GA GA - Cordele, WhtMale 990UMGA, 18-23, dental bridge of 4 incisors, Apr'75

The Doe Network:
Case File 990UMGA http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/990umga.html
NamUs UP Case 2190 https://identifyus.org/cases/2190
GBI Page: http://gbi.georgia.gov/00/case_detail/0,2695,67862954_74030338_105713682,00.html


Sketch of Victim

Unidentified White Male

* The victim was discovered on April 16, 1975 in Cordele, Crisp County, Georgia
* Partial Skeletal Remains
* Estimated date of Death: Months prior
* Formerly Hot Case 292

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 21-26 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 5'4"-5'6"; 115-140 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Blonde/light to medium reddish-brown hair.
* Skeletal Findings: Remains consist of a skull, mandible, right femur, right humerus, portion of the left humerus, portion of the right radius and ulna, portion of the left radius and ulna, portion of one tibia, sternum, manubrium, right clavicle, numerous assorted ribs, a portion of one fibula and vertebrae. No carpals, metacarpals or phalanges.
* Dentals: Available. Extensive consisted of maxillary bilateral cantelever bridges supported by cuspids replacing missing teeth numbers 7 and 10. Teeth #'s 7 and 10 missing were probably congenitally absent. Dental work consisted of an upper bridge connected to K9 teeth, both right and left upper medial incisors. All four third molars are impacted.
* DNA: Available. mtDNA Profile available in FBI NMPDD.

Case History
The victim was located in wooded area near the Coney Grove section of Crisp County, 1.8 miles west of Coney Road, and 0.4 miles off of the County Maintained Road, in Crisp County, Georgia on April 16, 1975. There were no indications of traumatic injury.

James Thomas Stanley
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/stanley_james.html
(Note: His photo was taken 7 years before his disappearance)



This case caught my attention because of the description of a "Partial upper dental plate" in JTS' Charley casefile. The uid is described as having "dental work consisting of an upper bridge connected to canine teeth, both right and left upper medial incisors.". While that is not precisely consistent, it seems close enough to warrant a look.

* He was believed to be headed to Florida from Ohio, and his vehicle was found in North Carolina. The state of Georgia is consistent with that scenario. The city of Cordele is adjacent to I-75 (i.e., a major North-South route cutting through Georgia).
His height (5'7 - 5'8") are reasonably close to the (5'5" - 5'6") height estimate, given that the remains were skeletal.
* His age (25) is within range (21-26).
* His hair color (Blonde/Light Brown) is consistent (Light to medium reddish-brownish color, according to NamUs).
* His DLC (Sep'74) is right in-line with when the UID was estimated to have died.
* No indication that the UID had a prior broken arm.
* Although the resemblance is not that close, we must take into account that the photo was taken 7-years prior to his disappearance. He does have a similar nose, and a similarly prominent chin. Also, since the remains were skeletal, we cannot expect the facial reconstruction to capture his overall look.

CarlK90245 said:

* Although the resemblance is not that close, we must take into account that the photo was taken 7-years prior to his disappearance. He does have a similar nose, and a similarly prominent chin. Also, since the remains were skeletal, we cannot expect the facial reconstruction to capture his overall look.

Click to expand...

To underscore my previous point, here is an example of another reconstruction done by the same artist, compared to the actual person depicted.

Christine Allen

http://z13.invisionfree.com/PorchlightUSA/index.php?showtopic=17931

Although this artist does some very nice-looking sculptures, they aren't necessarily accurate.

This is not to knock the artist - I am only pointing out the difficulty in getting an accurate depiction when all you have is a skull.

I hear what you are saying Carl but there is one thing that in my mind works against the possible match. LE said there was no sign of any trauma to the UID and it would seem to me that JTS either disappeared on his own volition to avoid what looked like legal problems in OH or he was murdered and his car taken and abandoned in NC.

by lack of trauma, I assume they mean no evidence of a bullet hole or stab wound contacting bones or the hyoid bone was not broken which would indicate strangulation(assuming they found that bone). I know it is possible to kill someone without striking bone, but a murderer would not purposely take that much care to avoid bone damage.

Since not all his bones were found, it's quite possible that the damage is on a missing bone (one of the missing ribs for a knife mark, for instance).

Also, if he died of an abdominal injury, that wouldn't show, either.

OT, but when I saw the photo, my first thought was, "That's Bunny Ross." But he didn't disappear until a couple of years later. Back to the drawing board...

CarlK90245 said:

James Thomas Stanley
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/stanley_james.html
(Note: His photo was taken 7 years before his disappearance)

This case caught my attention because of the description of a "Partial upper dental plate" in JTS' Charley casefile. The uid is described as having "dental work consisting of an upper bridge connected to canine teeth, both right and left upper medial incisors.". While that is not precisely consistent, it seems close enough to warrant a look.

