PA PA - Philadelphia, WhtMale 55-70, UP16633, Millville NJ laundry tag, army nurse tattoo, Jan '69

[apearn]

Sex Male
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group Adult - Pre 70
Estimated Age Range (Years) 55-70
Estimated Year of Death 1969
Estimated PMI Hours
Height5' 8"(68 inches) , Estimated
Weight215 lbs, Estimated

Circumstances of Recovery - Found dead and seated in a public theater.

Hair Color Gray or Partially Gray
Head Hair Description Dark and graying. Buzz cut or short-cropped
Body Hair Description none
Facial Hair Description none
Left Eye Color Hazel
Right Eye Color Hazel

Distinctive Physical Features
tattoo right forearm of an army nurse in uniform (cap and Scarf) from WWI, world war 1

Clothing
Found wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with zipper front; green jersey t-shirt and white cotton t-shirt; black belt-less trouser, white cotton socks.

Footwear
Low brown shoes



I found a news article about a missing man from Millville NJ later that year. The dates don't exactly line up but maybe there was some reason they didn't report him sooner. I have to see if I can find more on the missing man.

John Wild 56 was reported missing May 10, 1969.

 

[apearn]

I'm not finding any follow ups on this missing person but I did find a John L Wild on Ancestry who was born in in Philly and lived in Camden for a while. There is no death date for that John. Interestingly his mother has no more reported children and seems to get removed from the census records around the time of WW1. Maybe she became part of the American Nursing Corps and thus his tattoo of the WW1 nurse. IDK.

 

[madamx]

This is pretty good! So the UID had a laundry ticket that was from Milville NJ . The missing man sounds like it could be him. Wish they had a photo or stats on what the guy looked at to help a bit more. Either way good find apearn!

 

[RookieInvestigator]

A few days ago I checked a few things...Due to the tattoo I was thinking he was a veteran...I checked the area for VA hospitals...I believe Camden had an outpatient facility, but there was a VA hosp in the state....I checked a few sites for missing veterans but didn't see anything similar to this UID....The location is a stone's throw from PA...

You would think this story would've been big news...How often does someone die in a theater....It's surprising a relative or friend didn't realize he was the deceased unless they did not live in the area...

John Chocha, Jr.

Name: John Chocha, Jr.
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 19, 1969
Location Last Seen: Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Physical Description
Date of Birth: circa 1917
Age: 52 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 145 - 173 lbs.
Hair Color: Gray or partially gray
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Chocha was confined to the Harrisburg State Mental Hospital for paranoid schizophrenia. At the time, Chocha had privileges to visit the town.

Chocha was last seen when his sister went to visit him. Shortly thereafter, Chocha's wife called the hospital to say she was visiting him, and was told that he had disappeared. No one had informed his relatives of this beforehand.

There has been no activity on Chocha's social security number since his disappearance. He was declared legally dead seven years after he vanished.

 

[madamx]

Sex Male
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group Adult - Pre 70
Estimated Age Range (Years) 55-70
Estimated Year of Death 1969
Estimated PMI Hours
Height5' 8"(68 inches) , Estimated
Weight215 lbs, Estimated

Circumstances of Recovery - Found dead and seated in a public theater.

Hair Color Gray or Partially Gray
Head Hair Description Dark and graying. Buzz cut or short-cropped
Body Hair Description none
Facial Hair Description none
Left Eye Color Hazel
Right Eye Color Hazel

Distinctive Physical Features
tattoo right forearm of an army nurse in uniform (cap and Scarf) from WWI, world war 1

Clothing
Found wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with zipper front; green jersey t-shirt and white cotton t-shirt; black belt-less trouser, white cotton socks.

Footwear
Low brown shoes

View attachment 163302 View attachment 163303 View attachment 163304

I found a news article about a missing man from Millville NJ later that year. The dates don't exactly line up but maybe there was some reason they didn't report him sooner. I have to see if I can find more on the missing man.

