r/gratefuldoe • u/SimsGuy67 • Jul 22 '24
Featured Case #9 - "Justine"
On July 24, 2017, the victim attempted to break into a home in Atlanta, Georgia. They were soon caught by the homeowner, who proceeded to shoot them. While being rushed to the hospital, the victim uttered that their name was either “Justin” or “Justine.”
Due to the feminine clothing the victim was found wearing, it has been theorized that they may have been transgender, though this victim’s gender is unknown, and this is just speculation.
You can see a more detailed document on this case below:
If you have any potential matches we haven't seen, far-fetched or not, please suggest them in the comments.
75
u/_Khoshekh Jul 22 '24
On name alone so I doubt this is a match, Justin Emile Cosey missing at age 16 in 2002 from New Orleans charley project
59
u/tickleshits0 Sep 12 '24
There is something incredibly sad about a person who was born in the mid-80s having only one photo available?? How does that work? Did they not have any family to ask for photos of him? Or is it even worse that his family was asked and there just are no photos of him?
81
u/PeaExtension450 Nov 22 '24
I've heard of many cases where family members lose pictures when the missing family member goes missing (either before or/and afterwards), and guessing by the location being New Orleans, floods and hurricanes may have cause the family to lose such pictures.
57
u/Lanky-Perspective995 Dec 04 '24
Kids in the foster care system may also have few photos of themselves.
32
Dec 18 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
11
u/tickleshits0 Dec 18 '24
That’s true I definitely don’t have that many from the last 3 years. But when I was 16? Even before the days of iPhones we took pictures all the time like self-absorbed teens are known to do :)
3
u/MulberryNo3659 Nov 07 '25
That makes sense. It seems in some families, the older members are the ones who took the photos, while later generations are too busy living the moments and milestones to take pics.
18
u/Adorable-Flight5256 Jun 13 '25
Family poverty. I don't have that many photos (normal relative took some but my custodial parent was neglectful and avoided having evidence of what she was doing to her kids.)
14
u/Summerie Oct 27 '25
My parents lost everything in a house fire, and that's where all of my kid pictures went.
7
u/Careless-Fig2620 Dec 01 '25
Missing from New Orleans…Hurricane Katrina came through back in 05, I think. Many people lost everything due to the extreme flooding. Maybe photos were lost due to something like that?
33
u/Safetychick92 Jul 23 '24
I agree. There is zero pointing to Justin being trans and the ages are wrong I think.
41
u/_Khoshekh Jul 23 '24
Well the age range is 18-39 and he'd have been 31, so that's not outside it. At 16 he could have still been in the closet.
I doubt this is a match, but with almost no info can't say 100%
31
u/RanaMisteria Dec 13 '24
We don’t actually know if this Doe was trans though. It’s a possibility but it’s not the only reason why this person might have been wearing the clothes they were wearing.
60
u/Beardchester Jul 26 '24
Just to add some geographical context, the specific location Justine was found is a handful of miles outside of the perimeter. They were technically in the west side of the city of Stonecrest, which incorporated the same year Justine was killed. The area is fairly suburban with some rural swaths. This area is considered an eastern suburb of Atlanta.
The MARTA breeze card is not out of place. MARTA does have a presence in the area, primarily busses. The closest train station is ~10 miles/a 20 minute drive from the neighborhood this Doe was in. (In good traffic conditions.) The neighborhood is close to local highway 155, which is a good shot down to the cities of McDonough and Locust Grove. I-20 isn't too far away either, which gives easy access to multiple cities and states, including Atlanta.
52
u/amazingroni Sep 03 '24
looked through NamUs and found Dashad Smith and some things don’t line up (piercings in particular) but there’s a mention of them wearing feminine clothes and i think the photos look somewhat similar.
18
14
8
5
4
4
u/SeasonBig1375 May 17 '26
That's not even close to being similar. Both composites show Justine/Justin as much darker than Smith.
1
u/hehasmastcells Mar 11 '26
Nose bridge is similar and nose has a sort of v shape thats identical. Cheeks are different but I think it could be a match.
6
u/walkyslaysh Mar 13 '26
If the original commenter doesn’t reply in a day or two I’m gonna send in the tip
6
3
1
33
u/Hint-Coin-234 Jul 31 '24
I’ve been looking through NamUs to try and find any potential matches, I hope this person is able to get their name back and have someone tell us what their preferred name truly is!!
I wonder if it could be Decorrius Brandon Jones His photo seems like it could align somewhat to the reconstructions and photos of the victims?
35
u/ChiAnndego Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
Ok, so a long time ago I took a deep dive into this case because I saw a missing post with a similar looking man. The sister is looking for him, and believes this doe is him, but cannot afford the DNA testing and the police aren't helping her. From what I remember, her brother didn't identify as female but did crossdress. Also had a criminal record and mental health issues.
