Resolved NV - Gerlach, WhtMale UP10536 55-65, alias 'Richard Lee', devil tattoo, Jul'12 - Name withheld

tifflee

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This UID case intrigues me. Everything from the long term usage of the alias "Richard Lee" to his San Francisco Chronicle mention with photograph (below) to his participation in Burning Man logistics all the way to the discrepancies between the coroner's description and the Namus profile.

He first caught my eye because his NamUs height is 6.5 feet - pretty tall! However, that's contradicted by what's listed on the Washoe County Medical Examiner's website.

The way the San Francisco Chronicle writer described her interactions with him made him sound like a cool character. His Facebook memorial pages weren't short on those who were missing his presence. All in all, he carved out an interesting life for himself. What was he starting over from with the fake name?

===

Washoe County Medical Examiner - Coroner's Office - Unidentified Remains
Link: http://www.washoecounty.us/coroner/unidentifiedremains.htm
(Red bolded emphasis by me)
Date Found: July 19, 2012
Washoe County M.E./Coroner Case #12-4983
White male, age approximately 55 to 65 years, 211 pounds, 70 inches tall, blonde hair with adult male type baldness. Found in a one bed, one bathroom, manufactured home on West Sunset Boulevard in Gerlach, Nevada. Gentleman used a fictitious name of Richard Lee.
Cause of Death: Hypertensive and Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Agency: Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Case #12-4983
===

NamUs UP # 10536 (**Warning** Post-mortem photographs)
Link: https://identifyus.org/en/cases/10536
(Red bolded emphasis by me)
ME/C Case Number: 12-1664
Washoe County, Nevada
55 to 65 year old White Male
Date found: July 19, 2012 11:32

Demographics
Estimated age: Adult - Pre 70
Minimum age: 55 years
Maximum age: 65 years
Race: White
Ethnicity: Other
Sex: Male
Weight (pounds): 211, Measured
Height (inches): 78, Measured
Body Parts Inventory: All parts recovered
Body conditions: Recognizable face
Probable year of death: 2012 to 2012
Estimated postmortem interval: 12 Hours

Location Found
Address 1: 255 West Sunset Blvd
City: Gerlach
State: Nevada
Zip code: 89412
County: Washoe

Circumstances
The decedent was last seen alive on the morning of 7/18/2012. On 7/19/12 at approximately 1120 hours, a worker from senior services was taking meals to the decedent. Upon noticing the decedent's uneaten meals from the previous day, she performed a welfare check and found the decedent to be unresponsive on the bathroom floor. 911 was called at 1120 hours and Gerlach Fire Department was dispatched at that time.

The decedent was known as "Richard Lee" in Gerlach, NV for approximately 20 year, and it has been confirmed that he is not "Richard Lee" after social security and birth date records had been searched.

Physical
Hair color: White
Head hair: Balding, grey hair.
Body hair: Chest hair (grey), pubic hair (grey).
Facial hair: Stubble, beard
Eye description: Unknown due to corneal clouding

Scars and marks: Large apparent sugical scar on the decedent's lower abdomen. Large apparent surgical scar on the decedent's right, poximal, lower extremity.
Tattoos: Left upper arm has a small black tattoo of a devil holding a pitchfork. (Note: Photograph of tattoo on NamUs)

Prior surgery: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm repair, hemorrhoidectomy, and right femoral/popliteal bypass graft.
Other medical information: Hypertension

Fingerprints Status: Fingerprint information is available and entered (Note: Fingerprint card photograph on NamUs)
Dental Status: Dental information / charting is available and entered
DNA Status: Sample submitted - Tests complete

NamUs Images (**Warning** Post-mortem photographs at NamUs link)
14559

(Note: Larger version of this photograph available at NamUs link)
===

San Francisco Chronicle
Feature article: "BLACK ROCK UNPLUGGED"
Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer
Published 4:00 am, Sunday, July 27, 2008
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/BLACK-ROCK-UNPLUGGED-3202346.php#page-3

628x471.jpg

Caption: "Don Lawson of Berkeley enjoys the shade at Rainbow Opal Mine, where Richard Lee (background) offers camping sites, running water, and trips to the mine to prospect for gems in the Calico Mountains of Black Rock Desert. Photo: Meredith May, The Chronicle"
Pulling into Rainbow Opal Mine, we got a warm welcome from the pirate posse from the night before, plus the caretaker, 58-year-old Richard Lee, known as Cub.

