WA - Unidentified Male: "Lyle Stevik", Grays Harbor, 17 Sept 2001 - #5

[Any123]

I wonder why no one recognized him at the hotel address he gave.

 

[carbuff]

More recent members may not be aware that for a while, retired detective Lane Youmans, who investigated Lyle's case, was a member here as coldcaseman and posted a great deal of information about the case. Babyslims, Roselvr, and some other users compiled that information into a single thread: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?142870-Compiled-info-contributed-by-coldcaseman

It's definitely worth reading--answers many of the questions we've all had while trying to find where Lyle belongs. It's not terribly long.

 

[Kano]

To be fair the bald look didn't start until later years and in 01 it was just starting. It could have been more common on the west coast at the time being that area sparks many of these styles

 

[Kano]

I could see a few things that could have happened with the clothes. I can see the grunge look closer to some of the others but most of the Seattle grunge kids.. Well, keyword was grunge lol I remember an old documentary called "Streetwise" that was a pretty interesting documentary on the homeless kids population in Seattle in the late 1970's and early 1980's. A lot of the kids in this documentary ended up finding tragic ends... One hung himself, one died of aids, one was stabbed in the mid 1980's, one fell victim to the Green River killer, one was shot just this year and died while still homeless after all these decades.

One thing that stands out is his boots seem far more worn than the rest of his outfit. Could be a chance his boots the only original part of clothing that his and he got this outfit just to die in. Be interesting to know if it looked like his hair fresh cut or not also. This specific outfit he wore you can change looks so easy with just the change of how you wearing a shirt.

I wouldn't say I can see much that says overly educated and that mostly going from his penmanship. Back in those days you couldn't get away with not writing like you can today. There are easy stories I can make up without backing that just feel right with this... Like say him having a bit of money, maybe from inheritances and his only living family member having died in 9-11. Nothing to back this idea up or even make a person think it but it just feels easy. It is also easy for me to think that he looked different before.. Maybe he was homeless, scored most of his outfit at the goodwill or Walmart and got cleaned up with the specific intention of committing suicide. Again nothing to make me think that at all other than it being an easy place for the brain to wonder. The 9-11 highjacker link comes to the same bit. This case is so odd though that the mans style, look and even DNA can be so Joe Average. He could look anything from Native American to Ukrainian to Siberian racially and his style of dress can vary so much also from 1 lone outfit.

:Fast edit: One thing that stuck out to me when I went over this case the first time was the paper he had.. It seemed that at the time I found it to be a local paper to the area, quite small and not a national media source.. Seemed odd that someone from out of the area would get a local, 2 bit town paper

 

[dotr]

Some of the LE's observations that stood out for me.
rbbm.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sho...by-coldcaseman

The closest airport is Sea Tac (Seattle), about 140 miles North. There is a small airport in Hoquiam (40 miles away), but doesn't have commercial flights. I wasn't able to locate any bus passengers. We had put the information in the local paper, but no one called saying they had seen him. In hindsight, alot more effort should have been put into neighborhood interviews, etc. but it was obviously a suicide of a person who did not appear to be a "street person"

The handwriting style, a cross between cursive and block printing, is a style I have seen from people with a medical background. People who are writing quickly, and they tend to not pick the pen off of the paper as they make the individual lines in a letter.

Lyle doesn't fit the norm of the suicides I have investigated. The majority of them killed themselves at home, in their car, somewhere they feel comfortable. Very few have put this much forethought into it, which leads me to believe he is well educated. He didn't kill himself right away, he spent his last few days probably analyzing his situation. He probably read the paper to keep up on national events, such as the attacks, to confirm his decision to end his life.

I always felt Lyle was from a middle-upper income family. No signs he was involved in manual labor, no injuries, well read, articulate, clean, took care of his appearance, etc. I'm not saying that people from lower incomes don't have those traits, that was my impression

His clothes and boots were in very good shape. Very clean and not damaged or worn

 

[Brainy]

I wonder why no one recognized him at the hotel address he gave.

Yes... no one appears to recognize him. I believe the person who might has not seen or heard of this case.

 

[Brainy]

To be a professional, in any field, requires a lot of education and contact with others. Even a shy person would be remembered, by someone, by now. It's 16 years later and this case has gotten a good bit of attention. If this guy went to med school, someone would remember him. And a professional does not have the address to a cheap motel memorized. You only memorize an address if you use it. Lyle had that address spot on. He had to have relied on it, at some point.
.

I disagree. There are many professional people who do not have many contact with others. Extensive education is not a guarantee that someone is going to remember who you are. I would comfortably say that most people are oblivious to their surroundings and if that person was not significant to them in any form or fashion, it is very unlikely they would remember that person. Add years to their memory, everything (esp unsubstantial recollections ) begin to become even more grainy.

If he had traveled for some time prior to his death, we could assume that he had become a transient prior to the suicide and did not have consistent relationships with others which could explain why people don't remember him. There are actually people out there who are not blessed with supportive and caring loved ones. There are also some who don't have any family at all.

 

[Brainy]

And a professional does not have the address to a cheap motel memorized..

