

 

[Buttons]

MEL Magazine is one of the the worst culprits, their article about Lyle contains lots of graphic, large and very high quality photos that show up at the top of the search results. I left a comment on the article, as they have no contact form or email address on their website, but I don't think it's enough.

Edited to add: Something else I wanted to clarify is that when I mentioned a Lyle's Law, I was thinking more about how people take advantage of FOIA requests in situations like this and obtain material that has no business being released to the public. It happens in celebrity deaths, too. For example, Chester Bennington's autopsy report should not have been made public. It caused his family a lot of distress and understandably so. I didn't mean that releasing post-mortem photographs of Does should be illegal or that only sketches and composites should be released. I should have used better wording to avoid any confusion.

Another edit to add: An entire Photobucket album of autopsy photos has just been removed. We're getting there!

 

[Hathor16]

Interesting theory. How did IK silently hang Lyle without leaving any mark of violence on him, and without anyone else seeing him come or go?

Ockhams razor; he didn't. You cant tie every dead body to a serial killer just because they may have been in the area. The fact he wasn't murdered also negates such a "theory".

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[Damarna]

MEL Magazine is one of the the worst culprits, their article about Lyle contains lots of graphic, large and very high quality photos that show up at the top of the search results. I left a comment on the article, as they have no contact form or email address on their website, but I don't think it's enough.

Edited to add: Something else I wanted to clarify is that when I mentioned a Lyle's Law, I was thinking more about how people take advantage of FOIA requests in situations like this and obtain material that has no business being released to the public. It happens in celebrity deaths, too. For example, Chester Bennington's autopsy report should not have been made public. It caused his family a lot of distress and understandably so. I didn't mean that releasing post-mortem photographs of Does should be illegal or that only sketches and composites should be released. I should have used better wording to avoid any confusion.

Another edit to add: An entire Photobucket album of autopsy photos has just been removed. We're getting there!

Thank you for doing this for Lyle. Dignity is deserved!

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[Buttons]

Thank you for doing this for Lyle. Dignity is deserved!

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It really is. Also, at least four Pinterest photos have just been removed from the website and from the Google search results.

I'm sorry if the constant updates are becoming tedious, I'm just over the moon to see these pictures be taken down...

 

[Hathor16]

I remain the ONLY family member willing to look for my brother. My partner and I have tried hard to find him

Your brother was born in the 40s?

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[outofthedark]

Some of the hotel photos (and the autopsy photo) ended up on Documenting Reality, a link of which unfortunately shows up as a result on Google Images.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

MEL Magazine is one of the the worst culprits, their article about Lyle contains lots of graphic, large and very high quality photos that show up at the top of the search results. I left a comment on the article, as they have no contact form or email address on their website, but I don't think it's enough.

Edited to add: Something else I wanted to clarify is that when I mentioned a Lyle's Law, I was thinking more about how people take advantage of FOIA requests in situations like this and obtain material that has no business being released to the public. It happens in celebrity deaths, too. For example, Chester Bennington's autopsy report should not have been made public. It caused his family a lot of distress and understandably so. I didn't mean that releasing post-mortem photographs of Does should be illegal or that only sketches and composites should be released. I should have used better wording to avoid any confusion. [emoji20]

Another edit to add: An entire Photobucket album of autopsy photos has just been removed. We're getting there!

I disagree that any FOIA request was “taken advantage of” in this case. One, multiple were filed. Two, they were made (and granted) in the best interest of the case. Three, requests may be denied and challenged (some were).

Autopsy photos are sometimes used on UID websites, too. They can help ID someone, and Lyle’s generated a lot of leads.

They requested public documents. That’s a big reason why FOIA exists. Some were released. They helped keep interest in his case at the fore. Logically, the family had no idea they existed until recently. Are we flagging his photo-linked posts on WS to see if mods/admin can delete them? Is our own front yard clean in that regard? Should it be?