Cub lives in a trailer, gets his water from a natural spring, uses a generator to run an outdoor washing machine and propane for his fridge. His outdoor shower and his lanterns are solar powered, and he burns most of his trash in a fire pit. The plastics go with him when he makes quarterly runs to town for gas and supplies.

He has the most gorgeous view of the Playa and Black Rock Mountains from his front porch. Wild horses walk through his yard, and he has no Internet, no phone service, no radio and no TV. He likes it that way.

He has camping spots, and several trailers scattered about that visitors can sleep in if they are empty. For $10 you can borrow his hammer and chisels and head a quarter mile up the mountain behind his spread and crack open rocks looking for opal.
Lee showed us a vial filled with opals and water, turning it so the gems glinted in the light.
Lee passed out the cold ones when we got back, as we were sunburned and sweaty from our expedition.

We beamed as we showed him our take.

"Nah, that's agate," he said.

He must have seen my face fall.

"Oh, but it's real pretty when you shine it up good!"
Rainbow Opal Mine: Stop at the Friends of Black Rock trailer in Gerlach and pick up a Bureau of Land Management Black Rock Transportation Map. Follow Soldier Meadows Road to the Calico Mountains Wilderness and look for signs on the left to Rainbow Opal Mine. There's no way to call, so no reservations are necessary. Camping sites with water. Just drive up and ask for Richard Lee, the caretaker.
===

Facebook memorial posting from Gerlach page
Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=423639461008195&id=104743556231122

Facebook memorial service announcement from NIMBY page with photograph
Link: https://www.facebook.com/nimbyspace...1530301726/10150945752581727/?type=1&theater#
280232_10150945752581727_229376396_o.jpg


===

Various Burning Man Acknowledgements

Link: http://www.brc-dpw.org/BRC-DPW/Blank.html
Gerlach Area Residents:
...
Richard Lee (Cub)
...
Link: http://afterburn.burningman.com/02/org/recognition.html
Department of Public Works (DPW)
...
Richard Lee (Cub), Chief Mechanic
...
 
There are probably quite a few potential matches for white males between the ages of 55 and 65 with a height of 5'10" OR 6'6". Add a hair color that could be blonde OR grey (which could have been any color 20 years ago then) and undetermined eye color - and the possibilities are daunting.

I am including Michael Clarke here because he has a tattoo on an unknown arm and strangely enough, has heights listed on similar extremes as this UID.

His family apparently lost saw him in 1987, but he has a booking record from 1990. I found a booking record for a Michael Tyler Clarke from June 1990 in Polk, FL. Not sure if it is the same person, but the height listed is 5'9". NamUs has potential height as 6' to 7'. Pretty big spread, like with the UID!

Mr. Clarke's hair is listed as red/auburn whereas NamUs has the UID's hair as grey and the Coroner's Office has it listed as blonde. If the UID's hair was grey, then this doesn't rule out Mr. Clarke.

His eye color is listed as blue, but the UID's eye color is unknown due to clouding.

Age-wise, it looks like Mr. Clarke would have been 65 in 2012 which is the high end of the estimated age range. The UID gave his age as 58 in the 2008 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. If that is his true age, he would be around 62 in 2012.

Finally, Mr. Clarke has no fingerprints, DNA, or dentals listed available for comparison so he likely has not been compared yet.

===

36556

(Note: Larger image available on NamUs)
Michael Tyler Clarke
NamUs MP # 20629
Michael Clarke
Miami-Dade County, Florida
40 to 50 year old white male
Link: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/20629/7
Case Information
First name: Michael
Middle name: Tyler
Last name: Clarke
Date last seen: January 01, 1987 00:00
Date entered: 06/14/2013
Age last seen: 40 to 50 years old
Age now: 67 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height (inches): 72.0 to 84.0
Weight (pounds): 150.0 to 250.0

Circumstances
City: MIAMI
State: Florida
Zip code: 33184
County: Miami-Dade
Circumstances: FAMILY HAS NOT SEEN OR HEARD FROM HIM OVER 25 YEARS.

Physical
Hair color: Red/Auburn
Left eye color: Blue
Right eye color: Blue

Tattoos: ARM NON-SPECIFIC

Clothing & Accessories
Possibly wearing black rim eye glasses as depicted in an 1990 jail booking photo.

