Identified! MI - Saugatuck, Lake MI shore, Male 18-99, UP12886, Maxilla w/teeth, Jul'14 *Ronald Wayne Jager*

[Gardener1850]

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP12886 Male, Uncertain
Date Body Found July 31, 2014

Estimated Age Range18-99 Years

Circumstances

Location Found Map
Location Saugatuck, Michigan
Allegan County
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped)--
Circumstances of Recovery
A piece of maxilla with teeth present washed up along the shore of Lake Michigan near Saugatuck, MI.
Details of Recovery

Inventory of Remains
Head not recovered Torso not recovered One or more limbs not recovered One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Circumstance Notes
Tpr. Lincoln responded to the scene

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Gardener1850]

Nov 29, 2019

COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Along Interstate 196 south of South Haven, Covert Township Police were stymied by a pair of decades-long mysteries:

What were the identities of the two bodies found near the highway a decade apart? And, how did they get there?

The woman’s body, found in 1988, was nicknamed 196 Jane Doe, and now has a name thanks to the Michigan State Police genealogy project: Marcia Bateman, of Oklahoma City.

The man’s body, discovered in 1979, never got a nickname and remains nameless.

Police hope DNA from his remains will help identify him, too.

[...]

The two are among seven sets of remains state police from the Fifth District are trying to identify through the genealogy project.

Three of the unnamed remains were given up by Lake Michigan — a woman’s body that washed up in 1988 near New Buffalo, a man’s body found on the beach in Covert Township in 2010, a jawbone with teeth discovered near Saugatuck in 2014.

So far, that’s about all that is known about them.

“They’re likely a drowning that will have remains wash up on the shore on Lake Michigan on this side, and those depending on how long in the water, those can be very hard to ID,” state police Fifth District Commander Lt. Chuck Christensen said.

Police figure the jaw bone came from a man who was somewhere between 18 and 99 years old.

The woman was fully clothed — size 38 men’s jeans, running shorts, pantyhose.

The man found in 2010 was Asian, wore dark swim trunks and a striped sleeveless tank top — washed up in Covert Township.

Read More:
Retired chief hopes new DNA test solves 40-year mystery

BBM.

Marcia Bateman's thread: Identified! - MI - Covert Township, WhtFem 730UFMI, 23-40, Near I-96, Oct'88 - Marcia Bateman

The 5 other Doe's they are attempting to ID:

1979 Covert Twp John Doe:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - Van Buren Co, Wht/HispMale, 33-69, Broken Nose, Spanish Medallion, Timex, Covert Twp, July 1979

1988 New Buffalo Jane Doe:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - New Buffalo, Wht Fem 43-53 UP8228 foud in lake Michigan April 1988

2010 Covert Township John Doe
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI- Van Buren Co, Asian Male, 25-40, Beach of Lake Michigan, Covert Twp, Oct 2010

1993 St. Joseph County Child John Doe (Age 7-12)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - St. Joseph Co., WhtMale UP9894, 7-12, partial skull buried, Nov'93

1987 Keeler Twp. John Doe (Age 15-22)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
MI - MI - Van Buren Co, HispMale, 15-22, Busch Gardens Tee, Keeler Twp, Dec 1987

 

[Gardener1850]

This is now officially a new DNA Doe Project case!

Current Status is "at lab for sequencing."

DNA Doe Project

 

[MadMcGoo]

