Sorry if this has been brought up before, I last read through this thread a few months ago & don't remember it, and searches didn't turn up anything. So I think this is new.
I found a wedding announcement for a "John" who married a "Lauri" in 1969. Both lived in Illinois and "John's" hometown has come up in this thread a few times. There are also two high school yearbook photos for him that are a few years early for JDoe's age estimate, but they look exactly like the post-mortem photos. I feel I should add here(though it doesn't necessarily mean anything) that it often takes me a minute to see the resemblance between identified does and their PM photos, but this was instant recognition.
The problem is, while he doesn't seem to be listed as missing anywhere, I can't find anything to confirm if he's alive or dead. Aside from the marriage announcement and the two yearbook photos, he just doesn't exist. Neither does this "Lauri", whether I use her married or maiden name. At this point it's equally likely that he's alive and well, died before/after JDoe, or is missing but was never reported. If he was reported missing and just isn't posted publicly yet, I have no clue how that gets handled. I doubt law enforcement would confirm/deny a report exists to some random person who doesn't know him.
So my question is, since this case is being handled by the DDP, would it be appropriate to contact a volunteer and give them the information? Even if this "John" isn't the right guy, he could be a relative of JDoe, so having a last name to look out for as a possibility could be helpful. But it could easily be a waste of time too.