Identified! CT - Norwalk, WhtMale UP8976, 20-40, off Shea Island, Apr'96 - Landberto Quintero

I realized there wasn't a thread for this guy either. This year marks the 20th anniversary.

NamUs: https://identifyus.org/en/cases/8976

Norwalk Police PDF: http://www.norwalkct.org/DocumentCenter/View/5571

CASE: 96-17303

CASE TYPE: Unidentified Male Body

DATE: 4-18-1996

LOCATION: Shea Island -- North Shore

VICTIM: Unidentified White Male. Approximately 20 years of age, 5’1’’-5’2’’, 110lbs. Unknown hair or eye color.

SUMMARY: The victim was found floating along the north shore of Shea Island in Norwalk Harbor. Autopsy showed no definitive signs of trauma and cause of death undetermined due to condition of the body. No facial identification possible. It is estimated that the body was in the water for 8-10 months. Only the index and middle fingers of the right hand had prints, which were sent to CT, NY, and FBI AFIS. No match found.

CONTACT: Cold Case Unit – 203-854-3028

Anonymous Tip-Line (203)-854-3111

Text: to CRIMES (274637) and”NPD” with info in text.

https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=143

Age wise, I find it weird that he's 20-40 in NamUs but only "approx. 20" on the PDF. No dentals, no DNA, only a few fingerprints. There's no recon, or hair color/eye color. He seems very short for his gender/age.

He only has one rule out on NamUs, he was last updated in 2011:

George Tonsgard 1927 Alaska

Looks like he actually had an article written about him recently!

http://www.thehour.com/norwalk/article/Norwalk-police-reopen-1996-John-Doe-cold-case-8011784.php

The remains were badly decomposed and partially skeletonized with no clothing attached. No facial identification was possible. The body was removed from Shea Island and transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. The John Doe was identified as an adult, white male, 5’ 1” tall, between the age of 20-30 years old. No dental charting could be completed since several front teeth were missing postmortem.

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Explains the lack of dentals, though I would think they would just put the remaining teeth in and hope that's enough...

And it looks like DNA will be processed soon! Hopefully it'll be put in NamUs/CODIS.

Also, another age range that's different.

A DNA profile is now available, hopefully this will lead to an identification:

They say the state lab was recently able to develop a complete DNA profile from hairs recovered from the scene. The profile has now been loaded into the Connecticut and national databases.


Officials are asking anyone in the tristate area around the Long Island Sound who had a family member go missing in 1995 or early 1996 to contact their local police agency and submit a DNA sample.


"It's a simple process of just a little cheek swab to get a buccal swab that could then be entered into the CODIS system and compared against this individual," Lt. Arthur Weisgerber says.


http://connecticut.news12.com/news/...-new-dna-profile-in-1996-cold-case-1.12743667

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Oh I'm so glad that the DNA profile is available now. I've always wondered if the adult designation was a mistake and he was actually a teen or younger, given the estimated height and weight. Fingers crossed for a match!

So happy that he now has DNA in the system! Hopefully people report their loved ones missing so that he can come home.

Some possibilities...

Jamie Lusher
16 years old, 5'2", 110 lbs
Missing from Westfield, MA (103 miles away) since 11/6/92
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/6331/

John Barboza
20 years old, 5'2", 120 lbs
Missing from Lawrence, MA (180 miles away) since 1/21/87
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/33304/

Leon Corriveau
20 years old, 5' - 5'6", 140 - 160 lbs
Missing from West Springfield, MA (96 miles away) since 6/10/86
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/14556/

Bumping to let everyone know that I emailed Lt. Weisgerber and police Chief Kuhawlik of the Norwalk PD about the DNA Doe Project for this John Doe as well as for the other John Doe from Norwalk (1973) and he said he would look into it and be in contact with others about it. So fingers crossed.

link to 1973 Johns thread https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...ale-UP8937-30-40-drowned-at-yacht-club-Jul-73

Body found on island 26 years ago has been identified

Police are not making his name public as they try to notify family first. But they do say he was a 24-year-old Hispanic male whose last known address was a homeless shelter in Norwalk.

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Body found on Norwalk’s Shea Island nearly 23 years ago has been identified



A man whose naked body was found on an island off Connecticut nearly 23 years ago was finally identified this week through a new search of an updated national fingerprint database.

But the man, Landberto Quintero, remains a mystery to authorities.

[...]

cybervampira said:

Body found on Norwalk’s Shea Island nearly 23 years ago has been identified

A man whose naked body was found on an island off Connecticut nearly 23 years ago was finally identified this week through a new search of an updated national fingerprint database.

But the man, Landberto Quintero, remains a mystery to authorities.

[...]

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Wow, so glad he has a name but hope they can find his family...sounds like maybe he was an immigrant from Mexico and his whole family is still there?
A moderator can mark this one as identified now, at least. @CarlK90245