UNSOLVED CT - New Haven, "NH John Doe", Male 16-27, chauffeur's cap, Aug 1923

[Tryagainnnnn]

On August 9, 1923, the badly decomposed remains of an unknown male were found on Milford Townpike in West Haven near the New Haven County Home.

The victim had been gagged and strangled. He was also shot twice in the chest.
Physical Description: Brown hair
Height: 5 Foot 7 Inches
Weight 150 Pounds
Clothing:

• He wore a brown, striped suit.
• A chauffeur's cap was found under one arm.
• Age from 16 to 27

Seriel Killer Carl Panzram admitted to killing the victim and described him to be around sixteen and was Jewish and was the son or nephew of a New York policeman.

New Haven County John Doe (1923)

 

[Startover]

In the summer of 1923 the badly decomposed remains of a young man were found near New Haven CT; he had been raped; tortured and shot and strangled by seriel killer Carl Panzram. Panzram claimed that the victium was Jewish and a son or nephew of a New York Polcieman.

Link to contemporary News accounts:
New Haven County John Doe (1923)

 

[Bit of hope]

Here is the bio of the killer who confessed to this murder.

Carl Panzram | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

A piece of it. Warning; some of the text is very graphic.

Back in America, Panzram claimed he shot a man dead for trying to rob him. He also asserted that he raped and killed two small boys, beating the former to death with a rock on July 18, 1922 in Salem, Massachusetts and strangling the latter later that year in New Haven, Connecticut.

He is supposed to have killed the boy in 1922, also stated in this paper clipping, although reports differ.

Lewiston Evening Journal - Google News Archive Search

In the chronology is this:

1922 When asked in Washington, DC City Jail, why kill a child: "I hate all the human race. I get a kick out of murdering people."

9 Aug 1923 Sodomizes and kills a young boy, who was begging. Of all his murders, this is Panzram's favorite. The boy's body is discovered two days later, and is never identified.

6 Oct 1928 Confesses to the murder of 9 August 1923: "If there is anything more that you want to know about this case that I can tell you, I will... I have killed a number of people in different places and some of the facts escape my memory."

In this paper clipping he is supposed to have killed this unidentified boy in 1922.

Lewiston Evening Journal - Google News Archive Search

 

[Triss]

No NamUs?

 

[Startover]

Of his over 22 claimed killings only 5 +1[ ?] can be confirmed:
1915 accessory after the fact in killing of Oregon prison Warden
1920 Body of Unknown man found in St Georges Bay New York City {Possibly one of the 10 admitted murders committed by Panzram at execution Rocks, Long Island Sound[?] if so it was the only victium recovered]
1922 kills boy in Salem Mass Henry named McMahon
1923 kills John Doe New haven Ct
1928 kills a Boy in Philadalphia Alexander Luzzock
1929 kills Prison employee for which he is executed in 1930

 

[Bit of hope]

Of his over 22 claimed killings only 5 +1[ ?] can be confirmed:
1915 accessory after the fact in killing of Oregon prison Warden
1920 Body of Unknown man found in St Georges Bay New York City {Possibly one of the 10 admitted murders committed by Panzram at execution Rocks, Long Island Sound[?] if so it was the only victium recovered]
1922 kills boy in Salem Mass Henry named McMahon
1923 kills John Doe New haven Ct
1928 kills a Boy in Philadalphia Alexander Luzzock
1929 kills Prison employee for which he is executed in 1930

It's ok with me...I thought also that something about the timeline didn't add up. Do you have a source? There is no way we can find this UID as an missing person in the systems anyway IMO.

 

[Startover]

No NamUs?

If the file still exists under whoever jurisdiction..its up to them to place it on Namus or at least on the DOW Network-- which if I understand it only accept cold cases from Police or Coroners personel...

 

[Startover]

It's ok with me...I thought also that something about the timeline didn't add up. Do you have a source? There is no way we can find this UID as an missing person in the systems anyway IMO.