John Wild 56 was reported missing May 10, 1969.

I wonder if the people who reported the Millville guy ever heard about the guy that died at the theater? It's not THAT far..

 

[madamx]

A few days ago I checked a few things...Due to the tattoo I was thinking he was a veteran...I checked the area for VA hospitals...I believe Camden had an outpatient facility, but there was a VA hosp in the state....I checked a few sites for missing veterans but didn't see anything similar to this UID....The location is a stone's throw from PA...

You would think this story would've been big news...How often does someone die in a theater....It's surprising a relative or friend didn't realize he was the deceased unless they did not live in the area...

John Chocha, Jr.

Name: John Chocha, Jr.
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 19, 1969
Location Last Seen: Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Physical Description
Date of Birth: circa 1917
Age: 52 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 145 - 173 lbs.
Hair Color: Gray or partially gray
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Chocha was confined to the Harrisburg State Mental Hospital for paranoid schizophrenia. At the time, Chocha had privileges to visit the town.

Chocha was last seen when his sister went to visit him. Shortly thereafter, Chocha's wife called the hospital to say she was visiting him, and was told that he had disappeared. No one had informed his relatives of this beforehand.

There has been no activity on Chocha's social security number since his disappearance. He was declared legally dead seven years after he vanished.

YES I agree it's not everyday someone dies at the theater and nobody knows who he is. I wonder if it was written in the papers. I have not really found anything.. also I wonder what movie he went to see?

 

[CCJD]

YES I agree it's not everyday someone dies at the theater and nobody knows who he is. I wonder if it was written in the papers. I have not really found anything.. also I wonder what movie he went to see?

From the Philadelphia Inquirer - March 12, 1969

 

[CCJD]

Apparently the theater was quite the fun spot. Three weeks after the unidentified man died there (of natural causes), there was a stabbing. In February, another man was stabbed to death in a basement restroom.
12 Feb 1969, Page 43 - The Philadelphia Inquirer at Newspapers.com

 

[CCJD]

I haven't been able to find what movie was playing the night the UID was found but one more article on the theater.

 

[CCJD]

A few days ago I checked a few things...Due to the tattoo I was thinking he was a veteran...I checked the area for VA hospitals...I believe Camden had an outpatient facility, but there was a VA hosp in the state....I checked a few sites for missing veterans but didn't see anything similar to this UID....The location is a stone's throw from PA...

You would think this story would've been big news...How often does someone die in a theater....It's surprising a relative or friend didn't realize he was the deceased unless they did not live in the area...

John Chocha, Jr.

Name: John Chocha, Jr.
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 19, 1969
Location Last Seen: Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Physical Description
Date of Birth: circa 1917
Age: 52 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 145 - 173 lbs.
Hair Color: Gray or partially gray
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Chocha was confined to the Harrisburg State Mental Hospital for paranoid schizophrenia. At the time, Chocha had privileges to visit the town.

Chocha was last seen when his sister went to visit him. Shortly thereafter, Chocha's wife called the hospital to say she was visiting him, and was told that he had disappeared. No one had informed his relatives of this beforehand.

There has been no activity on Chocha's social security number since his disappearance. He was declared legally dead seven years after he vanished.

John went missing several months after the UID man was found. His grandson has shared quite a bit of info on John's thread here: PA - PA - John Chocha, 52, Harrisburg, 19 Jul 1969

 

[apearn]

From the Philadelphia Inquirer - March 12, 1969

I wonder what the deformity of the shoulder was. Injury/Developmental might help narrow down potential MPs

 

[RookieInvestigator]

I wonder if he was injured in WWII... I'm a bit of a history buff...Reading the thread on the MP I suggested made me think if the film 'Bridge of Spies'...

During the 1940s there was a lot of Russian espionage and double agents...Not saying the MP was a spy, but with the Communism angle it I brought to my memory reading about Russian efforts to infiltrate the US and obtain classified info and sow discord...

