NM NM - Luna Co, WhtMale 30-50, UP8323, chained/padlocked to burned phone pole, 'Rodney Jones', May'99

[bflocket]

This has got to be the strangest case on Websleuths.

Chained to a pole that was set on fire?

This one's weird, but there are plenty of strange cases on here. I don't have the link at this second, but there's one in Alaska where a naked guy climbs up a flagpole and jumps to his death. The "pole" brought that one to mind.

 

[rats]

My question is: why did it take 6 months for them to find him? He was chained to a telephone pole! Was the place in the middle of nowhere? You'd think they'd check up on that sort of stuff more frequently than every 6 months. (If that!)

Only rule out on NamUs seems to be Michael Watkins ( https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/3027/1 )

 

[rift]

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/3222/532/
Randy Scott Chadburn. Strong resemblence to sketch, missing from AZ late 1997. Sorry, don't know how to attach his picture. The UID was possibly known as Rodney Jones. Rodney is close to Randy. Any thoughts?

 

[carbuff]

I don't think it was quite the middle of nowhere. More like the edge of nowhere. And yes, they did find it on a routine line check, according to the circumstances on Namus. Utility companies patrol their lines for problems, but in a rural area that doesn't get much bad weather I doubt that they need to check very often.

 

[carbuff]

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/3222/532/
Randy Scott Chadburn. Strong resemblence to sketch, missing from AZ late 1997. Sorry, don't know how to attach his picture. The UID was possibly known as Rodney Jones. Rodney is close to Randy. Any thoughts?

Rodney disappeared from the Tuscon area in late 1997 and his car was found in early 1998. Tuscon is about 5 hours from Luna county, so not right next door, but not that far either, and it's right down I-10. https://goo.gl/maps/6bqHGUSBE2Q2 The UID is thought to have died around November-December 1998, so there's at least six months to account for. But we've seen estimates of dates of death be off by far more than that.

And you're right, the facial resemblance is very strong.

 

[Springrain]

Bump :rose:

 

[carbuff]

Updated Namus link: Unidentified Person Case

Only one ruleout, Michael Watkins from Nebraska.

Did anybody ever submit any of the people who were suggested upthread?

 

[Jproonthego]

After being chained to the pole by someone else and they left him, could he have set the pole on fire himself in an effort to loosen it/knock it down in order to get free? Sorry if that thought was already covered.

 

[Shin Masamura]

Updated Namus link: Unidentified Person Case

Only one ruleout, Michael Watkins from Nebraska.

Did anybody ever submit any of the people who were suggested upthread?

I got sometime, ill send them in..

 

[rift]

I got sometime, ill send them in..

This case has always bothered me, thanks for submitting. I had a hard time finding a proper contact a couple of years ago and never heard back. I rarely post but still lurk and sleuth and appreciate everyone on this site. Nobody deserves a death like this poor guy and I hope he gets his name back someday.

 

[Shin Masamura]

This case has always bothered me, thanks for submitting. I had a hard time finding a proper contact a couple of years ago and never heard back. I rarely post but still lurk and sleuth and appreciate everyone on this site. Nobody deserves a death like this poor guy and I hope he gets his name back someday.

Feel free to jump back in and post, more opinions the better. I will let everyone know if I hear anything.

 

[murphtruecrimequeen]

Bumping. I'm frustrated by the lack of info on this case! From what I've read, I feel like his hand were missing either due to decomp, or possibly animal and/or insect activity. I've seen it posited in a few places that he set the fire himself, and the more i think about it, the more likely that seems. I feel like if the perp had set the fire that his remains would have been more burned and less mummified

 

[Shin Masamura]

*Nothing was heard back fyi

 

[Melt71]

*Nothing was heard back fyi

@Shin Masamura are your suggestion/s appearing as ruleouts on Namus at all?

 

[MadMcGoo]

What an awful way to die! I sure hope he can be identified.

Current list of Missing Person exclusions per NamUs:
MP3027 Michael Watkins 11/06/1998 Lancaster NE

Going to look around and see if anyone catches me eye.

 

[MadMcGoo]

This one is interesting ... just searching “Rodney”s in NamUs and I almost didn’t click on this one because of the date. After reading the circumstances, I’m not sure what to make of it... Same with the scars and tattoos listed for Rodney. I don’t know what would be visible on this particular UID?
https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/5360/details?nav

Rodney Lee Wagner

Rodney, UID ​

Circumstance Notes: Subject has been missing for many years prior to this report being filed.
Date Reported: August 7, 2009
(UID stats in parenthesis)
Date of Last Contact: March 1, 2001
Missing From: Gravois Mills, Missouri (New Mexico)
Missing Age: 43 Years (30-50)
Nickname/Alias: Rodney Brown; Paul Kleiss; James Edward Wagner; Rod Wagner (possible name of Rodney Jones)
Height: 5' 10" (5’8”)
Weight: 180 lbs (unknown)
Hair Color: Brown, shoulder length (Brown; graying beard)
Facial Hair: Usually a long mustache or goatee
Eye Color: Blue (unknown)

Scar/mark: Scar on left arm, right arm, forehead
Tattoo: Name on left arm, unknown on left arm, unknown on upper right arm, name on right arm, unknown on left forearm, unknown on back, unknown on right arm. Pistol, Viking woman, Praying hands

 

[Melt71]

Scar/mark: Scar on left arm, right arm, forehead
Tattoo: Name on left arm, unknown on left arm, unknown on upper right arm, name on right arm, unknown on left forearm, unknown on back, unknown on right arm. Pistol, Viking woman, Praying hands

If the PMI was 6 months you would think that that identifying marks would no longer be visible (unless perhaps the scars was from very deep wounds that scarred the bones).

 

[carbuff]

If the PMI was 6 months you would think that that identifying marks would no longer be visible (unless perhaps the scars was from very deep wounds that scarred the bones).

The remains are described as "mummified," which means the skin dried out without decaying. So tats and scars and so forth would likely still be visible.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Thank you carbuff! I never know exactly what the "state/condition of remains" means. Especially in this case and the fact that he was partially burned. I may submit this one and see if I can get any further information about exactly what we can rule out when searching.

 

[carbuff]

Thank you carbuff! I never know exactly what the "state/condition of remains" means. Especially in this case and the fact that he was partially burned. I may submit this one and see if I can get any further information about exactly what we can rule out when searching.

It's very inconsistent and sometimes the information is put in the wrong place. The terms they use all have very specific meaning to trained medical examiners, but they weren't always used that way and in many of our cases, a data entry person is trying to map information from an old autopsy and ME report onto the standardized form.

Yes, asking for more information would be great.