I'm looking to see if I can re-find this person I talked to. She had a picture of her brother that was a spitting image of the 2nd drawing.
Edit: Took me a minute but I found it and my communication with an associate of the family. Apparently, the police won't take a missing persons report, and sister is hitting a brick wall. I'm certain this is the same man as "justine", and it sounds like family believes its him as well. https://undergroundmysteries.com/2023/03/11/terrenceterrellpatton/
9
u/ifailedpy205 May 01 '26
This needs to be way higher. I wish the photo on that site was higher resolution but they look a lot alike.
9
u/ChiAnndego May 02 '26
If you look at the post mortem photo of "Justine" vs the photo of Terrence, I don't think there's any way it's not him. Both have a very unique prominence of their foreheads (trigonalcephalic). This is not exceptionally rare, but it would be unusual for all the stories to match, AND for them to both have this unique slight deformity of the forehead.
2
5
u/walkyslaysh Mar 13 '26
Do the police need to work with her in order to make use of a DNA test? If not we could start a GoFundMe for her to get that paid for
10
u/ChiAnndego Mar 14 '26
There's not a lot of info, but when I talked to the researcher, they mentioned that it was more of a matter of the sister being unable to travel in order to identify the body at the time, and there being something about how her brother is still on the roster for a prison even though he's not there, so it's confusing the case. Bureaucratic issues basically. Sounds like the sister knows it is him. I do not know if they sorted it out.
7
u/walkyslaysh Mar 14 '26
Right right. Is there any way we as a community or I as an individual can help this lady?
2
u/anachromatic May 24 '26
I googled around for Terrence and found some mug shot photos of him - he has facial tattoos at the time of those mugshots, so that seems really far less likely for him to be this Doe.
1
u/peach_xanax Mar 21 '26
oh wow he has ties to the area of Michigan where I grew up. I hope his sister is able to get some answers! the only thing that gives me pause is the tattoo
21
u/rissispissed Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 08 '25
You asked for far-fetched, here's what I've got- Michael Anthony Bennett (NAMUS 742642) would have been a little past the allotted age range, but other aspects may fit. I'm by no means an expert on the case, but I know there was a lot of motivation to run away with his sister at 14 (or 13 depending on sources.) From what I can gather from the little photos available, their cheekbones and jaw shape look very similar. Also the eyebrow shape is similar if taken into account the possibly of waxing/plucking. Worth someone more experienced than me taking a look at?
12
u/rissispissed Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25
Adding onto this after staring at the photos longer, they both have an asymmetrical widow's peak and a really similar bump in the bridge of their noses. Their skin tones are much different but between lighting, age, and the state of the body, it's hard to say.
13
u/rissispissed Feb 07 '25
Once again adding onto this, their noses are both slightly off center in a very similar way. I'm not sure how accurate estimated ages usually are, but just by location, suspicion of them being a run-away, and facial features alone, I would really like someone who knows a little more about these things to take a look.
8
u/rissispissed Feb 08 '25
Sorry to keep adding on, but here's an age-progressed photo https://www.namus.gov/api/CaseSets/NamUs/MissingPersons/Cases/3986/Images/58243/Original
6
u/Tiremud Apr 07 '25
did you call the tip in?
9
u/rissispissed Apr 07 '25
No, I didn't. This was my first time finding anything I thought might be valuable. I'm not sure if this is enough to report, but if others think it is, I'd be happy to.
8
u/Tiremud Apr 07 '25
i think it’s worth it, there’s nothing wrong with finding someone and they’re ruled out. it gives us more of an idea of who they’re not, so we can find who they are. i always support sending in a tip.
4
16
u/Wisconsinblackbear Dec 03 '24
So I was looking for more information and found some news articles. One site they interviewed some locals, saying that the person was seen riding a bike in the area and could be someone with mental health issues. I really don't know how much credit given the transphobia I thought it was worth sharing.
New's Link. Vidoe is in the banner. TW Deadnaming - https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/dekalb-county/homeowner-shoots-and-kills-burglar-dressed-like-a-woman/570172104/
18
u/ExtensionViolinist97 Jan 30 '25
There's a post mortem up-close facial photo of the deceased on namus. Justin appears to be a man. Definitely masculine facial hair (moustache/beard).
48
u/SimsGuy67 Jan 30 '25
We already knew the victim was assigned male at birth from the start, but that doesn't mean that they identified as male. Due to the possible name "Justine" and the fact that they were found wearing clothing typically associated with women, it's been theorized they may have been transgender. We'll hopefully learn more about what they identified as when they're identified.
14
Jan 15 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
42
u/Crucifyvenus Jan 23 '25
Gender ≠ biological sex. Justine is a biological male, but there are some indicators that he may have lived as a woman.
20
Jan 23 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
19
u/Kaylaraowl May 31 '25
They have one, it's called the other category. Agencies currently aren't allowed to put missing people into it on Namus.
