I feel like it is not talked about enough about how many people are out there who lost their names and are only unknown as Does, even recently people are found with no name attached. It’s so incredibly heartbreaking and sad. These are humans who deserve to have their name back and to have acknowledgement. I’ve said it before but I am so strong and charged about how important I think it is for John and Jane Does to get their identify back.

Trigger Warning: the details in the case are very disturbing. There are mentions of the states of decomposition, the state of remains, violence, child abuse, child neglect, and murder. I have some details of what happened with the remains, so if this is a trigger, please be warned, I will not go into too many details, but it still needs to be mentioned.

On December 29, 1973, in Maricopa, Alabama in a desert near 51st Ave and Pinnacle Park Road under construction debris was the discovery of John Doe 2256UMAL’s remains. His cause of death and state of remains is unknown, but just a thought the way the facts in this case line up I’m going to guess partial and skeletal. The estimated date of death could only be estimated at sometimes during that year. There is also no fingerprints or DNA available in this case. John Doe’s age was estimated to be between 35 – 70, and his height was at 5’6. For race it just said probably white, and his hair appeared to be balding, partially gray, and sandy colored. The Doe Network does list his race as unknown.

The only thing that was really distinguishing about John was his dentures, in which he had both the top and bottoms, and it was said they were very rare and seldom used. So, I’m not completely sure if that means these dentures were rare, or they just meant rarely. It was estimated that 1958 to 1961 were when the dentures were probably made. The clothes found where a long sleeve white shirt in the size 14/33, jockey shorts in the size 30, an undershirt, stripped pants, and green socks, he was also found with a key.

I think the key to this case is someone who sees about this John Doe and knows someone who hasn’t been seen since 1973, and had dentures that they rarely used. I don’t see any evidence of foul play but the one thing that sticks out is that he was found in a desert under debris, which does sound suspicious but could mean nothing. This identity will give more clues to this I believe.

Sources: 1 2

On November 10, 2000 in Sasabe, Arizona John Doe 1585UMAZ was found deceased after an auto accident where on SR 286 he lost conrtol of his vehicle a 1975 Ford pickup and was ejected after it rolled several times. So, the date his remains was discovered was the date that he died. The state of his remains was recognizable face, and all parts recovered. He was estimated to be 22-34 years of age, hispanic, he was 5’7 and 188 lbs, had 4 cm black hair, a black mustache, chin beard, and brown eyes.

He had a posterior right shoulder with ovid well-healed scar 3.0 x 2.0 cm. (*Note – I don’t know what ovid means, and I did try to look it up.) The had a blue-black tattoo of a cross that was 2.5 x 1.0 cm in size on his right lateral arm/shoulder, a second blue-black tattoo of the initials E.A.C. on his left lateral arm, and a third tattoo of two small blue-black dots on his left volar forearm. From the image of the E.A.C. and from what I know about tattoos, my guess is that it’s a black tattoo that has faded. This John Doe also had 3/4 steel crowns on his maxillary central incisors (top two front teeth, I believe) without dental preparation beneath.

He was wearing a pair of Levi blue jeans that had a button up fly and was a size 34/30, a black belt that had leather covering the buckle, then a gray and black with some white accents athletic jacket that had the words Los Angeles on the left sleeve and vertical outer margin of the zipper (looked to be vertically flipped) and a Los Angeles logo over the front left aspect in a size large (the jacket also reminds me of what fans of racer car drivers would wear, but different fabric. A long sleeved shirt that was the Attrak brand in a brown or tan color size small, and white briefs with vertical black stripes in a size large. His footwear was a pair of white athletic shoes with dark colored trim, and white socks with dark colored areas on heel and toe. His jewelry was a watch that was yellow and white metal and the brand Citizen.

This case there is even a picture of the John Doe a few months before his death, and my only guess was that was in the truck? The Doe Project and Namus both referred to the truck at his vehicle, but that didn’t give law enforcement his name. This fingerprints came back as five different names, and his identity still couldn’t be identified. We have so much information on his John Doe that it makes me wonder considering the different names if he was and undocumented immigrant? There are a lot of questions in this cases like who was the vehicle registered to, have they tried gedmatch?

Sources: 1 2

In the afternoon of April 10, 1990 at 2:00pm in Riverside, Alabama at the Riverside Apartments someone who was collecting recyclables discovered Baby Jane Doein the dumpster. She was estimated to be 1 day old would have been a newborn, white, 7 lbs, and she died of suffocation, but the state of her remains are unknown. We don’t have dental or fingerprints as she would have been too young, but there is DNA.

Unfortunately, in this case this Baby Does was probably never given official name, but I hope her family gives her one once she she is discovered, because no one should die, in this case be murdered, or be buried without a name. I hope this is a case that they do more DNA testing for, and genetic genealogy.

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On July 23, 1979 was when Jane Doe 1596UFAZ’s remains was found off of Crisstown Road and Highway 216 in a rural area in Tuscaloosa, Arizona. She was believed to have died four weeks prior and her remains were not recognizable, and her decomp was putrefaction. Her cause of death was a stab wound, and not all her remains were recovered. Her fingerprints aren’t available, and it’s unknown if law enforcement was able to get dental or DNA. Law enforcement know this was a homicide, but suspect that she was a victim of sexual assault.

She was a black female, aged 17-25 and her estimated height and weight was 5’0-5’3 and 105-120 lbs. She had brown eyes, and brown hair in a short natural style. She was found dressed in a long sleeved yellow and white stripped blouse, maroon pants, 2 pairs of panties, a playtex branded bra, and no shoes but had red painted toe nails.

Law enforcement also believe that this Jane Doe was a victim of Anthony Washington who was convicted of murdering two other women who were stabbed in a similar way. Also one of his victims was dumped a mile from where she would have been discovered. There was an extensive investigation and media coverage when she was found, but it didn’t turn up anything, and Washington died in prison.

Source: 1 2

There have been two cases recently that have been solved that I have been following, and a tentative third. The first one is the Boy in the Box, and his name is Joseph. However his murder is still not solved, and there are still a lot of questions, more than before from me but we will have to see where the investigation goes. After 65 years, amazing.

The second is Opelika Baby Jane Doe who I talked about before, and it’s been ten years but we now know her name and it’s Amore. Her father and stepmother was charged and taken into custody. Othram/DNAsolves crowd funded this case to help solve it. Her mother had been paying child support to the father but had lost custody and for all this time thought her daughter was alive. I’m sadden for Amore’s mother but glad her has her name back, and hopeful that the father and stepmother get the punishment they deserve.

The third is tentative which is The Somerton Man who a genealogist identified as Carl, we are waiting for Forensic Science South Australia to verified this. I think it’s more likely than not him, but I don’t think waiting for confirmation will hurt.

I’m going to mention again if you are interested in helping John and Jane Does get their names back than check out organizations like Othram/DNASolves, Parabon, and GEDmatch.

So, are there any John or Jane Doe cases that you are following and want to be solved? Let me know about it.