* He was believed to be headed to Florida from Ohio, and his vehicle was found in North Carolina. The state of Georgia is consistent with that scenario. The city of Cordele is adjacent to I-75 (i.e., a major North-South route cutting through Georgia).
His height (5'7 - 5'8") are reasonably close to the (5'5" - 5'6") height estimate, given that the remains were skeletal.
* His age (25) is within range (21-26).
* His hair color (Blonde/Light Brown) is consistent (Light to medium reddish-brownish color, according to NamUs).
* His DLC (Sep'74) is right in-line with when the UID was estimated to have died.
* No indication that the UID had a prior broken arm.
* Although the resemblance is not that close, we must take into account that the photo was taken 7-years prior to his disappearance. He does have a similar nose, and a similarly prominent chin. Also, since the remains were skeletal, we cannot expect the facial reconstruction to capture his overall look.

Click to expand...

Looking at James' DoeNet file, it says that mtDNA is available in FBI database. On the UID, the DoeNet casefile says mtDNA Profile available in FBI NMPDD. So if we presume that the authorities are acting on CODIS hits (not always a safe assumption - e.g., Colleen Orsborn), then this is a rule-out by default.

Insomnia tonight so I poked through the Doe Network looking for young men who went missing a year or two before the UID was found and more or less fit the other criteria. None of them mention anything about dental work, so that's no help.

Do any of them look promising to anybody else?

Frank Henry Pratt
Disappeared from Toronto in 1973. At 5'8" he's a bit taller than the UID, but not by a lot.

Conor James Brian Sheehan, missing from Ottawa. Almost no information but some facial similarity. At 28, a bit past the top end of the estimated age.

Christopher Martin King, went missing on a trip through Mexico and South America. He left from San Bernardino CA, but was from Virginia -- Georgia could have been on his route home. At 5'8" he's a couple of inches taller than the estimate.

Angelo Nicola Gatti Jr., also missing from California. He left home intending to live off the land in the San Juan Hot Springs area, but could have gone anywhere. At 5'2" he's actually a couple of inches smaller than the UID.

P.S. I didn't check whether any of these are DNA rule-outs.

carbuff said:

Insomnia tonight so I poked through the Doe Network looking for young men who went missing a year or two before the UID was found and more or less fit the other criteria. None of them mention anything about dental work, so that's no help.

Do any of them look promising to anybody else?

Frank Henry Pratt
Disappeared from Toronto in 1973. At 5'8" he's a bit taller than the UID, but not by a lot.

Conor James Brian Sheehan, missing from Ottawa. Almost no information but some facial similarity. At 28, a bit past the top end of the estimated age.

Christopher Martin King, went missing on a trip through Mexico and South America. He left from San Bernardino CA, but was from Virginia -- Georgia could have been on his route home. At 5'8" he's a couple of inches taller than the estimate.

Angelo Nicola Gatti Jr., also missing from California. He left home intending to live off the land in the San Juan Hot Springs area, but could have gone anywhere. At 5'2" he's actually a couple of inches smaller than the UID.

P.S. I didn't check whether any of these are DNA rule-outs.

Click to expand...

I like the resemblance of Christopher King, but there is very little corroboration on the other details.

I don't see enough on any of the four to feel comfortable calling them up and saying "I really think you should look into this."

Regarding DNA rule-outs, the two Canada cases are probably not in CODIS, and Canada does not have a nationwide CODIS system there (although they do have similar province-wide systems in some provinces).

I've always thought of this man being a local to the Cordele area. His body was found on a family's land...I felt like he was somebody who was never reported missing. Maybe he was a dependent adult who didn't have friends and didn't get out much. Maybe even killed by his own family. Coney Rd. is way far away from the Interstate and I feel like whoever killed this man knew the area, because it was so far from the road and from any major highways (such as I-75 or Highway 41).

I live in a neighboring county and tried to find out as much as I could. The detective who has been working this case retired this year.

Even though my theory was he was always a local, James Stanley seems like a good match! He would not be the first victim of murder in our area off of I-75, headed to Florida from Ohio. In 1997, Michaella Swaney was dumped by Jeffrey Lynn Speck, a trucker, in Turner County *right below Crisp County* after hitch hiking back to her native Ohio.

I did a NAMUS comparison with this UID and Missing Persons

This could be Joseph Norman Spears. He has been missing since 1973.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/20957/16/

He was entered into NAMUS in July 2013. No DNA yet.

Physical Characteristics are similar to the UID.

This was already submitted to the Doe Network.

CarlK90245 said:

Looking at James' DoeNet file, it says that mtDNA is available in FBI database. On the UID, the DoeNet casefile says mtDNA Profile available in FBI NMPDD. So if we presume that the authorities are acting on CODIS hits (not always a safe assumption - e.g., Colleen Orsborn), then this is a rule-out by default.