This is an absolute statement that is simply not true. He may or may have not been a professional... which has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he memorized the address to the cheap motel. His lifestyle could have changed prior to his death and he had the address as perhaps that place meant something to him or he had stayed there before for whatever reason.

 

[Roselvr]

There was a grunge version of the Timberland boot (it was a moc toe or walking/hiking boot). Who knew? And Lyle's boots are probably circa early 1990s. He could have had those boots for a decade when he died. The soles are really worn, as is the leather--but that was also the style. And the boots must have been comfortable if he chose to wear them when he died. (no socks...)

The pen in his pocket is likely a uniball not a pilot. And though the outfit resembles that of a low-rider, it was probably a "Seattle-grunge" ensemble. I'd forgotten that there was flannel plaid-shirt craze in the ''90s. Everyone from low-riders, to yuppies, to grundgesters were wearing plaid flannel shirts. I wish I'd owned stock.

I wish, wish, wish that Lyle's outfit had been posted all on its own, next to his missing person's report, because the verbal description of what he wore conjured a very different image than the actual clothing.

So the boots ARE Timberland. The logo is evident on closer examination. But they were not a common pair of Timberlands. The sole is very distinctive. And if he had those boots for a long time, someone might remember the boots and the habit of placing a uniball or other type of pen in his pocket (also an indicator that he may have not had a secure living situation).

If like Grateful Doe, no one is looking for this guy, which really seems likely, then his shoes may be an important clue.

Those boots may not have done that well. I've never seen any exactly like them, before--in Timberland. The Timberlands that became super popular were very different than Lyle's boots, and Lyle's version may have been sold in a specific region, to a specific market.

But the entire outfit might be recognized. The way Lyle looks in the Doe pics, he appears very straight-laced, but that's not the story his clothes are telling. No matter how clean they are.

His style may really be as telling as Grateful Doe's was for him--only no one could see it, because we never really got to see the outfit before.

And that pen! I love uniballs too. And if you don't have much money, the 1.29 that they cost, might make them kind of special.

Flannels are sold in NJ in every store, Walmart, Target, Penney's. I'm wearing one from Target now as a light jacket. A lot of people wear them here.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

Flannels are also very abundant at goodwill and thrift stores.

 

[bears10]

Flannels are sold in NJ in every store, Walmart, Target, Penney's. I'm wearing one from Target now as a light jacket. A lot of people wear them here.

Yes, in NY and NJ they are very common. Also, even back then, it wasn't just a Seattle thing. The "grunge" look was very popular in NJ as well in the 90s. My sister was in high school in the late 90s and she had a million flannels, Doc Martens, baggy jeans, etc.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

I agree. The shoes are kind of the deciding factor for me as to what the overall ensemble might indicate--in terms of a "sought-after-style"--as opposed to truly living the look-if that makes sense...

The low-rider look from East LA., and other places around the country (I lived in areas, both on the West and East coast where variations on this style were sported), is also all about the tennis shoes--and those were usually a big part of the overall ensemble.

But this doesn't mean that someone might not take bits and pieces of that style and weave it into their own look.

The Timberlands Lyle is wearing, when I could find similar ones on Ebay in their vintage sales, have a distinct grunge-look element, though. They were hipster-grunge, and the more worn the look, apparently the better.

And where was that look most popular in the '90s?

Seattle!

And Lyle died about an hour out of Seattle.

I keep wondering what leads might have been developed if the boots had been seen way back then.

Lyle could easily have aspired to be a part of the grunge scene, in some form or fashion. Maybe that's why he kept a pen in pocket--in case song lyrics popped into his head... Who knows?

But the fact that he coifed a bit, cared how his hair looked--that his appearance seems to have been important to him (so much so that he basically kept the look to the very end) might mean that his look was as deliberate, as most of his final actions appear to be. If that's the case, the look he was going for, could be telling.

We can't know what dreams might draw a person like Lyle to a given location--but the boots indicate that he may have been trying to fit into the grunge look that was popular in that region, at that time. He may not have been truly part of that scene, only influenced by it. And my memory of Grunge (though admittedly, it was not my scene) is that it wasn't heavily tattoo oriented. Herion-chic was more the sought after affect--so being super skinny, kind of went with the look. And of course, heroin was in fact a central part of that scene for many. So if Lyle didn't like doing drugs, maybe he found a way to attain the look, anyway.

I'm a contemporary of Lyle's and I remember the fashion of that time. It was fun and cheap. Nothing Lyle is wearing couldn't have been found on the cheap. It's not an expensive ensemble, except for the shoes.

I wasn't punk, but I liked the some aspects of the punk look, so I used them. I only recently got rid of my Doc Martens from that period. I have a friend who still has her purple Docs in storage.

The other reason to focus on those boots, though, is that from the internet searches I made, they appear to have been a one-off. I couldn't find any Timberlands with those soles. The top part of the boot yes--but even there, this boot is not what Timberland is known for. There might not have been all that many made, and they may only have sold in a specific region. They are unusual enough, that they might hold some tangible leads, in and unto themselves. And if Lyle was emulating a Seattle grunge/hipster look, that could be telling as well.

