Gardener1850

Timeline Guru (Still Remembering Cupcake)
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  • #1
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Demographics
Sex Male
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Hair Color Brown
Head Hair Description Balding, Dark Brown with some grey; Short Bowl-type haircut

Estimated Age Group Adult
Estimated Age Range (Years) 51-60
Estimated Year of Death 0-1977
Estimated PMI1 Months
Height 5' 10"(70 inches) , Estimated
Weight Cannot Estimate

Location Found Map
General Location -- Mountain City, Tennessee
County Johnson County

Circumstances of Recovery

Body found near a stream in a Shady Valley apple orchard, Mountain City, TN


Details of Recovery


Inventory of Remains One or more limbs not recovered
Condition of Remains Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton

Accessories
-In Left Jacket Pocket: Plastic container of Vasolene Petroleum Jelly (Store code: 064253; Price: $0.99, Cheeseborough); roll of adhesive tape (J & J store label 7200); and small white pill bottle with pills -In Right Jacket Pocket: 2 partially used packs of Phillip Morris Cigarettes, and a bottle of pills with label gone -Pants Pockets: R. Front: Key #503 with round tag, 2 pennies L. Front: 1 partially used carton of Pall Mall cigarettes-Tennessee tax stamp R. Back: nothing L. Babk: nothing A comb was found above the belt
Near the Body

Clothing
-Green Shirt with stripes with 2 top buttons buttoned (Button at collar and button immediately below) -Army-type jacket (Label: Sears Perma Prest) -Pants -Belt
On the Body

Footwear
No shoes were present

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
 
  • #2
Some interesting info from Unsolved Appalachia:

A few months prior to the discovery of John Doe, there were reports of two dozen or so elderly men living in the abandoned buildings and on the grounds of the Shady Mountain Orchard property. Many of them were disabled, had skin diseases that required hospitalization, and in general, they all appeared malnourished and in declining health. Police interviews painted a pretty horrible picture of what was going on:

Lee Cohn had leased the property in Mountain City after fleeing from his previous property in Atlantic City, NJ. The building he’d been keeping his residents in while in NJ had since been condemned and demolished. Now at Shady Mountain Orchard police discovered that they were living with no heat in the buildings of the property, and only being fed two small meals a day (a small portion of macaroni and wine), while Cohn was taking all of their veterans benefits and social security and keeping it for himself. One resident showed the County Sheriff a receipt which charged $220 a month for food, lodging, and services, his whole check was $217.50…so he owed a balance of $2.50 at the end of every month.

Charges were soon filed against Cohn, and on September 30, 1977, he was officially made aware of the minimum standards regulations for nursing homes and was advised that he must meet with local officials to “discuss” the problems with his facility. This wasn’t the first time this had happened to Cohn, NJ had also caught on to his ‘scam’ of an operation which is what lead him to Tennessee.

On October 18, the Sheriff made a visit to the property again only to discover that all the residents were gone. It looked like everyone had left in a hurry but an exact date and mode of transportation was unknown…

Mountain City John Doe – UNSOLVED APPALACHIA
 
  • #3
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October 18, 2017
Articles that appeared in The Tomahawk in December of 1977 recount a gruesome tale of some two dozen elderly men living in the abandoned buildings and grounds of the property known as the Shady Mountain Orchard. Many of the men were disabled, some had skin diseases that required hospitalization, and most appeared malnourished and in general poor health.
According to the men interviewed by authorities at the time, they had been living in a facility in Atlantic City, NJ that was run by a man named Lee Cohn. They said they were not in Tennessee by choice, but that Cohn had loaded them up and brought them to the orchard. Later reports said the hotel building in NJ had been condemned and demolished.

<Snip>
In early December, the badly decomposed body of a male between the ages of 51 and 60 was found near a stream on the property. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called in, but the remains have never been identified. It is assumed that the John Doe was one of the men that had lived on the 385-tract of land leased by Cohn, as no local residents had gone missing during the time frame.
NamUs has requested that anyone living in the Johnson County area in late 1977 that remembers this incident and might have any information leading to the identification of the deceased to call their toll-free hotline at 1-855-626-7600. The current case file is available at The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) on NamUs.gov website. The original articles in their entirety and pictures of the scene can be accessed on The Tomahawk’s website at thetomahawk.com.
Any help in giving John Doe a name will be greatly appreciated.