According to contemporary accounts in regard this Connecticut murder..Panzram claimed different claims as to where it happened..for example in one he claimed to committed the murder near New London CT ,,,but not confimed...however the New Haven CT Police did have this report of John Doe.....Panzram also claimed to have killed a bot near Charlestown Mass but this was also not confirmed by the Boston Police...but he did kill a boy in Salem MAss,,,as reagrding source the discovery of John Doe was reported in two Connecticut newspapers and also in one newspaper after Panzram last arrest

 

[SolVic]

Where is this body now?

 

[rainwaterstill]

If the file still exists under whoever jurisdiction..its up to them to place it on Namus or at least on the DOW Network-- which if I understand it only accept cold cases from Police or Coroners personel...

Under the circumstances, couldn't a Connecticut State Police officer step in and enter this UID, since jurisdiction is unclear due to varying statements by the killer?

 

[DS2021]

Where is this body now?

Were nearing 100 years since the discovery of the victim, I wouldnt be surprised if he was cremated or lost. Jmo

 

[Susikatze]

Were nearing 100 years since the discovery of the victim, I wouldnt be surprised if he was cremated or lost. Jmo

If we are lucky he may be in some box stored or in some potters field...
I really hope for that. It would be easy to find out if he really was Jewish. But i am doubtful, since most of the time, identity hints by serial killers turn out to be absolute rubbish.

 

[Susikatze]

Edit, NamUs says he was likely buried in the closest potters field. Maybe there is some chance to find him. I guess not terribly many teenage men would be buried there. And gunshot wounds to the chest can leave distinctive marks on the ribcage. I think there is some chance to find him.

 

[CCJD]

Were nearing 100 years since the discovery of the victim, I wouldnt be surprised if he was cremated or lost. Jmo

A cursory search indicates that the coroner ordered his body to be buried (not cremated). I haven't found anything saying the burial actually took place or where.

Hartford Courant 12 Aug 1923, page 31 - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from Hartford Courant dated 12 Aug 1923, page 31.

www.newspapers.com

 

[CCJD]

Edit, NamUs says he was likely buried in the closest potters field. Maybe there is some chance to find him. I guess not terribly many teenage men would be buried there. And gunshot wounds to the chest can leave distinctive marks on the ribcage. I think there is some chance to find him.

BBM

NamUs link, please? I'm not seeing anything older than 1944 for CT in NamUs.

 

[cenazoic]

Possibly buried here:

John Doe (1923 Connecticut) (1907-1923) - Find a...

In August 1923 the badly decomposed remains of a young man were discovered on the outskirts of West Haven, CT Seriel Killer Carl Panzram admitted have tortured raped shot and strangled the victium; Panzram claimed the Victium was Jewish and a son or nephew of a New York Policeman. (According to...

www.findagrave.com

 

[CCJD]

The Journal 03 Nov 1928, page 7 - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from The Journal dated 03 Nov 1928, page 7.

www.newspapers.com

 

[citizen_sleuth]

This is such a sad case — everyone deserves the dignity of a name, and this poor young man has been stripped of that dignity for the past century. Surely someone missed this young man — a mother, father, sibling, significant other, friend, co-worker — at the time he went missing. Unfortunately all of those people who may have been searching for him are all long gone by now, so it seems the only real hope of identifying him at this point would be genetic genealogy, but if he was buried in a potters field, locating his remains would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack given the time that has passed. If by some miracle the local police/coroner (or even a library/museum/private individual) still has the original case records, perhaps they could be used as a jumping off point for a present-day investigation (especially since the 1940 census is now publicly available, if someone whose name appeared in the original case files could not be found in the 1940 census records, it would be a valuable lead that could possibly be checked out with DNA analysis and genetic genealogy).

 

[SolVic]

Is there anyone we can contact about this? Like Othram?

 

[othram]

Is there anyone we can contact about this? Like Othram?

Consider us contacted!