AR AR - Malvern, WhtMale 1415UMAR, 25-35, hitchhiker in submerged car, p/u Louisville, Oct'84

dearmont

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Rodolfo Araya was last seen January 20, 1984 in Glendale, Los Angeles County, California.
Stats here: 557DMCA - Rodolfo Araya


While looking for a possible match I came across this UID from October 18, 1984 Malvern, Hot Spring County, Arkansas
Stats here: 1415UMAR


What caught my attention was the reference to West Haven CT. A quick search found a possible relative - based on ages I would think possibly sister in West Haven.

Perhaps Rodolfo had previously travelled to CT from CA and was on his way back from CT when he was picked up and then involved in the accident?

Thoughts :waitasec:

Submitted to DOE Panel for review


<MOD NOTE: Several original links throughout the thread were broken and have been edited to include the current link (when available) and images as of April 11, 2023>
 
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The match seems worth reporting. My only question as far as your theory-
If he had been to visit his sister, wouldn't she have said so? I'm not saying this discounts the possible match. Perhaps he wasn't really traveling from CT back to CA but those were familiar places to him so it made for a quick story.
 
The match seems worth reporting. My only question as far as your theory-
If he had been to visit his sister, wouldn't she have said so? I'm not saying this discounts the possible match. Perhaps he wasn't really traveling from CT back to CA but those were familiar places to him so it made for a quick story.

The only information we have to go on is what was contained in the DOE and NAMUS reports - the possible family connection is speculation on my part based on a name search in West Haven area. The surname Araya is possibly Portugese in origin - very strong Portugese communities in both MA and CT. Just a thought.
 
Please don't think I was attacking your theory, because it could be a good one, depending on things that might have happened during a visit to his sister. You just never know, right?
Anyways, I really think you should submit it!!!
 
I took no offense - really, just wanted to see what other theories could be applied to this case. I hope everyone takes the time to question this, provide alternate choices, the only goal is to provide closure to someone's family out there. I have never been able to come to terms with the fact that someone can just vanish off the face of the earth without a trace, or be found and go un-named for so long - this is what we're all about- right?:)
 
It is really sad to me that there is no photo taken of the UID. It seems as though they removed him from the vehicle fairly quickly, so it is not as though there would be an issue of decomposition. A photo would sure be helpful.
 
It sounds plausible.

I am assuming that the info about CT came from things he told the man that picked him up. I also assume that he did not regain consciousness during his 2 days in the hospital.
What I am trying to figure out is how he was alive at all for 2 days after nearly half an hour in a submerged vehicle.
I wish I knew more about the other guy. Who lets a complete stranger drive their vehicle? I don't know, that strikes me odd.
But on physical description and time frame alone, I would consider it a possibility. I just wish we knew more.
 
I recently spent a little more time revising a recon that I did for DoeNet several months ago. There was no thread for him here, so I am creating one.

This case seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to solve. The victim is thought to have been from New Haven CT. He appears to be about Mid 20's and has a very distinctive look, even without the goatee. I checked Classmates.com for late 70's HS yearbooks from the New Haven area, and unfortunately, Classmates doesn't have any yet.

If any of you are from the New Haven area, maybe you can come up with some ideas of how to solve this one.

The Doe Network:
Case File 1415UMAR
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1415umar.html

5fb31b60-f5e3-46d8-8c36-1b24495494f4.jpg

Reconstruction of Victim by Carl Koppelman

WARNING - POSTMORTEM PHOTO AT LINK
http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums...em Photos/2125785440045078242S600x600Q851.jpg

Unidentified White Male

* The victim was discovered on October 18, 1984 in Malvern, Hot Spring County, Arkansas

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 25-35 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 5'8"; 167 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Medium to dark brown hair measuring 6 inches with bushy, brown beard; brown eyes. Small circular scar on left ankle.
* Clothing: Corduroy trousers (size 28 x 32); pair of red, black and white sweat socks; brown boot shoes, size M8; cut brown sweater; multicolored long sleeved shirt "John Henry", neck size is 14 1/2 inches (32-33).
* DNA: No sample available to submit.
* Dentals: Available.
* Fingerprints: Available.

Case History
The victim was located in Malvern, Arkansas on October 18, 1984. He had been hitch hiking and picked up in Louisville, Kentucky by another male en route to Houston, Texas. They stopped for breakfast near Benton, Arkansas and after began driving again. The other male became tired and let the victim drive.

The other male reports that he awoke and the cab of the vehicle being driven was filling up with water. He got out but the victim did not.