Current list of exclusions for UP12886 per NamUs (40):
MP29332 Jayme Bryant 06/29/2013 Kalamazoo MI
MP22541 Donald Schaller 07/03/1998 Leelanau MI
MP14046 Mark Davies 09/14/1997 Chippewa MI
MP22539 Donovan Rodriguez 07/03/1998 Leelanau MI
MP7829 Bernadette Behmlander 10/01/1997 Calhoun MI
MP26671 Janet Davies 09/14/1997 Chippewa MI
MP11422 John Hart 04/15/1997 Clinton MI
MP9795 Dona Thompson 04/17/1996 Huron MI
MP13920 Cindy Lesko 10/23/1994 Macomb MI
MP13596 Robert Allen 05/01/1995 Kent MI
MP27648 William Bibby 11/01/1993 Oakland MI
MP14107 Jan Pattison 08/26/1993 Ontonagon MI
MP14130 Janet Clark 07/11/1993 Wayne MI
MP14680 Debra Duncan 09/26/1992 Wayne MI
MP8755 Stephen Kovitch 08/21/1992 Oakland MI
MP8747 Janet Kirkup 08/05/1992 Jackson MI
MP22240 Tom Lammon 07/18/1992 Charlevoix MI
MP22238 Peggy Lammon 07/18/1992 Charlevoix MI
MP22205 Catherine Sears 07/18/1992 Charlevoix MI
MP22204 Raymond Sears 07/18/1992 Charlevoix MI
MP830 Gordon Page, Jr. 05/26/1991 Kent MI
MP835 Paige Renkoski 05/24/1990 Livingston MI
MP22180 Cathy Hawley 03/03/1992 Otsego MI
MP8827 Charles Brandt 01/06/1991 Monroe MI
MP26726 Antoinette Burlison 12/14/1991 Wayne MI
MP27673 Rose Peterson 07/28/1989 Houghton MI
MP2282 Victoria Salisz 04/15/1988 Charlevoix MI
MP9620 Eva Arehart 12/26/1987 Allegan MI
MP21746 Gail Northington 01/09/1987 Monroe MI
MP8531 Shirley Pullen 12/31/1986 Berrien MI
MP21905 James Lehtomaki 12/06/1986 Marquette MI
MP13927 Bobby Stephens 05/09/1986 Kalamazoo MI
MP11768 Shirley Kelly 10/19/1985 Van Buren MI
MP10412 Carol De Arment 10/26/1983 Oakland MI
MP9627 Dennis Davidson 07/09/1981 Genesee MI
MP14247 Lilli Dunn 07/31/1980 Wayne MI
MP9786 Senia Matson 07/03/1983 Chippewa MI
MP9622 Marie Strandberg 03/24/1982 Berrien MI
MP9141 Henry Baltimore Jr. 05/31/1973 Ingham MI
MP23639 Jay Farr 10/15/2011 Leelanau MI

 

[Gardener1850]

That's a lot of exclusions! The detectives must have put some work into this one to have that many exclusions. DNA Doe Project is probably their best chance of solving this one with so little info about the person this maxilla came from. I hope they are successful at getting enough quality DNA sequenced and then I hope they have many close relative matches to solve this case. MOO.

 

[MadMcGoo]

That's a lot of exclusions! The detectives must have put some work into this one to have that many exclusions. DNA Doe Project is probably their best chance of solving this one with so little info about the person this maxilla came from. I hope they are successful at getting enough quality DNA sequenced and then I hope they have many close relative matches to solve this case. MOO.

Yes! I was surprised to see that many for a case with so few remains. All of them from Michigan, so it’s a good sign of their diligence thus far! I’m hopeful for all these new cases!

 

[Melt71]

DDP status updated 14 December 2019 now saying "Undergoing testing". I'm not sure how different that is to the previous info which said "At lab for sequencing". But his case is moving along, anyway.

 

[faithx]

According to the DNA Doe Project Facebook page, his DNA has been uploaded to GEDmatch.

 

[MarziPanda]

His matches are up! He's got one pretty high match of 101cm, with 2 matches over 30cm with family trees and 3 matches over 40cm. Could be better on overall high matches (especially if they can't use the 101cm match for whatever reason (no name attached etc)) but definitely could be worse! If they can use the 101cm match this guy should have his name back pretty quickly.

 

[MarziPanda]

A new match on today's update of 224cm. This is likely to be a second or third cousin, first cousin twice removed, half first cousin once removed, etc. So, it's a very good match! They'll be getting close to his identity I expect.

