FL FL - Harmon Shay, 20, Miami, May 1972

[savagewatch]

He is not listed on the NAMUS database however, his uncle is a friend of the family and has never been located.
He was a genius that got involved in drugs and the early 70's hippie scene. Left his grandmother's house in Miami and disappeared in May of 1972. Father who is now in his 90's is a famous photographer who has taken pictures of many celebrities.

First case on http://www.savagewatch.com/missingpersons.html
To Read what his father said about his missing son Harmon go here. http://chicagoist.com/2011/06/08/from_the_vault_of_art_shay_harmon.php#photo-1

 

[madamx]

there are no stats of height weight eye color or any information which makes it a bit harder.

 

[madamx]

I know there have been conflicting ages on this unidentified guy from Daytona found in May of 1972 so I thought I would post him here
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...jacket-May-72&highlight=daytona+1972+john+doe

https://strangeremains.com/2013/11/...ed-in-florida-to-solve-a-cold-case-from-1972/

 

[madamx]

I came across this article also https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-talking-wounded/Content?oid=910308

https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-talking-wounded/Content?oid=910308

 

[Alleykins]

Here is another article about his father's photo tribute to his mother, Florence, awesome pictures of the family

 

[Alleykins]

I contacted NamUs in regards to the possibility that Harmon may be a young man found in MD in May 1973.
https://identifyus.org/en/cases/4833
Warning, this link has a pm photo

 

[carbuff]

Is he too old to be the young intellectual who hanged himself in Louisiana a couple of years later? He's a bit older than the estimate (would have been 22 or 23 by then) but there's some resemblance and the whole disturbed genius thing sounds like the Louisiana kid.

From the suicide note quoted in the UID's thread: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...asse-WhtMale-16-17-hanged-suicide-note-Feb-75

He left a suicide note, addressed to "mom and dad" which read in part: "When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing long ago. I never did develop into a real person and I cannot tolerate the false and empty existence I have created".

He included this notation for the police who would eventually find him: "You are bound to preserve domestic peace and order. If you pursue who I was (and spend hundreds of dollars) you will accomplish little. There are no legal consequences of my death or any kind of entanglements. All that can happen is that you will shatter the domestic peace and order of two innocent lives. Do not deprive them of the hope that their 'missing' son will return . . .Let me be, let it be as if I wasn't ever here. Simply cremate me as John Doe."

He goes on to say "It is best if I cease to live, quietly, than risk that later I will break and shatter by violence or linger years under care. I implore you to see a psychiatrist in order that you might understand my death and my life. Ask thoroughly about what I was and you will see that it is not tragic that I am gone, but more natural than if I continued."

In a section entitled "why you should not feel responsible", the young man wrote: "I was born with a definite pervasive melancholy . . .what frustrated me most in the last year was that I had built no ties to family or friends. There was nothing of lasting worth and value. I led a detached existence and I was a parody of a person - literally and figuratively. I didn't tell jokes - I was a joke".

The suicide note is quite lengthy, and cites the writings of Emile Durkheim, a philosopher and psychologist. The young man said Durkheim called suicide "an inner direction of homicidal feelings against someone else."

 

[Alleykins]

Is he too old to be the young intellectual who hanged himself in Louisiana a couple of years later? He's a bit older than the estimate (would have been 22 or 23 by then) but there's some resemblance and the whole disturbed genius thing sounds like the Louisiana kid.

From the suicide note quoted in the UID's thread: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...asse-WhtMale-16-17-hanged-suicide-note-Feb-75

He left a suicide note, addressed to "mom and dad" which read in part: "When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing long ago. I never did develop into a real person and I cannot tolerate the false and empty existence I have created".

He included this notation for the police who would eventually find him: "You are bound to preserve domestic peace and order. If you pursue who I was (and spend hundreds of dollars) you will accomplish little. There are no legal consequences of my death or any kind of entanglements. All that can happen is that you will shatter the domestic peace and order of two innocent lives. Do not deprive them of the hope that their 'missing' son will return . . .Let me be, let it be as if I wasn't ever here. Simply cremate me as John Doe."

He goes on to say "It is best if I cease to live, quietly, than risk that later I will break and shatter by violence or linger years under care. I implore you to see a psychiatrist in order that you might understand my death and my life. Ask thoroughly about what I was and you will see that it is not tragic that I am gone, but more natural than if I continued."

In a section entitled "why you should not feel responsible", the young man wrote: "I was born with a definite pervasive melancholy . . .what frustrated me most in the last year was that I had built no ties to family or friends. There was nothing of lasting worth and value. I led a detached existence and I was a parody of a person - literally and figuratively. I didn't tell jokes - I was a joke".

