This UID case intrigues me. Everything from the long term usage of the alias "Richard Lee" to his San Francisco Chronicle mention with photograph (below) to his participation in Burning Man logistics all the way to the discrepancies between the coroner's description and the Namus profile.
He first caught my eye because his NamUs height is 6.5 feet - pretty tall! However, that's contradicted by what's listed on the Washoe County Medical Examiner's website.
The way the San Francisco Chronicle writer described her interactions with him made him sound like a cool character. His Facebook memorial pages weren't short on those who were missing his presence. All in all, he carved out an interesting life for himself. What was he starting over from with the fake name?
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Washoe County Medical Examiner - Coroner's Office - Unidentified Remains
Link: http://www.washoecounty.us/coroner/unidentifiedremains.htm
(Red bolded emphasis by me)
NamUs UP # 10536 (**Warning** Post-mortem photographs)
Link: https://identifyus.org/en/cases/10536
(Red bolded emphasis by me)
San Francisco Chronicle
Feature article: "BLACK ROCK UNPLUGGED"
Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer
Published 4:00 am, Sunday, July 27, 2008
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/BLACK-ROCK-UNPLUGGED-3202346.php#page-3
Caption: "Don Lawson of Berkeley enjoys the shade at Rainbow Opal Mine, where Richard Lee (background) offers camping sites, running water, and trips to the mine to prospect for gems in the Calico Mountains of Black Rock Desert. Photo: Meredith May, The Chronicle"
Facebook memorial posting from Gerlach page
Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=423639461008195&id=104743556231122
Facebook memorial service announcement from NIMBY page with photograph
Link: https://www.facebook.com/nimbyspace...1530301726/10150945752581727/?type=1&theater#
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Various Burning Man Acknowledgements
Link: http://www.brc-dpw.org/BRC-DPW/Blank.html
He first caught my eye because his NamUs height is 6.5 feet - pretty tall! However, that's contradicted by what's listed on the Washoe County Medical Examiner's website.
The way the San Francisco Chronicle writer described her interactions with him made him sound like a cool character. His Facebook memorial pages weren't short on those who were missing his presence. All in all, he carved out an interesting life for himself. What was he starting over from with the fake name?
===
Washoe County Medical Examiner - Coroner's Office - Unidentified Remains
Link: http://www.washoecounty.us/coroner/unidentifiedremains.htm
(Red bolded emphasis by me)
===Date Found: July 19, 2012
Washoe County M.E./Coroner Case #12-4983
White male, age approximately 55 to 65 years, 211 pounds, 70 inches tall, blonde hair with adult male type baldness. Found in a one bed, one bathroom, manufactured home on West Sunset Boulevard in Gerlach, Nevada. Gentleman used a fictitious name of Richard Lee.
Cause of Death: Hypertensive and Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Agency: Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Case #12-4983
NamUs UP # 10536 (**Warning** Post-mortem photographs)
Link: https://identifyus.org/en/cases/10536
(Red bolded emphasis by me)
ME/C Case Number: 12-1664
Washoe County, Nevada
55 to 65 year old White Male
Date found: July 19, 2012 11:32
Demographics
Estimated age: Adult - Pre 70
Minimum age: 55 years
Maximum age: 65 years
Race: White
Ethnicity: Other
Sex: Male
Weight (pounds): 211, Measured
Height (inches): 78, Measured
Body Parts Inventory: All parts recovered
Body conditions: Recognizable face
Probable year of death: 2012 to 2012
Estimated postmortem interval: 12 Hours
Location Found
Address 1: 255 West Sunset Blvd
City: Gerlach
State: Nevada
Zip code: 89412
County: Washoe
Circumstances
The decedent was last seen alive on the morning of 7/18/2012. On 7/19/12 at approximately 1120 hours, a worker from senior services was taking meals to the decedent. Upon noticing the decedent's uneaten meals from the previous day, she performed a welfare check and found the decedent to be unresponsive on the bathroom floor. 911 was called at 1120 hours and Gerlach Fire Department was dispatched at that time.
The decedent was known as "Richard Lee" in Gerlach, NV for approximately 20 year, and it has been confirmed that he is not "Richard Lee" after social security and birth date records had been searched.
Physical
Hair color: White
Head hair: Balding, grey hair.
Body hair: Chest hair (grey), pubic hair (grey).
Facial hair: Stubble, beard
Eye description: Unknown due to corneal clouding
Scars and marks: Large apparent sugical scar on the decedent's lower abdomen. Large apparent surgical scar on the decedent's right, poximal, lower extremity.
Tattoos: Left upper arm has a small black tattoo of a devil holding a pitchfork. (Note: Photograph of tattoo on NamUs)
Prior surgery: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm repair, hemorrhoidectomy, and right femoral/popliteal bypass graft.
