NC NC - Waynesville, I-40 Exit 7, WhtMale 25-40, UP6291, malnourished, scars, clothes, May'04

[tifflee]

Doe Network Source: 741UMNC

The Doe Network: Case File 741UMNC

Reconstruction of Victim

Unidentified White Male

• The victim was discovered on May 28, 2004 in Harmon Den, Haywood County, North Carolina
• The body was not there are at 15.00 on May 27, 2004.
• Cause of death: dehydration/malnourishment

Vital Statistics

• Estimated age: 30-40 years old
• Approximate Height and Weight: 6'1½; 123 lbs.
• Distinguishing Characteristics: Very dark brown to black hair with close trimmed beard and mustache; brown eyes. Very thin build; no scars, marks or tattoos. Dark complexion.
• Dentals: Not Available
• Clothing: Maroon shirt, black utility pants and black leather belt. He was not wearing socks, shoes, or jewelry.
• Fingerprints: Available
• DNA: Available; entered into FBINMPDB
• Dentals: Charted

Case History
The victim was located at approximately 7.13, off Exit 7, eastbound I-40 in Harmon Den, Haywood County, North Carolina on May 28, 2004.

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
Haywood County Sheriffs Office
828-452-6666
You may remain anonymous when submitting information.
Agency Case Number: 2004-01812

NCIC Number:
U-180005292
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.


NamUs Source: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

ME/C Case Number: 04-4653
Haywood County, North Carolina
25 to 40 year old White Male

Full-size reconstruction sketches for detail:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Rule-outs: Gordon Page, 1964, Michigan

Weight (pounds): 123, Measured
Height (inches): 73, Measured
All parts recovered: Recognizable face
Circumstances:[/FONT] Found in grassy area

Clothing & Accessories: Red shirt, black belt, black pants, and white underwear.

Head Hair: Black, 1.3 cm in length
Facial Hair: 1.3 cm length black/brown moustache and goatee.
Scars & Marks: 2.3 cm white-tan, well-healed, non-surgical scar on the right superior forehead at the hairline; a 0.5 x 0.2 cm, white-tan, well-healed, non-surgical scar on the anterior, superior right thigh; a 1.0 x 0.9 cm, white-tan, non-surgical scar over the left anterior aspect of the iliac crest; a 3.5 cm white-tan, non-surgical scar over the dorsal aspect of the right forearm; and a 1.2 x 0.6 cm, white-tan, non-surgical scar on the anterior right shin.

Fingerprints: Noted in NamUs
Dental: Charted in NamUs. #19 and #30 have protostylid-buccal pits. #8 LEH
DNA: Completed and entered. Located in University of North Texas. mtDNA and nucDNA available.

<MOD NOTE: Original link broken; edited to include current link as of October 8, 2022>

 

[tifflee]

Mentioning this missing person here, but since his DNA is shown in NamUs as "Sample submitted - Tests complete" while the UID's mtDNA and nucDNA is located at the University of North Texas (per NamUs) and the FBI NMP DB (per DoeNetwork), I think they likely would have matched by now if there was a match to be made?

The Charley Project - Source: Joshua Johnathan Korvin – The Charley Project

Joshua Johnathan Korvin

Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: May 5, 1974
Age: 29 years old
Height and Weight: 5'10 - 5'11, 150 - 167 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Hispanic male. Black hair, brown/hazel eyes. Korvin has a mustache and goatee. He has a scar above his right eyebrow and a scar near his left eye. His nickname is Josh.

Korvin was last seen in Mount Vernon, Washington on March 17, 2004. There was a small fire at his home that day; the damage was minimal and no injuries were reported. It isn't known whether Korvin was home at the time of the fire, but he's been missing ever since. Korvin was a professional snowboarder prior to his disappearance and competed nationally; he also owned a skate shop called Evolution in Bellingham, Washington. He left behind a young daughter. His case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Mount Vernon Police Department
360-336-6271

Race: White
Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino
Sex: Male
Height (inches): 70.0 to 71.0
Weight (pounds): 150.0 to 167.0

Head Hair: Shorter than collar length
Facial Hair: Had goatee and mustache when last scene
Eye Description: Eye color may be hazel
Scars and Marks: Scar above right eyebrow. Scar left eye.