National agency still trying to identify John Doe found in Shady 40 years ago - The Tomahawk - Mountain City, Tennessee
 
  • #4
What a sad story. I live in that general area and have been to Shady Valley many times. I never knew about the Shady Mountain Orchard or the men who were brought to live there.
 
  • #5
Shady Valley John Doe has been unidentified for 42 years today.
 
  • #6
What.in.the.world.?!? :eek: I have never heard of this story! These poor men.

NamUs MP1586
58E1D19C-1F8B-4FFB-BC92-72AB20EE6D56.jpeg
3 Missing Person Exclusions

William Bishop, Jr.
Charles A Ulrich
Robert Clifton Newell
 
  • #7
Omg this is so heartbreaking. Omg I hate when people take advantage of old people and disabled people ugh anyway...
So it seems as though they were veterans and supposedly he had the place in Atlantic City.
So I am wondering if these men were originally from NJ and possibly NY?
I wonder if he left men behind in NJ when he moved them also.. omg this is so so sad I never heard of this.
 
  • #8
I found this veteran missing since 1962 and he grew up in New Jersey and last seen in New Jersey. He has an odd story and was wanted also. What caught my eye is he did not wear shoes in warmer months . Anyway just thought I would post. His height is off a bit but.

Edward Hower Maps is a U.S. Marine Corps WW II Veteran who went missing from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania on June 21, 1962 at approximately 10:48 p.m.. On the night of June 21, 1962, firefighters responded to a smoke-filled house at 510 Sarah St., the home of Edward Maps, his wife Christine Maps, and her four month old daughter, Julie Louise. Inside the house they found the bodies of Christine Maps and Julie Louise. The oven in the house was set to 450 degrees, releasing gas throughout the house. It is thought that the gas was supposed to be ignited by the several small fire set throughout the house. Fortunately, the windows were closed and that caused a lot of the smaller fires to burn out. At the time it was said that if the windows were open, the house would have been completely destroyed. Christine Maps died seven hours later in Monroe County’s hospital from a skull fracture and cerebral hemorrhage. She never regained consciousness, having been struck “with great force,” according to the autopsy report, by a blunt instrument approximately 4 inches wide. Her hands were badly bruised from attempting to defend herself. The murder weapon was never discovered. Little Julie Louise, found in a room near the kitchen under a pile of blankets, died of smoke inhalation. The two deaths were ruled as murders, with arson intended to conceal the crimes. Two cars owned by Edward Maps were parked by the house, his wallet and identification were discovered in the living room of the house, but he was nowhere to be found. Within hours of the fire, a warrant was sworn out, charging Maps with arson and homicide. He was almost immediately added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list, where he would remain for almost five years. It is unknown how Edward Hower Maps may have disappeared, but some think that he may have -has someone help him. Several sightings of Edward Map were reported over the years, from Maryland to Turkey to Mexico, but the most credible sighting came on August 7, 1962, when a lone gunman held up the Little Falls, New Jersey Savings Bank. He was later identified from FBI photos as Edward Maps. Little Falls is located only five miles from Passaic, NJ, where Maps was born. Edward Maps was an artist and sculptor, well respected in the art world, who didn’t hold a “regular” job. Well known for his unusual manner of dress, he was often described as a “beatnik” who would go barefoot in the warmer months and would wear sandals, without socks, during the winter. At 20 years old, he entered the Marine Corps and served during World War II. He was discharged as a schizophrenic. Whether he was actually schizophrenic or, perhaps, suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), a term that had not yet been coined, his psychological condition was attributed to his wartime service. In 1967, Edward Maps was removed from the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list, at the request of the (then) Monroe County District Attorney. Maps was declared dead on October 21, 1971. The FBI reportedly destroyed Maps’ fugitive file in December 1977. Edward Hower Maps is 39 years old as of the date he went missing in June, 1962. Edward Maps is described as a white male standing 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing approximately 160 to 170 pounds. Edward Maps has gray or partially gray hair and sometimes wore a full beard and mustache. Edward Maps has brown eyes and was known to often wear glasses. Edward Maps was last seen, he was wearing a topcoat, dungarees, a cossack-style cap, and sandals (without socks).