Other medical information: Hypertension
Fingerprints Status: Fingerprint information is available and entered (Note: Fingerprint card photograph on NamUs)
Dental Status: Dental information / charting is available and entered
DNA Status: Sample submitted - Tests complete
NamUs Images (**Warning** Post-mortem photographs at NamUs link)
(Note: Larger version of this photograph available at NamUs link)
===Washoe County, Nevada
55 to 65 year old White Male
Date found: July 19, 2012 11:32
Demographics
Estimated age: Adult - Pre 70
Minimum age: 55 years
Maximum age: 65 years
Race: White
Ethnicity: Other
Sex: Male
Weight (pounds): 211, Measured
Height (inches): 78, Measured
Body Parts Inventory: All parts recovered
Body conditions: Recognizable face
Probable year of death: 2012 to 2012
Estimated postmortem interval: 12 Hours
Location Found
Address 1: 255 West Sunset Blvd
City: Gerlach
State: Nevada
Zip code: 89412
County: Washoe
Circumstances
The decedent was last seen alive on the morning of 7/18/2012. On 7/19/12 at approximately 1120 hours, a worker from senior services was taking meals to the decedent. Upon noticing the decedent's uneaten meals from the previous day, she performed a welfare check and found the decedent to be unresponsive on the bathroom floor. 911 was called at 1120 hours and Gerlach Fire Department was dispatched at that time.
The decedent was known as "Richard Lee" in Gerlach, NV for approximately 20 year, and it has been confirmed that he is not "Richard Lee" after social security and birth date records had been searched.
Physical
Hair color: White
Head hair: Balding, grey hair.
Body hair: Chest hair (grey), pubic hair (grey).
Facial hair: Stubble, beard
Eye description: Unknown due to corneal clouding
Scars and marks: Large apparent sugical scar on the decedent's lower abdomen. Large apparent surgical scar on the decedent's right, poximal, lower extremity.
Tattoos: Left upper arm has a small black tattoo of a devil holding a pitchfork. (Note: Photograph of tattoo on NamUs)
Prior surgery: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm repair, hemorrhoidectomy, and right femoral/popliteal bypass graft.
Other medical information: Hypertension
Fingerprints Status: Fingerprint information is available and entered (Note: Fingerprint card photograph on NamUs)
Dental Status: Dental information / charting is available and entered
DNA Status: Sample submitted - Tests complete
NamUs Images (**Warning** Post-mortem photographs at NamUs link)
(Note: Larger version of this photograph available at NamUs link)
San Francisco Chronicle
Feature article: "BLACK ROCK UNPLUGGED"
Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer
Published 4:00 am, Sunday, July 27, 2008
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/BLACK-ROCK-UNPLUGGED-3202346.php#page-3
Caption: "Don Lawson of Berkeley enjoys the shade at Rainbow Opal Mine, where Richard Lee (background) offers camping sites, running water, and trips to the mine to prospect for gems in the Calico Mountains of Black Rock Desert. Photo: Meredith May, The Chronicle"
Pulling into Rainbow Opal Mine, we got a warm welcome from the pirate posse from the night before, plus the caretaker, 58-year-old Richard Lee, known as Cub.
Cub lives in a trailer, gets his water from a natural spring, uses a generator to run an outdoor washing machine and propane for his fridge. His outdoor shower and his lanterns are solar powered, and he burns most of his trash in a fire pit. The plastics go with him when he makes quarterly runs to town for gas and supplies.
He has the most gorgeous view of the Playa and Black Rock Mountains from his front porch. Wild horses walk through his yard, and he has no Internet, no phone service, no radio and no TV. He likes it that way.
He has camping spots, and several trailers scattered about that visitors can sleep in if they are empty. For $10 you can borrow his hammer and chisels and head a quarter mile up the mountain behind his spread and crack open rocks looking for opal.
Lee showed us a vial filled with opals and water, turning it so the gems glinted in the light.
Lee passed out the cold ones when we got back, as we were sunburned and sweaty from our expedition.
We beamed as we showed him our take.
"Nah, that's agate," he said.
He must have seen my face fall.
"Oh, but it's real pretty when you shine it up good!"
===Rainbow Opal Mine: Stop at the Friends of Black Rock trailer in Gerlach and pick up a Bureau of Land Management Black Rock Transportation Map. Follow Soldier Meadows Road to the Calico Mountains Wilderness and look for signs on the left to Rainbow Opal Mine. There's no way to call, so no reservations are necessary. Camping sites with water. Just drive up and ask for Richard Lee, the caretaker.
Facebook memorial posting from Gerlach page
Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=423639461008195&id=104743556231122
Facebook memorial service announcement from NIMBY page with photograph
Link: https://www.facebook.com/nimbyspace...1530301726/10150945752581727/?type=1&theater#
===
Various Burning Man Acknowledgements
Link: http://www.brc-dpw.org/BRC-DPW/Blank.html
Link: http://afterburn.burningman.com/02/org/recognition.htmlGerlach Area Residents:
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Richard Lee (Cub)
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Department of Public Works (DPW)
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Richard Lee (Cub), Chief Mechanic
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