Dental: Dental information / charting is currently not available.
DNA: Sample submitted - Tests complete
Fingerprints: Fingerprint information is available and entered


Media Source: http://www.king5.com/news/local/New-clues-sought-in-case-of-missing-pro-snowboarder-129564593.html

Title: "New clues sought in case of missing pro snowboarder"

Joshua Korvin disappeared after an accidental house fire at his home.

Joshua has had personal struggles in his own life to include substance abuse and brushes with the law. Several weeks before his disappearance, he was involved in fights and disorderly conduct in Bellingham, where he was arrested. Joshua owned and managed the Evolution Board Shop in Bellingham.

_________________________________________

Comparison of UID and JJK

For the images, the UID apparently died of dehydration and malnourishment so I tried to imagine the UID not as gaunt when comparing.

UID Discovered: May 28, 2004 within 24 hours of death
JJK: Last seen by his mother on March 17, 2004

UID Found: Exit 7, eastbound I-40 in Harmon Den, Haywood County, North Carolina
JJK Last Seen: Mount Vernon, Skagit County, Washington
(The media article linked stated that JJK had some personal turmoil before he disappeared and there was an accidental fire at his home the day of. Would any of this have caused him to just leave?)


UID's estimated age: 25-40 (NamUs), 30-40 (Doe Network)
JJK: 29

UID Demographic: White male, dark complexion (per Doe Network)
JJK: Hispanic male

UID Height & Weight: Around 6'1"; Malnourished and dehydrated at 123 lbs.
JJK: 5'10" - 5'11", 150-167 lbs.

UID Hair, Eyes: 1.3 cm black hair, brown eyes, 1.3 cm black/brown mustache and goatee
JJK: Black hair, brown/hazel eyes, had mustache and goatee when last seen

UID Scars and Marks: 2.3 cm white-tan, well-healed, non-surgical scar on the right superior forehead at the hairline; a 0.5 x 0.2 cm, white-tan, well-healed, non-surgical scar on the anterior, superior right thigh; a 1.0 x 0.9 cm, white-tan, non-surgical scar over the left anterior aspect of the iliac crest; a 3.5 cm white-tan, non-surgical scar over the dorsal aspect of the right forearm; and a 1.2 x 0.6 cm, white-tan, non-surgical scar on the anterior right shin.
JJK: Scar above right eyebrow. Scar left eye.

<MOD NOTE: Original link broken; edited to include current link and images as of October 8, 2022>

 

[FiveFelines]

I think the sketch looks a bit like Justin Farrell. But he would have had to have traveled to NC from TX and lost 30-40 lbs in two weeks. Plus he has tats.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/4346/0

Because of the location and circumstances, I wonder if we're looking for someone who was either homeless or trying to "live off the land" Christopher McCandless-style.

ETA: although the well-kept goatee would seem to point away from homelessness.

 

[Sunshine95]

I think they are pretty certain on his height, which would rule out the first possibility.... but not the 2nd one. It would be difficult to lose that much weight in 2 weeks, but maybe he had already lost some before he went missing? Would authorities already compared the 2?

How long would it take for someone's hair to grow to IIRC 1.3cm if he was clean shaven, head and face, before going missing/ lost in woods, then becoming dehydrated and malnourished? would hunger slow the hair growth?

It seems Harmans Den is a wilderness area, so I'm thinking lost while hiking, or intentionally going into the wild, then trying to get out/ get to someone when he realized he was not getting enough to eat or drink?

He could have been held, starving, then got away or let loose, but that wouldn't explain the short hair growth.
Any chance he had an eating disorder? I know probably not, but it may explain the state of health, and something to possible keep in the back of our minds...

