Identified! WA - Arlington, Wht/HispMale UP2138, 18-50, GSW, in Pilchuck Creek, Aug'80 - Ronald David Chambers

CarlK90245

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The Doe Network:
Case File 336UMWA
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/336umwa.html
NamUs UP Case 2138 https://identifyus.org/cases/2138

336UMWA.jpg

Reconstruction of Victim

Unidentified Male


* The victim was discovered on August 3, 1980 in Arlington, Snohomish County, Washington
* Estimated Date of Death: Months prior
* Partial Skeleton

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 25-28 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 67.5"; 140 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair.

Case History
Skeletal remains of an unidentified male were found by a landowner, 2.5 mile West of Highway 9 on Stanwood- Bryant Road, by Pilchuck Creek.

A gunshot wound to the head was noted. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.
 
Dale Leslie McKay looks like a pretty decent possible for this UID.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mckay_dale.html
https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/5314/0
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4240dmca.html

336UMWA.jpg
mckay_dale2.jpg


His vital stats are good. The timeline is good. The facial structure looks pretty close.

He was headed from California to Arizona and it was never established that he arrived in Arizona. I am thinking that he might have picked up a hitchhiker who comandeered his vehicle, taking him to Washington State before murdering him.
 

I finally got a hold of Deborah Hollis of the Snohomish County ME Office. Since she works the night shift, I had to wait until midnight to call her.

But she looked into this UID case, and said that Dale L. McKay had not been looked at yet. They have dental info on the UID, but they don't have DNA. She will get in touch with the authorities in charge of DLM's case to see what they have. She suggested that I call back in a couple of weeks for an update.

Regarding the UID, she said that the remains were buried, and they don't have the funding to exhume for DNA testing. I suggested that they look into the possibility of obtaining federal grants authorized for that purpose. I told her that the state of Texas has been taking advantage of federal grants to exhume many of their old UID's to obtain DNA samples and put the DNA profiles in CODIS. She was very interested in looking into this, so I gave her the number for TX-DPS and suggested that she speak with Melanie Shramm. Although Melanie is an analyst, she may be able to refer her to someone who knows how to apply for these grants.
 
I made a follow up call to Deborah Hollis last night.

She said that they are applying for a grant from the National Institute of Justice to exhume the John Doe for DNA testing, but this is a time-consuming process and it may be over a year before the grant is approved and the subsequent DNA testing is completed.

She said that they did not have dental records on the John Doe. But I pointed out that there is a dental chart available in NamUs. I asked her if she ever heard from Murietta CA Police Dept (who is in charge of Dale McKay's case). I said that and perhaps they have dental records or at least charts so that can get a preliminary review based on dental charts.

She said that Murrietta PD had not responded to her earlier inquiry, but she will send them another e-mail.
 
If you haven't already, submit the possible match to Murrietta PD. Maybe they'll be more effective on their end.
 
there is only one rule out listed at Namus and that is Amadeo Vigil.

I assume this means you have not heard from Deborah Hollis in some time now Carl?
 
there is only one rule out listed at Namus and that is Amadeo Vigil.

I assume this means you have not heard from Deborah Hollis in some time now Carl?

No, and I doubt that she plans on doing anything on this until they get funding on the exhumation. AFAIK, Murrietta has not responded to her inquiries. As I recall, I tried calling Murrietta around that time, and never got a response either.
 
It looks like they are finally going forward with the exhumation of this John Doe.


Remains found in 1980 will be exhumed for testing
Remains of man found in 1980 will be exhumed, tested
By Diana Hefley, Herald Writer

EVERETT -- Snohomish County sheriff's detectives are making another attempt to identify the man whose skeletal remains were found more than three decades ago east of Stanwood.

Investigators at the time concluded that the man had been shot in the head. They classified the case as a homicide.

There's "no hope in identifying his killer until this victim is identified," cold case detective Jim Scharf wrote in a search warrant filed Thursday in Snohomish County Superior Court.

A judge on Tuesday agreed to let Scharf exhume the remains from a cemetery in Arlington. A forensic anthropologist is expected to examine the bones and scientist will test the remains for genetic evidence in an effort to identify the man.

"We're hoping the man's family has DNA in the system and we make a match," Scharf said.

The remains were discovered on Aug. 3, 1980, in some woods on the west side of a dirt road just off the Stanwood Bryant Road about a mile west of Highway 9. The body likely had been buried in a shallow grave. The remains likely were unearthed and scattered over a large area by animals, according to court papers.

...

Read More:
http://heraldnet.com/article/20110722/NEWS01/707229893
 
I received an e-mail today from Deborah Hollis:

Carl,
I believe I also spoke to you regarding Dale L. McKay and our John Doe Case? I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. I have good news. We have exhumed the remains on our 1980 John Doe Case. We used the grant obtained by the Sheriff’s Office to do the exhumation. It was featured in the local news media and papers. I just wanted you to know that I have not forgotten and that we are still working on it. We will now be working on obtaining a DNA sample and getting a DNA profile.

BTW, they updated this John Doe's NamUs casefile today.

https://identifyus.org/cases/2138
 
Carl, thank you for making that call to Deborah Hollis and advising her of the federal grant money.

not faulting her dept in any way shape or form, but if you had not told her about it and given her a contact, it makes me wonder if Snohomish County would ever have exhumed this UID's body.
 
NamUs revised his age to being between 18 to 50 (that is quite a big range, IMO). There are two rule outs listed, Titanic Hagan and Amadeo Vigil.

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/2138

I think that he looks like Anthony Balthazar (who went missing from Santa Cruz, CA in March 1980). They are both about the same height (Anthony is 68", the unidentified man from Arlington, WA is 67") and weight (140 lbs. for both).

39245
1298


https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/1396/223
 
attachment.php
I am looking for my brother that disappeared 37 years ago. My cousin thinks this man may be my brother. His name is Robert Allen Wlazlak. He was born in 1953. He also goes by the name Rob Allen. He used to live in Everett, WA. Please contact me if you have any information about him. Thank you.
thank you.
 

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Has a missing persons report been filed for him? If not, you need to contact your local police and do so. Then you can contact namus and get a profile entered for him.
 
attachment.php
I am looking for my brother that disappeared 37 years ago. My cousin thinks this man may be my brother. His name is Robert Allen Wlazlak. He was born in 1953. He also goes by the name Rob Allen. He used to live in Everett, WA. Please contact me if you have any information about him. Thank you.
thank you.

Hi lookingforbrother63

I just received your email to the admin of Websleuths, and sent you a reply. Please call me at the number I provided, and I will help you to get a MP report filed, and a NamUs casefile created for him, so he can be compared to this John Doe (and any other unidentifieds in the NamUs system).
 

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