AK AK - Anchorage, WhtMale 439UMAK, 25-40, naked, fell from flagpole, Aug'89

[Grungster]

How do we know it was a suicide? Maybe he just jumped off not knowing he would die.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

How do we know it was a suicide? Maybe he just jumped off not knowing he would die.

I never liked that listed as his cause of death either. Sounds like he slipped and lost his balance. Also where was his clothes?

 

[MadMcGoo]

Refreshing his thread...

 

[Grungster]

I never liked that listed as his cause of death either. Sounds like he slipped and lost his balance. Also where was his clothes?

Maybe he was having a mental health crisis? That's the only thing I could imagine.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

Could he be a victim of 'Starlight Tours'? That could explain his lack of clothing. It's where police officers drive drunken (I know his toxicology was negative) or misconduct individuals to the outside of town and make them walk home and they sometimes would take their clothing.

 

[Savemecastiel]

Following

 

[ghostINshell]

Could he be a victim of 'Starlight Tours'? That could explain his lack of clothing. It's where police officers drive drunken (I know his toxicology was negative) or misconduct individuals to the outside of town and make them walk home and they sometimes would take their clothing.

Yes! That's a good possibility too.

 

[q64ceo]

450DMNSW - Keith Nevil Brown

Name: Keith Nevil Brown
Case Classification: Missing
Missing Since: 27 July 1989
Location Last Seen: Wyong, New South Wales, Australia.

Physical Description​

Date of Birth: September 11, 1965
Age: 23 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 183 cm
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Thin build; tanned complexion. Medical Conditions: He has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance​

Keith was last seen on 27 July 1989, at Wyong when he left his home stating he was going for a walk. He did not take any money or clothing and did not return.


Keith had previously been involved in a motor accident, as a result he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. He was on medication for this condition at the time of his disappearance.




1. He had schizophrenia which someone who got naked and ran up a flagpole could have.
2. This JD died not even a month after Brown went missing.
3. JD was believed to be from another country. He's from Australia.
4. Height range is good. Eye color is good.

 

[Nell91]

I really hope he wasn't trying to escape something, or somebody, and fled without his clothes and climbed the pole in a sheer panic, surveying the area for his captor. I wonder if there were any known SK in the area that targeted males? Massive long shot I know, and it does sound more like a MH crisis, I'm just thinking out loud.

 

[Caring1]

3 Missing Person Exclusions:

Missing Person / NamUs #MP1642Jeffrey Baker
Date of Last ContactApril 24, 1989
StateWA
CountyKitsap

Missing Person / NamUs #MP39107James Miller*
Date of Last ContactDecember 09, 1986
StateIA
CountyStory

Missing Person / NamUs #MP13907Ralph Newcombe
Date of Last ContactApril 17, 1989
StateWA
CountyKing

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Reconstruction with new PM photo.

 

[sorcoy14]

4 exclusions.

 

[CooperDyl]

Maybe a shot in the dark but another person missing from Alaska 9 years earlier with a similar height and weight - a Frank H. Johnston.
Same eye colour, similar nose (in other pictures than his official missing persons picture).
At the very least maybe a way to keep the conversation about both men continuing - any thoughts on this one?

Alaska State Troopers link - https://dps.alaska.gov/getmedia/1c62b5e7-939b-4b22-ace7-3518e539e288/Johnston

Charley Project - Frank H. Johnston – The Charley Project

439UMAK Doe Project - 439UMAK

 

[CooperDyl]

Maybe a shot in the dark but another person missing from Alaska 9 years earlier with a similar height and weight - a Frank H. Johnston.
Same eye colour, similar nose (in other pictures than his official missing persons picture).
At the very least maybe a way to keep the conversation about both men continuing - any thoughts on this one?

Alaska State Troopers link - https://dps.alaska.gov/getmedia/1c62b5e7-939b-4b22-ace7-3518e539e288/Johnston

Charley Project - Frank H. Johnston – The Charley Project

439UMAK Doe Project - 439UMAK

Submitted the above to doenetwork, Frank has been ruled out by dentals.

 

[caradana]

How do we know it was a suicide? Maybe he just jumped off not knowing he would die.

This might be my favorite post in the history of Websleuths.

 

[TwoLea]

I was thinking of this man tonight. Hope genetic genealogy can someday identify him.

 

[Oakie]

It is hard to imagine that a case this strange and sensational wouldn't have generated enough leads to identify the man. He seems like the sort of person that acquaintances wouldn't forget......

 

[annpats]

I'm very surprised they found no drugs in his system.

Running around naked, climbing up a flag pole then jumping off and committing suicide aren't rational behaviours, and I'm certain he must've have been suffering some sort of mental break.

Such a sad case. No-one reported him missing, yet he had to be living somewhere, although maybe he was "off-grid" or even homeless.

MOO.

 

[CooperDyl]

I'm very surprised they found no drugs in his system.

Running around naked, climbing up a flag pole then jumping off and committing suicide aren't rational behaviours, and I'm certain he must've have been suffering some sort of mental break.

Such a sad case. No-one reported him missing, yet he had to be living somewhere, although maybe he was "off-grid" or even homeless.

MOO.

Very intriguing case. LE said he may have come from a ship docked at/near Anchorage as fingerprints didn’t match any database across NA or Canada from memory. I’d definitely love to see this one solved, maybe a modern run with genetic genealogy could crack the case?
All IMO.

 

[annpats]

There are theories he came from a boat or ship at the port.

However, the distance from the port to the McDonald's on Mountain View Drive is 3.5 miles. Google estimates 1 hour and 14 mins to walk it. Obviously quicker to run it, although I double he was running all that way, especially without shoes on.

It's an long distance to run in the town naked without being seen and/or apprehended.

That's why I don't think he came straight from the port (if at all). He may have been hiding out somewhere like woods, a garden or a shed etc. prior to his run up the McDonalds flagpole.

MOO.