Dental Status: Dental information / charting is currently not available
DNA Status: Sample is currently not available
Fingerprints Status: Fingerprint information is currently not available
===

Florida Booking Record for a Michael Tyler Clarke (unknown if the same person)
Link: http://www.florida-mugshot-locator.com/Counties/Polk-County/Michael-Tyler-Clarke.25744915.html
 
Rule-Outs for this UID
First Name Last Name Year of Birth State LKA
Robert Befort 1958 Nevada
Terence Stone 1950 California
 
I did a bit more searching for Richard "Cub" Lee and found two more photographs.

Tumblr: An Inordinate Fondness For Stars And Beetles
Link: http://johnnypayphone.tumblr.com/post/27918034047/r-i-p-richard-cub-lee-ill-miss-you-uncle

tumblr_m7oe6g9b5j1qb4urmo1_500.jpg

Caption: "R.I.P. Richard “Cub” Lee. I’ll miss you Uncle."


Facebook posting from NIMBY page with photograph
Link: https://www.facebook.com/nimbyspace...27.1073741832.171530301726/10151855757136727/

1533882_10151855757136727_19544021_n.jpg

Caption: "I'm looking for any photos of Cub you have. NamUs UP # 10536"
 
I did a bit more searching for Richard "Cub" Lee and found two more photographs.

Tumblr: An Inordinate Fondness For Stars And Beetles
Link: http://johnnypayphone.tumblr.com/post/27918034047/r-i-p-richard-cub-lee-ill-miss-you-uncle

tumblr_m7oe6g9b5j1qb4urmo1_500.jpg

Caption: "R.I.P. Richard “Cub” Lee. I’ll miss you Uncle."


Facebook posting from NIMBY page with photograph
Link: https://www.facebook.com/nimbyspace...27.1073741832.171530301726/10151855757136727/

1533882_10151855757136727_19544021_n.jpg

Caption: "I'm looking for any photos of Cub you have. NamUs UP # 10536"

Here's another one from that FB https://www.facebook.com/nimbyspace...71530301726/10151855755626727/?type=3&theater

I don't see the Uncle caption on the one you posted from Tumbler. Is there a name of a person that was calling him Uncle?? It is possible that even though he changed his name decades ago that he still kept in touch with one or more of his family members.
 
I don't see the Uncle caption on the one you posted from Tumbler. Is there a name of a person that was calling him Uncle?? It is possible that even though he changed his name decades ago that he still kept in touch with one or more of his family members.
The caption/title shows up for me on the Tumblr link directly underneath the photograph in black font, right above the date of the posting in white font. You have to scroll all the way to the bottom.
 
Hello This is my first post. I knew Cub for over 10 years. He was a very private person .//// He received a citation in Gerlach from the the Washoe County Sheriff for no license. He went to court in Wadsworth Nv. ///// After a long night sitting by the fire He told Me that He was Vietnam Veteran ,And he had gone thru Hell there. ///// He told a resident of Gerlach , Nevada , that he had skipped town with several pounds of meth belonging to an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang in Portland Oregon .The reason he was hiding out was on account of the fact they had a contract out on his life. ///// He got the tattoo in 2000 ,
 
Hello This is my first post. I knew Cub for over 10 years. He was a very private person .//// He received a citation in Gerlach from the the Washoe County Sheriff for no license. He went to court in Wadsworth Nv. ///// After a long night sitting by the fire He told Me that He was Vietnam Veteran ,And he had gone thru Hell there. ///// He told a resident of Gerlach , Nevada , that he had skipped town with several pounds of meth belonging to an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang in Portland Oregon .The reason he was hiding out was on account of the fact they had a contract out on his life. ///// He got the tattoo in 2000 ,

Thank you for sharing this. I wonder if he used the name Richard Lee when he got the citation. I believe driving with no valid license is a misdemeanor offense, so you would think that they would have finger printed him and could run them through the system to compare.

Another thing I'm wondering is if it's possible that his family has not identified him because they are still concerned about retribution from the Outlaws. Sad. If not I hope they do eventually find out his real name so his family can be told.
 
Sleuthster > Great question . I will call some folks in Gerlach and see if I can get any more info!
Thank you for sharing this. I wonder if he used the name Richard Lee when he got the citation. I believe driving with no valid license is a misdemeanor offense, so you would think that they would have finger printed him and could run them through the system to compare.

Another thing I'm wondering is if it's possible that his family has not identified him because they are still concerned about retribution from the Outlaws. Sad. If not I hope they do eventually find out his real name so his family can be told.
 