Read more: http://www.missingveterans.com/1962/edward-hower-maps/
 

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  • #9
I can’t wrap my head around either of these stories! :confused::eek:

I do see a resemblance...it would have been a perfect way for him to “hide”. A little ironic the outcome if it is him.
 

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  • #10
This statement makes me a wonder though...

“It is assumed that the John Doe was one of the men that had lived on the 385-tract of land leased by Cohn, as no local residents had gone missing during the time frame.”

It’s probable he was one of the men, but there’s that small chance he wasn’t. It says most of the men were disabled, malnourished and/or their health was declining. It doesn’t say one way or the other whether the UID appeared to be any of those things. Then I’m wondering how Maps would have paid his way if he were in hiding. I guess robbing banks? Geez. This is a tough one.
 
  • #11
I can’t wrap my head around either of these stories! :confused::eek:

I do see a resemblance...it would have been a perfect way for him to “hide”. A little ironic the outcome if it is him.

Yeah I KNOW CRAZY RIGHT?!

I had a thought what if Maps knew this Cohen guy you know since they both Shady and god knows maybe he helped bring these poor men into the home and therefore he could live for free.. and when things got too hot with the Cohen guy he was just tired of running and killed himself.. Total speculation on my part here.. but both stories are insane...
and do we know what happened to the other men in the house?
 
  • #12
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October 18, 2017
Articles that appeared in The Tomahawk in December of 1977 recount a gruesome tale of some two dozen elderly men living in the abandoned buildings and grounds of the property known as the Shady Mountain Orchard. Many of the men were disabled, some had skin diseases that required hospitalization, and most appeared malnourished and in general poor health.
According to the men interviewed by authorities at the time, they had been living in a facility in Atlantic City, NJ that was run by a man named Lee Cohn. They said they were not in Tennessee by choice, but that Cohn had loaded them up and brought them to the orchard. Later reports said the hotel building in NJ had been condemned and demolished.

<Snip>
In early December, the badly decomposed body of a male between the ages of 51 and 60 was found near a stream on the property. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called in, but the remains have never been identified. It is assumed that the John Doe was one of the men that had lived on the 385-tract of land leased by Cohn, as no local residents had gone missing during the time frame.
NamUs has requested that anyone living in the Johnson County area in late 1977 that remembers this incident and might have any information leading to the identification of the deceased to call their toll-free hotline at 1-855-626-7600. The current case file is available at The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) on NamUs.gov website. The original articles in their entirety and pictures of the scene can be accessed on The Tomahawk’s website at thetomahawk.com.
Any help in giving John Doe a name will be greatly appreciated.


National agency still trying to identify John Doe found in Shady 40 years ago - The Tomahawk - Mountain City, Tennessee

Omg Gardner I just got done with al the articles you posted . Thank you so much for posting these articles!! really great and sad information. Leaves me with so many questions omg. It says Cohn used to pick up men from different places and bring them to His other New Jersey hotels:eek:. he said one was just sold and being demolished and the other two had a fire .. god it makes me wonder if there were other men left behind in New Jersey and then it says the other men went up north????

And how long was this guy in operation omg.. reminds me if all the random old people that have been found.
 
  • #13
In 1973 in Atlantic City this Cohn guy was paying cops and inspectors off to look the other Way.....

3 Atlantic City Officials Testify in Bribery Study

Lee Cohn, who operates three rundown hotels near the boardwalk on Kentucky Avenue, reportedly told the grand jury he had paid $10,000 a year to about 60 policemen and inspectors so he could keep the hotels open without correcting violations of city building, health, electrical and other codes.
The hotels are the Sea Breeze, the Van Buren and the Princeton.


Businessmen in the neighborhood of Mr. Cohn's hotels complained that the hotels were blight on other businesses because code violations in the buildings resulted in numerous fires and because residents of the hotels often were found drunk or panhandling in the Street.


