FL FL - Jacksonville, WhtMale 1616UMFL, 22-48, suicide by zip gun, Nov'99

The Doe Network:
Hot Case 1452 http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1616umfl.html
NamUs UP Case 745 https://identifyus.org/cases/745


Unidentified White Male

* The victim was discovered on November 28, 1999 in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida
* State of Remains: Partial Skeleton
* An intraoral gunshot wound is present in the cranium

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 22-48 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 5'9".
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Fracturing of the cranium is consistent with an intraoral gunshot wound; a sternal foramen is present, located 10 cm from the manubriosternal junction.
* Clothing: Green shorts; shirt remnant; sandals.
* Fingerprints: Not available
* Dentals: Sliver amalgam restoration on #3, 18, 19, 30, 31; postmortem dental radiographs are available.
* DNA: Available - University of North Texas.

Case History
The victim was discovered adjacent to a small clearing in a wooded area at 10014 Atlantic Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida on November 28, 1999.
Remains were discovered by two transients who had entered the woods to smoke; they noticed the remains after moving some old tires to sit on.
Found in association with the remains were two live shotgun shells, one spent shell, and a zip-gun constructed of PVC piping. Embedded in the dirt against the maxilla was a piece of plastic which appeared to be shotgun shell wadding.

This one looks good on resemblance, as well as age and timeline:

John Leslie Welty
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/welty_john.html



The height is a little off (FWIW).

Major issue is distance and method of death.

Davie, FL is 325 miles from Jacksonville. If John were taken there and killed, the method of death seems odd - a staged suicide with an unhidden body seems too elaborate for a drugs murder. If he killed himself, why go so far to do it? As a drug user would he have had the ability to do so?

None of that is necessarily inconsistent of course. 2" on skeletal remains seems less of a problem to me.

It certainly looks like a good match. It mentions the UID was wearing sandals... I personally wouldn't wear sandals into a wooded area. He could have been forced at gun point. If John was abusing drugs there's a good chance he was involved with some shifty people. A gunshot to the head for some outstanding cash perhaps doesn't sound too far fetched.

Namus now has revised sketches dated October 2018 but no longer publicly publishes some of the details previously available in the posts above.




www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/745?nav

Case Numbers
ME/C Case Number 99-1454
Demographics
SexMale
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years) 22-48
Estimated Year of Death 0-1999
Height 5' 9"(69 inches) , Estimated
Weight Cannot Estimate
Date Body Found November 28, 1999
NamUs Case Created December 4, 2007
Location Jacksonville, Florida
County Duval County
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped)

Circumstances of Recovery Remains found adjacent to a small clearing in a wooded area at the above address. Remains were discovered by two transients who had entered the woods to smoke; they noticed the remains after moving some old tires to sit on.

Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only

Clothing and Accessories
Clothing - green shorts; shirt remnant near the body
Footwear - sandals - On the Body

17 Exclusions
MP7448 William Moldt 11/07/1997 Palm Beach FL
MP1711 Gabriel Caporino 03/07/1974 Orleans LA
MP3306 James Scavone 07/05/1999 New Haven CT
MP7938 Michael Lattimer 11/23/1999 Hardin OH
MP9438 Evan Snider 10/22/1976 Los Angeles CA
MP9866 Richard Howard 07/28/1974 Delaware NY
MP8788 Phillip Sheridan 08/17/1973 Sussex DE
MP2058 Claude Shelton 05/28/1971 Whitley KY
MP1659 William Ellis 06/03/1971 Baltimore MD
MP498 John Davidson 11/20/1965 Maricopa AZ
MP485 Phillip Mounts 11/26/1999 Kauai HI
MP4386 John Lake 12/10/1967 New York NY
MP9589 Robert Rivera 07/28/1977 Ventura CA
MP7194 Edward Maps 06/21/1962 Monroe PA
MP3003 George Hawkins 04/03/1961 Campbell KY
MP2591 Lyndal Ashby 10/23/1960 Ohio KY
MP2797 Joseph Halpern 08/15/1933 Larimer CO

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)