Has the family requested that the sleuthing community remove their existence from the internet?

refused Lyle FOIA request:
https://es.scribd.com/document/358390078/INTERPOL-Response-Lyle-Stevik

refused Lyle FOIA request:
https://www.muckrock.com/foi/grays-harbor-county-8380/grays-harbor-lyle-stevik-911-audio-37890/

refused Lyle FOIA request:
https://www.muckrock.com/foi/grays-harbor-county-8380/grays-harbor-lyle-stevik-emails-34798/#comms

FOIA request, no records found:
https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/fbi-lyle-stevik-24525/#comms

(I mean, where did the police photos from the scene and of his handwriting come from? Police released them, correct? Or no? Kinda tough to renege that cat once it’s out of the bag, if so?)

 

[Buttons]

Some of the hotel photos (and the autopsy photo) ended up on Documenting Reality, a link of which unfortunately shows up as a result on Google Images.

I saw those, and have sent an email to Chris, the owner of the website.

 

[Buttons]

I disagree that any FOIA request was “taken advantage of” in this case. One, multiple were filed. Two, they were made (and granted) in the best interest of the case. Three, requests may be denied and challenged (some were).

Autopsy photos are sometimes used on UID websites, too. They can help ID someone, and Lyle’s generated a lot of leads.

They requested public documents. That a big reason why FOIA exists. Some were released. They helped keep interest in his case at the fore. Logically, the family had no idea they existed until recently. Are we flagging his photo-linked posts on WS to see if mods/admin can delete them? Is our own front yard clean in that regard? Should it be?

Has the family requested that the sleuthing community remove their existence from the internet?

refused Lyle FOIA request:
https://es.scribd.com/document/358390078/INTERPOL-Response-Lyle-Stevik

refused Lyle FOIA request:
https://www.muckrock.com/foi/grays-harbor-county-8380/grays-harbor-lyle-stevik-911-audio-37890/

refused Lyle FOIA request:
https://www.muckrock.com/foi/grays-harbor-county-8380/grays-harbor-lyle-stevik-emails-34798/#comms

FOIA request, no records found:
https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/fbi-lyle-stevik-24525/#comms

(I mean, where did the police photos from the scene and of his handwriting come from? Police released them, correct? Or no? Kinda tough to renege that cat once it’s out of the bag, if so?)

...I really do feel as though I'm being misunderstood here. I'm just trying to do right by Lyle and his family. No, Lyle's family haven't asked us to remove the photos, but do you honestly believe that they want them all over the internet, especially since they've requested privacy? Even if you agree with all of those photos being released, how can anyone possibly think that they can do anything but harm now that he's been identified?

I have no problem with post-mortem photographs or other documents being released for practical, reasonable purposes like aiding in identifying someone. I've said that more than once now.

 

[Hathor16]

I have warned Lyle's family, that the pictures are on the internet, just incase they look into the efforts that were put into identifying him. While I was the one that took the photos, it made me sick to my stomach to learn that the photos had to be released and they were made public. This was a terrible violation of this man's privacy, as well as a disgusting blow to his family if they have to see them displayed.

From someone who had a similar situation, I understand the need for actual photos as reconstructions/sketches often bear no resemblance. However I can imagine the shock and horror of the family discovering them. Decent people will remove from cites, but sure wish more people were decent

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[bears10]

And that's exactly why I am a member here, and not there.

Thank you for your efforts with this.

I AM a member of Reddit and I’ve seen maybe a couple of posters make comments like “deal with it” bla bla. And I can assure you, other posters are very quick to disagree with that sentiment. The people who make comments about the pics already being out there so “too bad so sad” are the serious minority and not at all representative of the Lyle Stevik subreddit, or any of the other unresolved mystery/true crime subreddits I follow. It’s like some people assume Redditers are dirtbag trolls. Reddit played a HUGE part of Lyle being identified IMO. The moderators over there were so dedicated to this case. It’s unfair to judge a group of people based on a few trollish commenters.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

...I really do feel as though I'm being misunderstood here. I'm just trying to do right by Lyle and his family. No, Lyle's family haven't asked us to remove the photos, but do you honestly believe that they want them all over the internet, especially since they've requested privacy? Even if you agree with all of those photos being released, how can anyone possibly think that they can do anything but harm now that he's been identified?

