NJ NJ - Fair Lawn, Passaic River, WhtMale 45-65, UP1616, full dentures, abdom scar tissue, Aug'06

CarlK90245 · Oct 31, 2011

NamUs UP # 1616 https://identifyus.org/cases/1616

Unidentified Male - Ethnicity Unsure (Case #02061208)
Found: August 23, 2006 in Bergen County NJ
Estimated Age: 45 to 65 years
Estimated Weight: 170 lbs
Estimated Height: 66 (inches)
Body condition: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Probable year of death: 2006
Estimated postmortem interval: Months

Circumstances
Body found in the Passaic River.

Physical
Scars and marks: Scar tissue in abdomen
Fingerprints: currently not available
Dental: Full upper and lower dentures.
DNA:Complete and entered (University of North Texas - Ref#06-4581)

Clothing and Accessories
Footwear: One black sock; one "Porpet" shoe size 11 triple E color black

CarlK90245 · Oct 31, 2011

This guy fits the description pretty closely:
Gregory DeVita

http://www.nampn.org/cases/devita_gregory.html

His age (48) fits.
The timeframe (7 months) fits.
The distance (less than 10 miles) fits.
His height (5'8") is two inches off. Close enough for partially decomposed remains.
He has a very similar facial structure, particularly with the high forehead, prominent brow-ridge, and wide cheekbones. There's no way to know if the remains were decomposed enough to know whether or not he had facial hair.

The only big question mark is whether he wore dentures.

Angie4b1g · Oct 31, 2011

Even wearing black shoes.

It's amazing to me that they wouldn't have checked a guy that went missing from 10 miles away? Who DID they check?

webrocket · Oct 31, 2011

I can tell you this much living in NJ. unless Devita had a car, it is far easier to get to NYC by bus or train from Union, NJ than it is to get to the Passaic River in Fair Lawn, Bergen County. the town where he was found is mentioned at the State's website for missing persons:

http://www.njsp.org/miss/ui_bergen_u540019110.html

so he probably went downstream from around Paterson NJ which is the county seat of the adjacent county, Passaic. it is doubtful he started any further than Paterson as there is a waterfall called the Great Falls and I would think there would have been mention of serious injuries had he gone over the falls.

My initial take on his face was that he looked Polish to me but the heavily Polish communities are down river from Fair Lawn. Paterson has a huge Middle Eastern population so he could be Arab.

webrocket · Nov 7, 2011

speaking of the Great Falls, it was just designated a federal National Historical Park. per the article 2 billion gallons of water go over the falls every day so I doubt the UID went over the falls.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...istoric-park/2011/11/07/gIQATf9evM_story.html

summer_breeze · Feb 4, 2012

https://www16.state.nj.us/NJSP_Ambe...3:2CHp?parameter=mp_detail&mp_id=1501&type=mp

webrocket · Jul 17, 2012

here is an interesting possible match, Robert McCullar missing from TX in 1995. while the gap in time and distance is a bit of a stretch, McCullar's circumstances are listed as these:

Robert was a patient at the Denton State School and left the facility on the date indicated. He has not been seen or heard from since. Robert is mentally handicapped and has violent seizures.

so it is possible that he meandered about relying upon the kindness of strangers. of particular interest, he is said to have had no teeth. (does this mean dentures or literally toothless)? he had an abdominal scar as well and is within the height and weight ranges of the UID (5'6", 140-170 lbs)

the downside, besides time and distance, are that he had scoliosis and a prior fracture in his left foot.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mccullar_robert.html
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1219dmtx.html
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/7568/5/

webrocket · Jul 10, 2013

webrocket said:
I can tell you this much living in NJ. unless Devita had a car, it is far easier to get to NYC by bus or train from Union, NJ than it is to get to the Passaic River in Fair Lawn, Bergen County.

we now know for sure this is not Devita. as it turns out Devita did get to NYC and jumped in front of a train.

Melt71 · Dec 11, 2019

Namus notes it's unknown if this UID was bald as no hair was recovered , so there are 2 different recons with/without hair.

Melt71 · Oct 22, 2022

One ruleout for this UID - MP9007 Richard Hudson DLC 3/9/91 from NJ

NJ NJ - Fair Lawn, Passaic River, WhtMale 45-65, UP1616, full dentures, abdom scar tissue, Aug'06

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