Click to expand...

NamUs has Stanley's dental charting and DNA as unavailable. Am I to understand that the FBI database is completely independent, or is it automatically cross-referenced?

This website has a contact email for Stanley's father, from 2010.

Stanley's car was pointed northbound, and his wallet and personal belongings, including what are reported to be all his clothes left in it. It's possible that he wanted to throw authorities and/or other people with whom he might have anticipated trouble off by leaving all his stuff there and making it appear he was northbound. The radiator hose damage, though, suggests the possibility that when the Peugeot started overheating, he thought his best bet might be to turn around and try to make an exit to the north.

It's incomprehensible to me that someone intending to return to their vehicle would leave their keys in the ignition and wallet, unless they were forced to do so, though there are innumerable cases of vehicles belonging to missing persons recovered with keys and wallet or purse inside. I guess it's possible that the radiator hose was deliberately cut or damaged to give the appearance of a reason for which it was left there, though that seems farfetched. It's possible, too, that Tommy had a pre-arranged ride waiting for him in the vicinity.

It would be nice to know something, perhaps from an old friend, about what exactly the trouble was that caused him to bolt, and how he wore his hair at the time he disappeared, and whether he knew anyone in the SE. I thought of him in connection to Pasco County John Doe--based on facial shape, hair color, height, avowed destination, and age--but there's no indication he wore glasses (assuming they did belong to Pasco John Doe), and there's no indication of broken bones listed for that UID, either, or probable region of origin based on tattoos.

joeytes said:

I did a NAMUS comparison with this UID and Missing Persons

This could be Joseph Norman Spears. He has been missing since 1973.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/20957/16/

He was entered into NAMUS in July 2013. No DNA yet.

Physical Characteristics are similar to the UID.

This was already submitted to the Doe Network.

Click to expand...

Joseph Norman Spears is ruled out. His name is now on the exclusion list.

I get what you mean @CarlK, Given that the reconstruction doesn't even NEARLY look like the actual decedent, I can see where the artist loses credibility. <smirk> She also seemed to "feminize" the reconstruction of the UID listed here. I doubt with all my might the perfectly trimmed eyebrows, lighter eye tones (which kinda looks like blue eyeshadow) and the coiffed hair. JMHO

back to our UID;
If the bones were scattered, most of the fingers and toes missing and he was "skeletal" how do they know it'd only been less than a year that he'd been dead? I guess, soil erosion around the body?
I have a few possibles but they go into the YEARS missing range and not so much a year to a few months..Should we broaden our search horizons a bit and see what pops up?

jenstar said:

She also seemed to "feminize" the reconstruction of the UID listed here. I doubt with all my might the perfectly trimmed eyebrows, lighter eye tones (which kinda looks like blue eyeshadow) and the coiffed hair.

Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I had to look at the reconstruction for a while before I could "see" the "boy" in it. Maybe they had some reason to make it look girlish. Maybe they didn't.

Ruleouts on Namus: Joseph Spears and James Stanley

https://identifyus.org/cases/2190

Updated link. Unidentified Person Case

April 18th 2019

CRISP COUNTY, Ga. -- The GBI and Crisp County coroner continue to work the case of unidentified remains found near a Crisp County lake in April 1975.

According to the GBI, the man's remains were found on April 16, 1975. He is believed to be 5'5"-5'6" with reddish hair and was anywhere from 21-26 years old at the time of his death.

The GBI adds "dental work consisted of an upper bridge connected to K9 teeth."

WGXA spoke with Crisp County Coroner J.D. Rainey on Thursday, who was new to the job in 1975 when the remains were found.

"We tried to look at all possibilities and tie it any way that we could, but even at this late time, we've never been able to tie anything on it," he said. "The GBI did a facial reconstruction of this person and we've had a couple inquiries. One even went as far as a DNA sample -- which ruled out it was the person they were looking for. Basically the only way I guess we could tie it to anything at this point would be a DNA -- actual proof."

https://wgxa.tv/news/local/crisp-co-coroner-still-trying-to-crack-the-case-of-remains-found-in-1975

Coney Grove John Doe has been unidentified for 45 years today.

The 47th anniversary of Coney Grove John Doe’s discovery passed recently.

Unidentified Remains: Crisp County, White Male U760110626​

Case Info​

Date found: Wed, 04/16/1975 - 12:00
Race: Caucasian
Location: Crisp County
Height: 5' 5" - 5' 6"
Hair Color: Blonde
Sex: Male
Birth Range: 21 - 26
Contact Info: Crisp County Coroner, J.D. Rainey 229-273-2231
Dental work consisted of an upper bridge connected to K9 teeth. No other information about the scene is available.
Dental Records are available