How plausible is it for someone to hide out under an assumed name, but still be able to seek medical attention at a VA Hospital under their real name (as in, the name they served in the military under)? Just wondering if Cub ever sought medical attention or was still able to get veterans benefits despite possibly hiding out from retribution. Also, if he served in the military, would his fingerprints be on file? Would there be a way to compare his available fingerprints against military records?
 
:welcome:

Welcome, concernedrancher! Thank you for joining us! I hope that with our help we can
 
:welcome:

Welcome, concernedrancher! Thank you for joining us! I hope that with our help we can

Ditto this. Also, I saw some Facebook posts among Gerlach locals linking to this thread and asking for more information plus photographs. It's great to see his friends coming together to compare stories and memories to help try to identify him. Looking forward to the additional information gathered from those posts and concernedrancher's calls!
 
:welcome:

Welcome, concernedrancher! Thank you for joining us! I hope that with our help we can
Thanks BCF !!I am also very interested in finding out who he was. I recall Cub telling me he ran a automotive shop in Portland .Hope that helps !
 
A very good question tiffle , A better question is His Burningman ID shows Courtney Trucking Co.<Gerlach Nv. > He must have had a commercial driving license at one point ?
 
A very good question tiffle , A better question is His Burningman ID shows Courtney Trucking Co.<Gerlach Nv. > He must have had a commercial driving license at one point ?
I don't know much about commercial driving and the regulations, but I did a search on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's website for "Courtney Trucking" and got these results:
CARRIER/DBA NAME LOCATION
ANTHONEY COURTNEY TRUCKING MILLBROOK, AL
COURTNEY TRUCKING MOORE, OK
COURTNEY TRUCKING OTTUMWA, IA
COURTNEY TRUCKING HUGHES, AR
COURTNEY TRUCKING EQUALITY, IL
COURTNEY TRUCKING HATTIESBURG, MS
COURTNEY TRUCKING INC CHARLOTTE, NC
COURTNEY TRUCKING LLC LAMAR, MO
COURTNEY TRUCKING LLC LUMBERTON, MS
COURTNEY TRUCKING SERVICE COLTON, OR
PATRICK MCCOURTNEY TRUCKING GARDINER, ME
Is there somewhere to search for individual commercial drivers licenses by state?

Also, the Colton, OR result got me curious so I did a map search. Colton is 40+ miles and over an hour from Portland, OR.
 
^ Here's a reference to Courtney Trucking's role in Burning Man: http://blog.burningman.com/2013/08/building-brc/and-here-we-go/
A big partner in the operation is Courtney Trucking, which does a lot of the hauling. &#8220;Willie&#8217;s the man,&#8221; Cuervo says of Willie Courtney, who&#8217;s loading containers onto trucks for the trip to Black Rock City. Willie is also Bruno&#8217;s grandson. Bruno&#8217;s tentacles are everywhere in Gerlach.

The trucks come roaring onto the playa, kicking up giants plumes of dust as they come off the highway. They navigate to the right spot, drop their load, then head back to the ranch. The drivers go back and forth, again and again, all day long. By the end of the day, there is stuff everywhere, and people climbing all over it, starting to get things in place. The power yard is piled high with boxes of wires, and huge generators are also in place. One of the first things you need out here is electricity, and this is where it comes from.
The badges might not only indicate the truckers, but also the unloaders and other folks involved in the trucking company's operations for the event.

The company is actually known as Courtney Rock & Transport which is why they didn't show up in my previous Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration search. More information:

http://www.truckdriver.com/trucking-company-directory/ShowDOTCo.cfm?CENSUS_NUM=1586427
http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/query.as...apshot&query_param=USDOT&query_string=1586427
 
Also, the Colton, OR result got me curious so I did a map search. Colton is 40+ miles and over an hour from Portland, OR.

The distance from Colton to Portland is not really a factor.

My cousins are commercial truckers. The trucking hub is in Jackson MS they live 90 miles away in Meridian MS. The drive to Jackson pickup their load and drive to Miami Fl (14+ hours one way) and back to Jackson then back to Meridian 2-3 times a week.
 
My shot in the dark: Recently added to Charley, David Clay Giles, went missing headed to Nevada back in '95, at age 40. Falls into the time frame. Height is right, if the 6'0" is correct. Left from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake City, and was supposed to continue on to Carlin, NV, in his brother's borrowed pickup, with a trailer attached. Neither truck nor borrower ever heard from again.

giles_david1.jpggiles_david2.jpggiles_david3.jpg
 

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