Identified! NY - Coxsackie, MultipleMale Adult (20-50?), UP74503, skull found in Vosburgh Swamp, Feb'17 - namus removed

[tbw10567]

Investigators: Skull found in Coxsackie appears to belong to boy

The state Department of Environmental Conservation says they believe a skull found in Coxsackie last month belongs to a boy between the ages of 10 and 13 years.

http://wnyt.com/news/coxsackie-skull-10-13-year-old-boy-greene-county/4418016/?cat=10114

The first to pop in my mind was Jaleek Rainwalker. Prayers to whomever it may be.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

Ok, compiled a list of possible matches from NY & NJ on Namus:

Caelan Cyrus-Howard Missing since Feb. 21, 2012 Brooklyn, NY 9 year old: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/21135/171


Oscar Garcia-Calles Missing since Jan. 08, 2009 Green Brook, NJ 14 year old: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/6103/157


Jaliek Rainwalker Missing since Nov. 01, 2007 Greenwich, NY 12 year old: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5549/150


Mark Himebaugh Missing since Nov. 25, 1991 Del Haven, NJ 11 year old: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/1892/84


Stevey Sommerville Missing since Sep. 06, 1990 Jamiaca, NY 14 year old: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/7116/77


Kirk Quintons Missing since Sep. 18, 1983 New York City, NY 11 year old: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/6549/56


David Williams Missing since Apr. 07, 1975 New Lisbon, NJ 12 year old: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/3123/26


Thomas Meuse Missing since Aug. 09, 1971 Schenectady, NY 14 year old: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/2442/13


Will add on as more details come out.

 

[Spickate]

They have announced there was clothing found at the scene as well but have not released any further info on what the clothing was.

 

[tbw10567]

Correct me if I am wrong, science wasn't my best. This is right along the Hudson River and I believe it runs downstream towards New York/New Jersey. So I am guessing it may be from north of here. History has that this maybe be an indian burial ground. But like Spickate said, they found articles of clothing near the skull, so it makes me think more recent. Here goes my science again, and it may be a dumb question, but male and female skulls are different? You can tell the sex just from looking at a skull?

 

[JerseyGirl]

The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced late Monday that .... The remains had been exposed to the elements for 5 to 10 years.

http://poststar.com/news/local/poli...cle_c475ab92-6521-571f-9b2e-a9ba5722f46a.html

 

[tbw10567]

It makes me sad and sick to think that a poor child has been about a mile from my house for 5-10 years. Someone somewhere is missing a child. I cannot imagine.

 

[CarlK90245]

Here goes my science again, and it may be a dumb question, but male and female skulls are different? You can tell the sex just from looking at a skull?

Adult skulls are fairly simple to distinguish male from female. Child and adolescent skulls are not as simple to distinguish gender.

Three examples come to mind of child and young adolescent skulls that were classified as the wrong gender.

Kerry Graham - One of two teenaged females whose remains were found in Mendocino County CA in 1978. Kerry was incorrectly classified as male, and remained that way until 2012, when DNA testing revealed that the remains belonged to a female.

Elizabeth Ernstein - Disappeared in 1968, and her remains were found in 1969. Incorrectly classified as male, and remained unidentified until 2012

Paul Segura - 13 year old boy disappeared in 1989 in Houston. His remains were found a few weeks later, but were mis-classified as female because the body had long hair, and a bra was found nearby. He remained unidentified until 2011, when Paul's twin brother was convicted of a crime and his DNA was placed into CODIS. CODIS hit on the remains as an exact match. (What I don't understand is how they were still fooled about gender when they had a nuclear DNA profile, which should distinguish gender).

 

[tbw10567]

So we may still find out it is a female. Wow. But the size alone could determine an adult from a child, so I would say they are on the mark age wise.

 

[tbw10567]

New article:

Chief: Long odds that skull is missing Jaliek Rainwalker

Bell said he hopes the evidence matches Rainwalker's DNA and finally provides closure but he admitted it would be a long shot. He said the skull had been exposed to the elements for some time.

"We're not holding out hope in terms of DNA at this point," Bell said. He also noted the skull could belong to any of a number of missing people.

http://www.timesunion.com/7dayarchive/article/Jaliek-Rainwater-s-DNA-probed-in-human-skull-10982715.php

 

[tbw10567]

Police, grandmother eager to find out if skull belongs to missing Greenwich boy

Barbara Reeley was in Coxsackie Tuesday to see the area herself and assist the investigation in any way possible.

She even brought hair from Jaliek's first haircut, in case police need more DNA.

http://wnyt.com/news/police-grandmother-eager-to-find-out-if-skull-belongs-to-missing-greenwich-boy-jaliek-rainwalker/4419202/?cat=10114

 

[4SAM]

being in the element, 5-10 years, wouldn't that cause the clothing to disintegrate? SO if clothing was still present, seems like it would be someone missing sooner than that? Right?

 

[carbuff]

being in the element, 5-10 years, wouldn't that cause the clothing to disintegrate? SO if clothing was still present, seems like it would be someone missing sooner than that? Right?

Not necessarily. It depends on what the clothing was made of, what the environment was (damp, dry, etc.), whether it was sheltered from the elements, and on and on. They occasionally find bits of cloth in hundred-year-old graves--or even older in some circumstances.

 

[rats]

I hope he is identified soon!

 

[Gardener1850]

A skull found in Coxsackie earlier this year is not Jaliek Rainwalker, the 12-year-old boy missing since 2007.

State police made the announcement on Thursday. Instead, they say the skull belongs to a man between 20 and 50 years old.

http://wnyt.com/news/skull-found-coxsackie-greene-county-not-jaliek-rainwalker/4495442/

 

[TTF14]

http://wnyt.com/news/skull-found-coxsackie-greene-county-not-jaliek-rainwalker/4495442/

Well they were way off with that one!

 

[4SAM]

Back to the drawing board.

 

[rats]

How were they so far off? At least they have let us know. Hmmmm...

 

[carbuff]

How were they so far off? At least they have let us know. Hmmmm...

Initial examinations are frequently off target and need to be adjusted after more detailed examination, DNA and other tests, consultation with forensic anthropologists, biologists, etc.

 

[carbuff]

Another article about the discovery says, "Brainard said remains belonging to people who jumped off Albany and Troy bridges have washed up on shore in this area Greene County before. Police have not yet determined if this is the case, he said."

https://www.mysanantonio.com/local/article/Suspected-human-skull-found-in-Coxsackie-10961141.php

I couldn't find anything more recent than the announcments about the age. Those articles say there was still testing going on, so it's possible they're still waiting for new information.

Police: Human skull found in Coxsackie back in February belongs to adult male

 

[carbuff]

He's in Namus: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Namus lists his race as multiple (which can be either multiracial or uncertain) and doesn't have an age.

There's one exclusion:
MP5235 Craig Frear 06/27/2004 Schenectady NY

Interestingly, Jaliek Rainwalker isn't listed though we know he was ruled out.