Another question, does this mean he was already compared to all reported on missing sites? Pretty new and not sure

 

[Sunshine95]

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recreation/scenicdrivinginfo/recarea/?recid=70836&actid=62

http://www.recreationparks.net/NC/haywood/harmon-den-wildlife-management-area-fines-creek

http://www.satelliteviews.net/cgi-bin/g.cgi/?fid=1011860&state=NC&ftype=park

These are links about the area where he was found. I wish we had more info, like where exactly he was found, and who found him, anything on him for clues, etc...

 

[Sunshine95]

http://s10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/ar/t19187.htm

This site says Justin Farrell has several tattoos on his upper body, so probably not him

 

[FiveFelines]

I thought lost while hiking, too, but I think the goatee plus lack of shoes and socks might point away from that. Other reasons for extreme weight loss, malnutrition, etc.: wasting diseases like AIDS and cancer, eating disorder, maybe mental illness, maybe severe drug addiction. I would guess that most of these would have shown up in an autopsy, though.

There are several men who disappeared within a reasonable timeframe who were known to stay in campgrounds, be transients, etc., but they all seem to have tattoos or look nothing like the UID (totally different height, hair color, etc.). I really find the goatee puzzling because it doesn't fit scenarios like being lost.

 

[FiveFelines]

I wish we had a morgue photo to work from, even though weight loss would have changed his appearance. That's seriously skinny for a guy, no? My ex was naturally pretty thin and he was 125 lbs at 5'6". That weight at 6 feet+ just sounds skeletal to me.

 

[FiveFelines]

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recreation/scenicdrivinginfo/recarea/?recid=70836&actid=62

http://www.recreationparks.net/NC/haywood/harmon-den-wildlife-management-area-fines-creek

http://www.satelliteviews.net/cgi-bin/g.cgi/?fid=1011860&state=NC&ftype=park.

These are links about the area where he was found. I wish we had more info, like where exactly he was found, and who found him, anything on him for clues, etc...

I found something that says he was found near Forest Service Rd 288, which is not far from exit 7 off I-40 E. Here's how it looks in Google Maps. Wonder if he was headed to the highway--or away from it?

https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF...=us&ei=7IUrUtnFGKz_4AOFkoGADw&ved=0CCoQ8gEwAA

 

[ArianeEmory]

I wish we had a morgue photo to work from, even though weight loss would have changed his appearance. That's seriously skinny for a guy, no? My ex was naturally pretty thin and he was 125 lbs at 5'6". That weight at 6 feet+ just sounds skeletal to me.

Agree. At first glance I was going to suggest that he was a meth user, but that seems more like actual starvation than drug addiction. I don't really want to think about how he could have gotten in that state.

 

[FiveFelines]

This guy caught my eye because he fits most of the stats and disappeared from a state park that's only about a 2-hour drive away... six years earlier. Sigh.

Jason Andrew Knapp – The Charley Project <MOD NOTE: Original link broken; edited to include current link as of October 8, 2022>

Probably of no importance, but Harmon Den is in the Pisgah National Forest, which was one of serial killer Gary Hilton's stomping grounds. I doubt he kidnapped our UID and starved him to death, though.

 

[FiveFelines]

I think he was homeless. Apparently the PNF has a huge homeless population. So perhaps he had been missing for years or was never reported missing.

<modsnip: removed broken link>

 

[Sunshine95]

This guy caught my eye because he fits most of the stats and disappeared from a state park that's only about a 2-hour drive away... six years earlier. Sigh.

Jason Andrew Knapp – The Charley Project <MOD NOTE: Original link broken; edited to include current link as of October 8, 2022>

Probably of no importance, but Harmon Den is in the Pisgah National Forest, which was one of serial killer Gary Hilton's stomping grounds. I doubt he kidnapped our UID and starved him to death, though.