I have no problem with post-mortem photographs or other documents being released for practical, reasonable purposes like aiding in identifying someone. I've said that more than once now.

Maybe I’m being misunderstood, too. Nobody’s advocating for one extreme over the other. At least, I’m not.

I’m advocating that we help clean up our threads first — if they’re not already. ... Removing links to pix, deleting uploaded pix, etc. That we, as a community, make sure we’ve done right by his family, too.

The hard work you and others are doing off WS will indeed remind some sensible people to remove pix they’ve posted, and many have. I’m not knocking that, either. Like I’ve also said, they’re of no use to anyone at this point.

They’re in the public domain. They weren’t released to cause harm. The bigger picture of changing or inhibiting FOIA laws is that not every case is like Lyle’s. The overwhelming majority of requests don’t remotely resemble his case. Most involve “run-of-the-mill” public meeting and other data from government agencies at all levels. The FOIA exists to protect the public good, to add a level of transparency and accountability.

We’re hyper focusing on one example for which remedies already exist: take-down requests, privacy laws, restrictions of release, cease-and-desist requests, civil suits, etc. That’s all; that’s my point there.

 

[Buttons]

Another one gone. That's my last update for the night because it's almost 2:30am here.

I'm not trying to meddle or censor anything, just help, if I can. I'll leave the rest of the pictures be if that's how people really feel about it, although I don't see how that could be right or respectful in this case. Let me know what you all think, though...I don't want to assume that my own personal moral compass is always right.

Good night all :wave:

 

[bears10]

Another one gone. That's my last update for the night because it's almost 2:30am here.

I'm not trying to meddle or censor anything, just help, if I can. I'll leave the rest of the pictures be if that's how people really feel about it, although I don't see how that could be right or respectful in this case. Let me know what you all think, though...I don't want to assume that my own personal moral compass is always right.

Good night all :wave:

I don’t think anyone here prefers for the photos to exist online. Most, if not all of us here on this thread, obviously cared a lot about “Lyle” and his family, otherwise we wouldn’t be here. I think what you are doing is great and I admire your efforts.

I haven’t really seen anyone object to the photos being removed. I think the issue is that some people think the FOIA was out of line for releasing the photos in the first place and want to restrict what gets released in future requests, and others think what was released in response to the FOIA request was in line with freedom of information. JMO

 

[PinkPrincessPoop]

Wonderful, wonderful news. So sad that family thought he simply didn't want to associate with them anymore. At least now they know the truth and 'Lyle' has his true name back. Maybe it's possible in the future to know more about him...we don't need to know his true name if his family wants to provide us with other information through middle men (what his life was like, etc).

 

[LaLaw2000]

So I'm the one who posted the link to the album here that was posted on reddit by someone who did a FOIA request.

When I posted the links I never dreamt the case would be solved. I posted them in hopes that us sleuths would be able to solve the mystery and bring this young man home. I didn't ever stop to think that his family may see the pictures some day. I've been in contact with the mods of this forum to have my posts removed - I'd remove them myself but I can't seem to do that.

I sincerely apologize for any harm caused to his family by way of my posting the links to the albums.

astridxx, IIRC, everyone was clamoring to see the photos and were literally begging for them. Your research has been invaluable on so many cases here. You dig deep and find so much. I admire your skills.

**Wouldn't it be great if the Annandale Christmas lady were to finally be identified? You have put your heart and soul into that one also.

MOO

 

[LaLaw2000]

The photos served a purpose, IMO, at the time they were posted. As Lyle has now been identified, they no longer serve any purpose except sensationalism. If I were a part of Lyle's family, I would want them removed if possible.

****Maybe I am being morbid but I would want to see everything related to Lyle, including those photos. I would have to know everything there was to know and see everything there was to see if Lyle were my son or part of my family. Then I would never want to look at them again.

 

[U2forever]

Oh.My.God.

Rest In Peace, Lyle. You will always have a special place in my heart.
Shalom

Identified! Identified! Identified! Identified! Identified! Identified!