I'm a little confused...The family doesn't want us to help investigate, but wants assistance in finding John's remains?? Perhaps I need to read up on what was going on...

 

[apearn]

I'm a little confused...The family doesn't want us to help investigate, but wants assistance in finding John's remains?? Perhaps I need to read up on what was going on...

No. I asked an extended family member if they had any photos and they did not. That's all.

 

[madamx]

Apparently the theater was quite the fun spot. Three weeks after the unidentified man died there (of natural causes), there was a stabbing. In February, another man was stabbed to death in a basement restroom.
12 Feb 1969, Page 43 - The Philadelphia Inquirer at Newspapers.com

Omg your not kidding. geeze so much for the "Family" Theater! Thank you for posting the Newspaper articles they are great!

 

[CCJD]

Omg your not kidding. geeze so much for the "Family" Theater! Thank you for posting the Newspaper articles they are great!

Yes, quite a history. Later was named the Apollo and became an "adult theater". Read the comments at the link. Interesting place.
Comments about Family Theater in Philadelphia, PA - Cinema Treasures

 

[madamx]

Yes, quite a history. Later was named the Apollo and became an "adult theater". Read the comments at the link. Interesting place.
Comments about Family Theater in Philadelphia, PA - Cinema Treasures

Wow your right! Really interesting place! Thank you for the link!

From 1920 to the 1990s. The Apollo Family Theater *advertiser censored* Grind House!!! did I miss anything?... ahhhh if those walls could write a book!!

Now back to our UID.. really makes me wonder now What Movie he was watching when he died!!

 

[madamx]

I wonder if the people who reported the Millville guy ever heard about the guy that died at the theater? It's not THAT far..

Does anyone know if John Wilde

Sex Male
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group Adult - Pre 70
Estimated Age Range (Years) 55-70
Estimated Year of Death 1969
Estimated PMI Hours
Height5' 8"(68 inches) , Estimated
Weight215 lbs, Estimated

Circumstances of Recovery - Found dead and seated in a public theater.

Hair Color Gray or Partially Gray
Head Hair Description Dark and graying. Buzz cut or short-cropped
Body Hair Description none
Facial Hair Description none
Left Eye Color Hazel
Right Eye Color Hazel

Distinctive Physical Features
tattoo right forearm of an army nurse in uniform (cap and Scarf) from WWI, world war 1

Clothing
Found wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with zipper front; green jersey t-shirt and white cotton t-shirt; black belt-less trouser, white cotton socks.

Footwear
Low brown shoes

View attachment 163302 View attachment 163303 View attachment 163304

I found a news article about a missing man from Millville NJ later that year. The dates don't exactly line up but maybe there was some reason they didn't report him sooner. I have to see if I can find more on the missing man.

John Wild 56 was reported missing May 10, 1969.

Has anyone been able to find out if John Wild from Millville was ever found? I have not found anything.

 

[CCJD]

Now back to our UID.. really makes me wonder now What Movie he was watching when he died!!

He was found on January 7, 1969. Clipping from Sunday, January 5, 1969. Thinking the theater likely changed films weekly. I found another ad from the 19th but not the 12th but I'd still think weekly over bi-weekly.
Anyway, this is what was showing.... interesting mix of flicks for a triple feature.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=28323288

 

[madamx]

He was found on January 7, 1969. Clipping from Sunday, January 5, 1969. Thinking the theater likely changed films weekly. I found another ad from the 19th but not the 12th but I'd still think weekly over bi-weekly.
Anyway, this is what was showing.... interesting mix of flicks for a triple feature.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=28323288

Oh awesome find! I found the movie posters . They are posted below... my guess is he died of a heart attack when the She Lady came on screen in her little pink dress..

 

[apearn]

"Has anyone been able to find out if John Wild from Millville was ever found? I have not found anything."

Millville PD said they don't have any records from '69 and when they searched their database he didn't come up.