The suicide note is quite lengthy, and cites the writings of Emile Durkheim, a philosopher and psychologist. The young man said Durkheim called suicide "an inner direction of homicidal feelings against someone else."

I don't think I'm following that case, but I would like to get a case file/DNA profile with other biometrics (if possible) for Harmon so he can be compared to other possible matches.

 

[carbuff]

I don't think I'm following that case, but I would like to get a case file/DNA profile with other biometrics (if possible) for Harmon so he can be compared to other possible matches.

The Louisiana guy doesn't have any markers either, so I guess it's hypothetical discussion.

Yes, it would be wonderful to get Harmon into Namus.

 

[savagewatch]

This individual had the word shalom written on a piece of clothing. Harmon and his family are jewish. So that does provide a minor clue.

 

[Alleykins]

I'm hoping the submission to NamUs gets pursued.

 

[madamx]

I'm hoping the submission to NamUs gets pursued.

any word on the submission?

 

[Alleykins]

any word on the submission?

Not a word, not even a we'll get back to you. I just resent it, hopefully it will garner some sort of response. Have a happy New Year, Madmx!

 

[Gloria787]

Here is another article about his father's photo tribute to his mother, Florence, awesome pictures of the family

In this article the father states his son was murdered at the age of 20 hitchhiking.

 

[Alleykins]

In this article the father states his son was murdered at the age of 20 hitchhiking.

Yes, that is what they believe happened to him but the way I read it, it's only speculation and they never found his body.

 

[madamx]

Not a word, not even a we'll get back to you. I just resent it, hopefully it will garner some sort of response. Have a happy New Year, Madmx!

Omg I actually Just came across your post ha! Happy belated new year. I still think Harmon is the shalom guy from MD!

 

[madamx]

Is he too old to be the young intellectual who hanged himself in Louisiana a couple of years later? He's a bit older than the estimate (would have been 22 or 23 by then) but there's some resemblance and the whole disturbed genius thing sounds like the Louisiana kid.

From the suicide note quoted in the UID's thread: LA - LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale, 16-17, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75

He left a suicide note, addressed to "mom and dad" which read in part: "When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing long ago. I never did develop into a real person and I cannot tolerate the false and empty existence I have created".

He included this notation for the police who would eventually find him: "You are bound to preserve domestic peace and order. If you pursue who I was (and spend hundreds of dollars) you will accomplish little. There are no legal consequences of my death or any kind of entanglements. All that can happen is that you will shatter the domestic peace and order of two innocent lives. Do not deprive them of the hope that their 'missing' son will return . . .Let me be, let it be as if I wasn't ever here. Simply cremate me as John Doe."

He goes on to say "It is best if I cease to live, quietly, than risk that later I will break and shatter by violence or linger years under care. I implore you to see a psychiatrist in order that you might understand my death and my life. Ask thoroughly about what I was and you will see that it is not tragic that I am gone, but more natural than if I continued."

In a section entitled "why you should not feel responsible", the young man wrote: "I was born with a definite pervasive melancholy . . .what frustrated me most in the last year was that I had built no ties to family or friends. There was nothing of lasting worth and value. I led a detached existence and I was a parody of a person - literally and figuratively. I didn't tell jokes - I was a joke".

The suicide note is quite lengthy, and cites the writings of Emile Durkheim, a philosopher and psychologist. The young man said Durkheim called suicide "an inner direction of homicidal feelings against someone else."

You know now that I actually read the note it makes me wonder.. because apparently he was like a super intelectual

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.chic...es/create?article_id=587e1fe4dce0cb00015958b3

 

[madamx]

Yes, that is what they believe happened to him but the way I read it, it's only speculation and they never found his body.

Yes exactly his body was never found!!

 

[savagewatch]

His father passed away last year. Hopefully, a family member will submit DNA. We'll see.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Harmon Robert Shay
Date of Birth: June 8, 1951
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York

Yearbook Date: 1969
School: Deerfield High School
School Location: Deerfield, Illinois, USA

The Man Who Could Have Been Bill Gates

Harmon for all his positive attributes got involved in the taking of illicit drugs. Shay believes that his 20 year old son Harmon was murdered in the Hippie Drug lifestyle in the Miami Dade area in May of 1972. He was staying with his grandmother and step-grandfather and had phoned relatives the night of his disappearance they he had met people and would be back in a day or two.
He had dark colored hair and was around five foot nine according to relatives. It is possible that he was murdered in the Miami or Fort Lauderdale areas of Florida. However, it is always a possibility that Harmon could have left his life behind to start a new life.

ETA: Note: I found his middle name, Robert, on a public Ancestry tree. Although this person’s tree is accurate from all I can see, I haven’t been able to find any other record of the middle name.