CA CA - Los Angeles Co., WhtMale 2279UMCA, 17-21, near Mt Baldy, Mar'79

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The Doe Network: 2279UMCA
2279UMCA


NamUs UP4407 and UP4410
<UP4407 removed from NamUs>

ED2D04B4-883B-4A07-BA9C-98373C909D23.jpeg

Unidentified White Male

The victim was discovered on March 28, 1979 and May 22, 1979 in Mount Baldy Village and Claremont, Los Angeles County, California
Probable Year of Death: 1979
State of Remains: Partial Skeletal

Vital Statistics

Estimated age: 17-26 years old
Approximate Height and Weight: 5'8".
Distinguishing Characteristics: Reddish-blond hair. Vaccination scar on upper left arm.
Dentals: Dental chart only; no x-rays available.
DNA: Complete - Profile available at state lab.

Case History
The body of the victim was found on Glendora Ridge Road in the Mount Baldy area on March 28, 1979.

On May 22, 1979, a skull was discovered in Clarement, California.

A Coroners Investigator has determined the body and the head belong to the same victim.

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
Detective Richard C. Kennerly
LASD Homicide Cold Case Unit
323-890-5500
You may remain anonymous when submitting information.

Coroner's Case Number:
79-04031( body) / 79-06474 (head)

LASD Case Number:
1979-01919-0851-011( body) / 1979-03185-0851-011 (head)

NCIC Number:
U-080007596 (body) / U-450006196 (head)
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
LASD Homicide Cold Case Unit
NamUs # 4410
NamUs # 4407

<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 October 9, 2022>
 
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The NCMEC recently did a composite for this John Doe, so I started a thread.

854792D8-B637-4523-89ED-50A297019A8C.jpeg
Have you seen this child? John Doe1979


Even before seeing the image, I had Ronald David Kruska penciled in as a potential possible.

F582967F-23C5-40B1-BFCD-C8873C24BC91.jpeg

Looking at the composite, he looks even more interesting. But both the UID and the MP have DNA available and entered, so we would probably have a hit if these were a match.
 
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Something about the reconstruction looks SO familiar, but I may well be thinking of another reconstruction and not a missing person.
 
has such an innocent looking face. Poor guy.
 
Something about the reconstruction looks SO familiar, but I may well be thinking of another reconstruction and not a missing person.

I know what you mean -- he looks so familiar but I just can't quite place who he is/where I've seen him before. While he does look like Ronald Kruska, I don't really think he's him because Ronald's DNA is in CODIS and a vaccination scar was noted on the UID's left arm and Ronald Kruska had a tattoo of a viking warrior on his left arm (that probably would have been noticed on the UID).
 
Something about the reconstruction looks SO familiar, but I may well be thinking of another reconstruction and not a missing person.
Reminds me a little bit of the actor Owen Wilson. Maybe that's why? :)
 
This is an article about this UID that appeared in the June 1, 1979 Orange County Register. Originally, it sounds like they thought that the head and body were from different people.

ocr_decap_jun1_1979_zpsdbf26dd5.jpg
 
Case File: 2279UMCA

Unidentified Male
Date of Discovery: March 28, 1979
Location of Discovery: Mount Baldy Village, Los Angeles County, California
Estimated Date of Death: One week prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description
** Listed information is approximate

Estimated Age: 16-22 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'7" to 5'10"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Reddish-blond, 4-6 inches in length.
Eye Color: Unknown

Distinguishing Marks/Features: Vaccination scar on upper left arm. A light to medium complexion.

Dentals: Available - dental chart only; Signs of dental maintenance with at least eight silver fillings. He had a small gap in his upper central incisors and a slight overbite.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Available.
Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown

Jewelry: Unknown

Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Case History

The victim's partial remains were found approximately 425 feet down a ravine on Glendora Ridge Road near mile marker 10-74 in the Mount Baldy area on March 28, 1979. A couple of months later, on May 22, a skull was discovered in Clarement, California. The skull and partial remains were determined to belong to the same person.

Investigating Agency(s)
If you have any information about this case please contact;

Agency Name: Los Angeles County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Daniel Machian
Agency Phone Number: 323-343-0512

Agency Name: LASD Homicide Cold Case Unit
Agency Contact Person: Detective Richard C. Kennerly
Agency Phone Number: 323-890-5500

Agency Case Number: ME: 79-04031; LE: 1979-01919-0851-011(body) / 1979-03185-0851-011 (head); NCMEC: 1184192
NCIC Case Number: U080007596
NamUs Case Number: UP #4410
Former Hot Case Number: 1864


Could this be Ronald Kruska? The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) Pretty much everything matches. NamUs says he has dental info that isn't entered, and both he and the UID have DNA completed, but could it be different types?
 
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This is interesting. It says he was not recognizable--partial skeletal parts only, but they know he had a vaccination scar. I wonder how they could tell.
 
Probably still bits of skin and flesh after only a week.

The resemblance is pretty strong:
 

Attachments

  • ronald kruska with Mt. Baldy UID.png
    ronald kruska with Mt. Baldy UID.png
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I know what you mean -- he looks so familiar but I just can't quite place who he is/where I've seen him before. While he does look like Ronald Kruska, I don't really think he's him because Ronald's DNA is in CODIS and a vaccination scar was noted on the UID's left arm and Ronald Kruska had a tattoo of a viking warrior on his left arm (that probably would have been noticed on the UID).

I think he looks familiar because the sketch looks like the actor owen wilson, don't ya think?
 
This is an article about this UID that appeared in the June 1, 1979 Orange County Register. Originally, it sounds like they thought that the head and body were from different people.

ocr_decap_jun1_1979_zpsdbf26dd5.jpg

I think there HAS to have been more victims in the area, not necessarily connected though. It would seem like they were talking about THREE dead individuals. Were this guy and his head considered two different bodies, that would still mean just TWO.

I don't see why they would have said that if there weren't two "bodies" found with their heads missing.
 
I was wondering if he may be Clay Allen Foreman – The Charley Project

The misconsistency is that they both occurred exactly two months apart:
J. Doe found: Mar 28 1979
CAF Missing: May 28 1979

I was wondering though that since there are few details available in Foreman's case, if his time of disappearance is actually the date his missing report was filed and he had actually gone missing earlier. I've seen it happen before, I can't quite pinpoint it, but a case where the person's body was found prior to a missing report being filed. I want to say Amber Creek, but I'm not quite sure.

With Foreman's age being an adult I can see it being possible if his family reported him a few months later. The doe and Foreman's height and age match. The recon favors Foreman very much so.

2279umca.jpg CForeman.jpg
 
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I was wondering if he may be Clay Allen Foreman – The Charley Project

The misconsistency is that they both occurred exactly two months apart:
J. Doe found: Mar 28 1979
CAF Missing: May 28 1979

I was wondering though that since there are few details available in Foreman's case, if his time of disappearance is actually the date his missing report was filed and he had actually gone missing earlier. I've seen it happen before, I can't quite pinpoint it, but a case where the person's body was found prior to a missing report being filed. I want to say Amber Creek, but I'm not quite sure.

With Foreman's age being an adult I can see it being possible if his family reported him a few months later. The doe and Foreman's height and age match. The recon favors Foreman very much so.

View attachment 119863 View attachment 119864

Did you submit this to law enforcement?
 
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