Just trying to narrow the regions he might be remembered from.

Those boots were well, well worn---he either bought them second hand, or he wore them a lot and may have owned them for almost a decade.

I love it! Many people traveled to Seattle because of music dreams. Sub Pop is still active today. The only question is why so little was found with him if he was a musician. No guitar, no notebook of lyrics, etc. But the pen could have simply been for writing his suicide note.

Unrelated to your post Gracie2112, but I don't think Lyle was Mexican-American/Latin, not even Native American, but more of a Canadian Native. He kind of favors Shawn Jones missing from Ontario in 1993. He's native, complexion is very light, and he has light eyes, and black hair. Jones is not yet in the rule out list on NamUs.

 

[Buttons]

Some of the LE's observations that stood out for me.
rbbm.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sho...by-coldcaseman

I've always assumed that Lyle must have researched this particular suicide method, hence the towel in between the belt and his neck. If he came from a medical background, he may have already had knowledge of what would decrease the discomfort. It would explain a lot about him, actually, handwriting aside.

 

[Buttons]

I have nothing of note to add -- just that these pictures break my heart. I remember when I first saw the full Imgur album of the scene pictures...I cried for hours, as silly as that sounds. Even the above glimpse at the pen in his pocket or his shoes evokes such a feeling of sadness in me. It reminds me that this man took his own life alone in a motel room, probably far from home.

 

[Kano]

Yes... no one appears to recognize him. I believe the person who might has not seen or heard of this case.

It could have been awhile back that he stayed and his looks could have been different by that time.. I also wonder if his blend into the crowd look might have helped him slip under the radar. I'm starting to think maybe Lyle had this issue all of his life.. Slipping through the cracks, being ignored. It seems that not many people remember seeing him be it bus drivers etc. I remember reports of a fountain Pepsi cup but I can't remember a report of him being seen purchasing the drink or purchasing a meal etc in town.

 

[Bit of hope]

I have nothing of note to add -- just that these pictures break my heart. I remember when I first saw the full Imgur album of the scene pictures...I cried for hours, as silly as that sounds. Even the above glimpse at the pen in his pocket or his shoes evokes such a feeling of sadness in me. It reminds me that this man took his own life alone in a motel room, probably far from home.

I find you not silly at all...only human....some of the cases go straight to my heart too... It is horrible and sad, all the bad things that can happen to beautiful people...Please don't get "sucked up".... Don't look "over" the people in your immediate surroundings because of the sad things you see and read on WS, they need you too. (this sounds very parental, but my intentions are totally sweet, talking from experience, so busy with WS that I almost overlooked the sorrow's of the lovely and living people closed to me)

 

[Brainy]

It could have been awhile back that he stayed and his looks could have been different by that time.. I also wonder if his blend into the crowd look might have helped him slip under the radar. I'm starting to think maybe Lyle had this issue all of his life.. Slipping through the cracks, being ignored. It seems that not many people remember seeing him be it bus drivers etc. I remember reports of a fountain Pepsi cup but I can't remember a report of him being seen purchasing the drink or purchasing a meal etc in town.

Yes, that is entirely possible and your observation does resonate. I remember mentioning in this forum more than once that it seems like he had a quiet unassuming presence and kept certain distance from others, that even though he could have been in proximity to others, his presence perhaps didn't create memories for the distracted collective. I also believe he didn't have family ties and his mental health could have been part of that ordeal.


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[Bit of hope]

Let's think about Seattle (according to the isotopes he lived in America and moved a lot) What if he came in from the seaport Seattle and took a plain (nearest airport from the place he was found is Sea Tac in Seattle) nothing else to add....just puzzling....)

 

[Brainy]

I just want to address everyone who commented above.

Thank you for thinking of Lyle.

There are indeed some experiences that transcend knowledge and emotion. I have always been deeply saddened about this case, and there has always been something very real in him as a person that has always pulled me in. Above all, I am saddened knowing that he must have lost ultimate hope in life. This makes me want to meet him in his moments of despair and just be there for him. He could have been my friend, my neighbor, my cousin, or just a stranger... he is that unknown person that keeps quiet but is dying within. I wish it was different for him, but it wasn't. I do feel the responsibility of giving him back his name. If he thought that no one cared, I know I do. I know that we should as a whole for our own sake.


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[Buttons]

I find you not silly at all...only human....some of the cases go straight to my heart too... It is horrible and sad, all the bad things that can happen to beautiful people...Please don't get "sucked up".... Don't look "over" the people in your immediate surroundings because of the sad things you see and read on WS, they need you too. (this sounds very parental, but my intentions are totally sweet, talking from experience, so busy with WS that I almost overlooked the sorrow's of the lovely and living people closed to me)

Thank you. It's easy to take cases such as this under your wing, even if they cause you a great deal of sadness, as when it seems that someone was alone and forgotten in life, you feel an obligation, almost, to be there for them -- even if it's too late. I don't know what kind of life Lyle lived or if he was lonely but in death he was not forgotten. Not for a second. That and the fact that so many others still care is something to take comfort in, I think.