 

[Yazzyy]

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP12886 Male, Uncertain
Date Body Found July 31, 2014

Estimated Age Range18-99 Years

Circumstances

Location Found Map
Location Saugatuck, Michigan
Allegan County
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped)--
Circumstances of Recovery
A piece of maxilla with teeth present washed up along the shore of Lake Michigan near Saugatuck, MI.
Details of Recovery

Inventory of Remains
Head not recovered Torso not recovered One or more limbs not recovered One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Circumstance Notes
Tpr. Lincoln responded to the scene

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

18 to 99 is quite the age range. Are they specific about how many teeth? Unless forensics labs are backed up, I would hope they ran DNA test on the teeth or possible dental records.

 

[JovanSrna]

18 to 99 is quite the age range. Are they specific about how many teeth? Unless forensics labs are backed up, I would hope they ran DNA test on the teeth or possible dental records.

This is a pretty much standard age range on NamUs for cases with scarce partial remains or severely damaged remains.

 

[ntt1]

Admixture and extended admixture have been posted. Looks pretty likely that there's Scottish ancestry.

Allegan.jpg
O4-Allegan.jpg

 

[djanga]

Interestingly, according to Namus there is another set of remains (a femur bone) which were linked to the same individual:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). Found on November 9, 2013

 

[MadMcGoo]

Interestingly, according to Namus there is another set of remains (a femur bone) which were linked to the same individual:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Interesting. These were found in 2013, FWIW.

 

[djanga]

Interesting statistics: about 40 people drown in Michigan lake every year. I did not know this lake is so massive and dangerous,
Lake Michigan drownings reach a 10-year high in 2020
I was reading comments on the DDP facebook page, as they have a new post with enhanced image of Allegan co John Doe. There are some interesting comments under the post, some people think that he can be a foreign sailor whose ship sank or that he can be a victim of Northwest Orient Flight 2501 crash.
I personally think it is more likely that he was a surfer or was just swimming in the lake, but definitely these are very interesting theories.

 

[doggybag2355]

Interesting statistics: about 40 people drown in Michigan lake every year. I did not know this lake is so massive and dangerous,
Lake Michigan drownings reach a 10-year high in 2020
I was reading comments on the DDP facebook page, as they have a new post with enhanced image of Allegan co John Doe. There are some interesting comments under the post, some people think that he can be a foreign sailor whose ship sank or that he can be a victim of Northwest Orient Flight 2501 crash.
I personally think it is more likely that he was a surfer or was just swimming in the lake, but definitely these are very interesting theories.

I believe investigators believe that the Van Buren JD 2010 also drowned in the Lake.

 

[MajorHoople]

Interesting statistics: about 40 people drown in Michigan lake every year. I did not know this lake is so massive and dangerous,
Lake Michigan drownings reach a 10-year high in 2020
I was reading comments on the DDP facebook page, as they have a new post with enhanced image of Allegan co John Doe. There are some interesting comments under the post, some people think that he can be a foreign sailor whose ship sank or that he can be a victim of Northwest Orient Flight 2501 crash.
I personally think it is more likely that he was a surfer or was just swimming in the lake, but definitely these are very interesting theories.

Even though floating debris and some body parts were discovered the next day the wreckage of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 has never been found. It's quite a mystery.

"Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 was a DC-4 propliner operating its daily transcontinental service between New York City and Seattle when it disappeared on the night of June 23, 1950. The flight was carrying 55 passengers and three crew members; the loss of all 58 on board made it the deadliest commercial airliner accident in American history at the time.

The aircraft was at approximately 3,500 feet (1,100 m) over Lake Michigan, 18 miles (29 km) NNW of Benton Harbor, Michigan when flight controllers lost radio contact with it soon after the pilot had requested a descent to 2,500 feet (760 m). A widespread search was commenced including using sonar and dragging the bottom of Lake Michigan with trawlers, but to no avail. Considerable light debris, upholstery, and human body fragments were found floating on the surface, but divers were unable to locate the plane's wreckage. The disappearance was the deadliest aviation disaster since the Llandow air disaster earlier that year, which killed 80."

Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 - Wikipedia

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Bumping up. Does anyone see any updates over the past year?

 

[djanga]

He was identified as 59-year-old Ronald Wayne Jager who went missing in 2000

Remains found in 2014 ID’d as man missing since 2000 | WOODTV.com