Nov 29, 2019
COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Along Interstate 196 south of South Haven, Covert Township Police were stymied by a pair of decades-long mysteries:
What were the identities of the two bodies found near the highway a decade apart? And, how did they get there?
The woman’s body, found in 1988, was nicknamed 196 Jane Doe, and now has a name thanks to the Michigan State Police genealogy project: Marcia Bateman, of Oklahoma City.
The man’s body, discovered in 1979, never got a nickname and remains nameless.
Police hope DNA from his remains will help identify him, too.
[...]
The two are among seven sets of remains state police from the Fifth District are trying to identify through the genealogy project.
Three of the unnamed remains were given up by Lake Michigan — a woman’s body that washed up in 1988 near New Buffalo
, a man’s body found on the beach in Covert Township in 2010, a jawbone with teeth discovered near Saugatuck in 2014.
So far, that’s about all that is known about them.
“They’re likely a drowning that will have remains wash up on the shore on Lake Michigan on this side, and those depending on how long in the water, those can be very hard to ID,” state police Fifth District Commander Lt. Chuck Christensen said.
Police figure the jaw bone came from a man who was somewhere between 18 and 99 years old.
The woman was fully clothed — size 38 men’s jeans, running shorts, pantyhose.
The man found in 2010 was Asian, wore dark swim trunks and a striped sleeveless tank top — washed up in Covert Township.
Read More:
Retired chief hopes new DNA test solves 40-year mystery
BBM.
Marcia Bateman's thread:
Identified! - MI - Covert Township, WhtFem 730UFMI, 23-40, Near I-96, Oct'88 - Marcia Bateman
The 5 other Doe's they are attempting to ID:
1979 Covert Twp John Doe:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - Van Buren Co, Wht/HispMale, 33-69, Broken Nose, Spanish Medallion, Timex, Covert Twp, July 1979
1988 New Buffalo Jane Doe:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - New Buffalo, Wht Fem 43-53 UP8228 foud in lake Michigan April 1988
2014 Saugatuck John Doe (Maxilla w/teeth)**
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - Allegan Co, Male, 18-99, Maxilla w/teeth, Shore of Lake Michigan, Saugatuck, July 2014
1993 St. Joseph County Child John Doe (Age 7-12)*
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - St. Joseph Co., WhtMale UP9894, 7-12, partial skull buried, Nov'93
1987 Keeler Twp. John Doe (Age 15-22)*
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - Van Buren Co, HispMale, 15-22, Busch Gardens Tee, Keeler Twp, Dec 1987