By then, County Prosecutor Richard J. Williams had begun an investigation of charges by some tenants of the Cohn hotels that Mr. Cohn held them in thrall by requiring them to endorse their monthly welfare checks to him in payment for room and board, for which they received no itemized bills.

Most of the tenants of the Cohn hotels are elderly persons on welfare or Social Security. Some are derelicts of the type common to big‐city skid rows. Some have said the postman delivers their checks to the hotel desks, that the checks are given to Mr. Cohn and he demands the tenants’ endorsements, giving them whatever change remains, if any, after subtracting what he says they owe him.


Because of the alleged abuses, the County Welfare Director, John Kabala, ordered recently that no more recipients be referred to the Cohn hotels. Yesterday the County Welfare Board directed that recipients at the Cohn hotels pick up their checks at the welfare office. a block from the hotels, to make sure they reach the recipients.

Mr. Kabala said in an interview that he planned to ask recipients to report any violations of the housing code to his department. He said he would then forward the complaints to the Mayor rather than to in spectors who received complaints in the past. Investirtion of the allegations against Mr. Cohn by the Welfare Department's fraud unit, under Mr. Williams, turned up the allegations by Mr. Cohn of payoffs, shifting the focus of the investigation.
 
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  • #14
So I have been reading on mr Cohn to try and see if I can find out where the men from his home were coming from.. and I came across this.. not only was he paying off cops in NJ but he tried beating some cop in Maryland.. so I guess that could be another possible location to look for this John Doe.


State v. Mazur



II. Cohn's prior "conviction" in Maryland.

Since a new trial is hereby ordered, the issue of cross-examination of Cohn as to his alleged prior conviction of assault and battery on a police officer in Maryland may again arise.
 
  • #15
o_OOk This here Is Disturbing:eek::eek:..
Low Points in Atlantic City government timeline.
1975: Police corruption probe leads to about 30 indictments through the recordings of local motel owner Lee Cohn, who wore a hidden tape recorder for months during the investigation into payoffs and corruption. According to the indictment, some police officers intended to rob the bodies of people who died in Cohn’s hotels.
 
  • #16
This article is pretty good.
Mentions how this Cohn guy had employees in the streets searching for potential Hotel Clients that would communicate w him via walkie talkie .
Also mentions a 70 woman at the hotel. Which was leased to him by someone else..
I wonder if this man came from this hotel as the woman mentioned in the article seemed normal. Also mentions the name of another man from the hotel that was against Cohn.
this is a good article.. Maybe this man came from this Hotel in NJ.. not the one that burned down and the men were shipped to the Shady Farm ... do I make sense here?! Ha! Oh iam thinking out Loud!
31 Dec 1969, Page 18 - The Philadelphia Inquirer at Newspapers.com
 
  • #17
I can’t wrap my head around either of these stories! :confused::eek:

I do see a resemblance...it would have been a perfect way for him to “hide”. A little ironic the outcome if it is him.


Lastly from all the reading I have done.. I noticed this Maps guy had set his house on fire after he killed his wife and daughter and Cohn had both the Van Buren and the Sea Breeze burn down at 2 different times. could be something or nothing.

also both Cohn and Maps have been in New Jersey and in Maryland. Who knows if they ever crossed paths.
 
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  • #18
I can not believe what I’m reading. Or that I’ve not heard anything about this story. I’m literally speechless!
 
  • #19
I can not believe what I’m reading. Or that I’ve not heard anything about this story. I’m literally speechless!
I know!!! I got pulled in after reading the articles that Gardner had posted. I went looking for more wondering if this Cohn guy is involved in any more unidentified people or missing people. I have been totally blown away by all of it.
 
  • #20
I know!!! I got pulled in after reading the articles that Gardner had posted. I went looking for more wondering if this Cohn guy is involved in any more unidentified people or missing people. I have been totally blown away by all of it.
I haven’t had time to read all the articles, so I’m going out on a limb by saying, yah! I’d think there was some blood on his hands!

I do think this possible match is worth submitting. Maps has to be somewhere, I don’t see why Tennessee couldn’t be that place! Good find, BTW!
 

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