I was on the Hilton thread earlier trying to figure out if there was a connection, couldn't figure out if he was in that area around that time? I was thinking maybe the guy ran if something happened to the person he was with or something?
It def was starvation that made him that skinny- if he was an "into the wild" person, or homeless, why would he have such neat hair/ facial hair? What if he had cancer, had undergone treatment, lost hair, then decided he would rather go out in nature? Or like you said, something like AIDS? But wouldn't they report that?
Think we should check people missing from TN too, it's very close to that area.
I am familiar with the area. There are several things I'd like to point out, though I cannot tell you how I know There is a strong, although juvenile relative to more established, gang presence. In Canton are the bloods, in Waynesville are the Crips. Violence for sure... He could have been taken out there to be "dealt with" and either left there or run away from people, gotten lost, etc. There are amazing, good people in the area, but there are some that are not so good- take matters into their own hands, vigilante justice, and racism. If this guy is not 100% white- looking, something to consider. Madison County is beside this county, well known for good ole boy justice, moon shining, etc. Could have been watching a moon shine still, pot farm, or so and gotten lost? Also to the west is the area where the bar scene in the movie "Nell" was filmed, and suffice it to say, it is REALLY not safe for someone who is too different to be.
I wonder if they ever found any wrecked vehicles around there? I think of Holly Fischer, if she was able to survive the crash, she could have gotten lost in the wilderness trying to find a way back to the road...
Oh, one more thing, Cherokee is near there, does he look like he may be part of that tribe?
Just realized that my post is almost all questions- sorry

 

[Venom]

Is there any info on if he could have been dumped there, or that he just wandered there himself?

 

[FiveFelines]

Is there any info on if he could have been dumped there, or that he just wandered there himself?

I can't find much info on him at all. It does say that his body had not been in that location the day before, and he was near a service road, so it seems entirely possible that he was dumped there.

You know, if he had been a child or teen, we would probably be thinking he was a victim of abuse and neglect. It just seems so odd that he was a grown man and could have been starved to death by someone else, unless he was very sick (which you'd think they would have noted in his autopsy).

 

[FiveFelines]

Okay, I take back my earlier comment about adult men being starved to death:

Woman Suspected of Chaining Disabled Adults Starved Man to Death in '81

<modsnip: removed broken link>

 

[tifflee]

Glad to see others also agree on what I thought were puzzling pieces of this UID's case. The lack of socks or shoes, apparently well-groomed head and facial hair, yet gauntness - and even the dark complexion makes me wonder if it was his natural skin tone or instead a dark tan from being out in the sun (as if he had been wandering). I am curious to what the condition of his feet were. It might indicate if he were dumped or walked to that spot barefoot.

 

[alreetlike]

A few more details would be helpful. For example it says he wasn't wearing socks or shoes, so I'd like to know what state his feet were in. Were they dirty as if he'd been walking around on bare feet (like a homeless person might) or clean, which might indicate he'd been dropped off there by a vehicle.

Also I'd like to see a sketch/reconstruction of what he may have looked like carrying a little more weight - if somebody hadn't seen him for years they may remember him looking a bit fuller round the face rather than so gaunt.

One more thing.. it's mildly frustrating how Doe Network says there are no marks or scars but NamUs lists several. I like consistency!

 

[alreetlike]

Glad to see others also agree on what I thought were puzzling pieces of this UID's case. The lack of socks or shoes, apparently well-groomed head and facial hair, yet gauntness - and even the dark complexion makes me wonder if it was his natural skin tone or instead a dark tan from being out in the sun (as if he had been wandering). I am curious to what the condition of his feet were. It might indicate if he were dumped or walked to that spot barefoot.

I was posting at the same time as you but walked away for a bit before coming back and hitting submit - looks like we had the same thoughts on his feet.

 

[Sunshine95]

Is it possible to contact one of the places with info on him and ask those questions? If we at least had an idea if he walked in the forest, or didn't would make a huge difference in the direction we look. Also, to know if there were any signs of illness or toxicology... and the question of skin tone, was he Caucasian with a tan from being outside, or does he seem to have Hispanic, native american, asian, biracial, etc. skin tone would also help IMO.
If it is possible, how?