The victim was under water for about 15 to 30 minutes. He was extracted from the vehicle and taken to the hospital where he expired 2 days later.
The victim was possibly from New Haven, Connecticut traveling to California.
 
actually Carl, he looks rather Hispanic to me. the relatively short and heavy stature, rounded face (the post-mortem, not your reconstruction), dark hair and dark eyes and the lack of body hair all point to Hispanic heritage to me. in fact his facial appearance reminds me of some guys I've know who were born in Colombia. there was, however, no indication from the profile that the guy had any foreign accent.
 
actually Carl, he looks rather Hispanic to me. the relatively short and heavy stature, rounded face (the post-mortem, not your reconstruction), dark hair and dark eyes and the lack of body hair all point to Hispanic heritage to me. in fact his facial appearance reminds me of some guys I've know who were born in Colombia. there was, however, no indication from the profile that the guy had any foreign accent.

Southern Connecticut has a large population of Americans of Portuguese, Brazilian, and Latin American descent, so he might well be. He could also be Italian -- another large ethnic group in the region -- or just a brown-haired white guy. (He actually looks not unlike my middle son -- who was only a few months old at the time.)
 
Southern Connecticut has a large population of Americans of Portuguese, Brazilian, and Latin American descent, so he might well be. He could also be Italian -- another large ethnic group in the region -- or just a brown-haired white guy. (He actually looks not unlike my middle son -- who was only a few months old at the time.)

the hispanic population in CT was of relatively recent origin but there was no indication this guy had an accent.

that having been said, the Portuguese while mostly darker haired, are white. Brazilians are a mix for sure but I have no information on what the Brazilian population there was in the early 80's. the lack of chest hair suggests, at least to me, Hispanic origin, meaning those people who came from countries south of the US border minus Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay and to a lesser extent Chile. I list those countries as exceptions since their population mixes are quite different from the rest.

Brazil has some population with indigenous mix but the bulk of the population was either white or a mixture of white and black. Argentina and Uruguay are have almost no indigenous population and are overwhelmingly white. Chile has some indigenous mix but is a white majority population.

The rounded face that I see is more common in Ecuador and Colombia, although I have known MANY people from Ecuador and their indigenous features do not match the face other than the rounded nature of it.

a common feature of most of the indigenous Hispanic populations is the lack of much chest hair, although the fact he had what looked like a full chin beard suggests some European blood, although most South Americans are considered mestisos or mixed European and indigenous blood.
 
this is the closest match I could find at NAMUS. Kenneth LaManna. unfortunately they did not have any recent photos of Kenny that were posted.

he was from New Haven County CT, is within the age range, had brown eyes, height is off by only one inch.

he disappeared in 1980 so it's not clear what he would have been up to in the 4 years before this UID drowned.

<modsnip: broken link (identified)>
 
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This one is actually pretty close. The HS senior photo was taken 13 years before his 1980 disappearance, and 17 years before John Doe's death. He would have been 35 at the time (which is the high end of J Doe's age range).

At 35, he might have had a little higher hairline, which might not have included as much of a widow's peak. He also would have had little more fat on his face.

Here's a morphing overlay The only thing that bothers me is that LaManna's brow might be a little low, even after taking into account the postmortem effect of raised eyebrows.

*** WARNING - POSTMORTEM PHOTO IN VIDEO BELOW ***

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAIYeVf3oMM
 
IMO, I think it's close enough to call in.
 
I emailed the contact person listed in the Doe Network page with the possible match.
 
Browsing through the NamUs file for this UID, I found an interesting comment (Under Phisical/Medical - Foreign Objects):

NamUs UP Case 3123 Warning Postmortem photos at link

This victim was shot in the chin with a BB in the past.

Kenneth LaManna's B&W Age 18 photo shows that he has an apparently naturally dimpled chin. But look at Kenneth's chin at age 19:

2585319950045078242S600x600Q851.jpg


It is very swollen on the left (viewer's right) side of his chin, and there appears to be some redness on the chin. The dimple appears to be obliterated by the swelling. Could this be the result of a BB injury?

And another thing - In Kenneth's NamUs UP casefile, it indicates the following (under Physical - Scars and Marks):

Kenneth LaManna - NamUs MP Case 3399 <modsnip: broken link (identified)>

Kenneth has a scar on his arm from when he fell from a tree as a child

Although there is no indication of an arm scar in the UID's NamUs page, the postmortem photo reveals what appears to be a very long scar running from his right shoulder across his right pectoral nearly to his right nipple. There is another zigzagged apparent scar on his right shoulder, and possibly a very long "L" shaped apparent scar on his right bicep (at the very left of the photo that was taken more from the side).

These apparent scars are not mentioned in the "Scars and Marks" section, although there is a mention of "1 small circular scar on left ankle" (which could have been acquired during the 4 years after his disappearance, or may have been too small to mention)

Two questions:

(1) Could this be the same scar?
(2) Could the dimpled chin (or BB wound) be partly the reason for his choice to grow the chin-beard?
 
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Carl,

Definitely swollen. The injury might have resulted in a hard cyst or even keloid scarring that could have made the swelling appear permanent and the asymmetry could cause a young man to feel self-conscious and want to grow a beard.It is such an odd beard for that time period.
 

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