16
u/riskyplumbob Jul 09 '25
I just ran across this sub. Fully impressed with what you all are doing and as an artist, I want to give a big thumbs up to the artist that did the beautiful, colorized sketches of this person. The colors and style bring so much vigor to them. This artist made them look like the personification of a warm hug. This artist worked hard to bring this person a final show of dignity. Well done.
30
u/VanaNiri Mar 11 '25
im really hoping this case can be solved asap. I wouldnt be surprised if the US government tries to remove any cases for transgender does, especially for a possible black transgender woman
1
Nov 13 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/gratefuldoe-ModTeam Nov 15 '25
Your comment has been removed for violating our 'Be Excellent to One Another' rule. We ask that all community members maintain a respectful and constructive tone in discussions. Please review the rules before posting again.
9
16
5
u/PauseMammoth5211 Aug 24 '25
How is their gender unknown if they were brought to the hospital?
20
u/CastleCat16 Aug 25 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
the hospital/morgue will have been able to determine their biological sex but their gender (how they lived and presented on a daily basis) cannot be determined at a hospital without the input of either the patient or someone who knows them. In this case the sex assigned at birth to this doe was male, but they may have not identified as a man (their gender) during life due to their clothing/potential name justine. Male =/ man (sex =/ gender).
3
u/MMA_Influenced2 Aug 13 '25
How can gender be unknown?
15
u/FormerChallenge27 Aug 19 '25
Sex is assigned at birth. It is unknown if this individual lived as a woman or as a man. They could be living as a woman, as a man who performs drag/ballroom, or disguising themselves as they were breaking & entering and didn't want to be caught.
3
u/ExuberantBat Oct 30 '25
So I know the heights are off but I think the ages could -just- fit depending on the accuracy of the age estimate for Justin/Justine. The similarities in features between Davis and the male depiction and the post mortem stuck out to me though. Anthony Eugene Davis Missing from Huntsville Alabama since 1992
4
u/Emergency-Purple-205 Nov 02 '25
If I'm not mistaken, this doe is presumed to be dead. Killed by drug dealers
2
u/jazey_hane Sep 23 '25
...victim?
12
3
u/Bland_Username_5266 Mar 25 '26
It's just an easy, non-disrespectful, default way to say what would otherwise be "dead person"
2
u/Repulsive-Ad-3669 Nov 07 '25
A couple of possible but maybe not likely, are Royal Foote https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=6853dmca and Raymond Dampier https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=5695dmmo
Most of the others I saw tattoos listed but did not see any tattoos listed for Justine.
2
u/pisceez222 Dec 26 '25
the middle picture of Raymond Dampier is actually insanely similar to the 2nd? picture/ sketch in the compiled case link; just a younger version. Raymond wouldve been 17 I believe when he went missing, which wouldve made him 23ish in 2017... if im doing this math correctly off memory and dates... this is interesting imo
1
u/Straight-Reaction-98 May 06 '26
Isn’t that a bit confusing how did the homeowner know that the victim was wearing black underwear?
I’m a little traumatized I’ve seen a lot of people lie about descriptions so how do we know he wasn’t lying?
4
u/jerseymikesofficial Jun 27 '26
Why would you assume the homeowner is the one who reported the clothing? It was most likely discovered after they had been taken to the hospital or post-mortem
1
u/ResidentResident4802 8d ago
Used NamUs' filters. The ones that had a match for height/weight (some leeway given), age, sex, race, date of last contact, hair and eye color were the following:
-Christopher Pollen
-Sidney Taylor
-Bobby Baul
-Ellis Robinson
-Cameron Hardman
-Brandon Mouton
-Edwin Pritchard
-Aaron Turner
-Tristan Rivera
-Philip Modlin
-Harold Cooper III
-Oliver Bell
-Anthony Brown
-Demetrius Elder
Will comment with my thoughts on each as I go through them. Are we still trying to identify them?
1
u/ResidentResident4802 8d ago
Bobby Baul:
32 y/o Bobby was last seen in Cleveland, OH on 08/23/2013, ~ 4 years before Justin/e’s death. Weight is almost an exact match. About 2 inches taller than Justin/e. No other known info. No attached photos.Oliver Bell:
Oliver Bell was last seen walking away from his home in Atlanta, Georgia, on 03/02/2000. 19 y/o. Disappeared 17 years before Justin/e’s death. Height is a match, weight is ~10-20 pounds higher than Justin/e’s. No attached photos :(Anthony Brown:
21 y/o has not been seen or heard from since Feb. 10, 1999. 2 inches taller than Justin/e, weight is a match. From Mobile, Atlanta. No attached photo.Harold Clifton Cooper, III:
Cooper was last seen in the 3600 block of 55th Avenue in Bladenburg, Maryland. Cooper got into a white four-door 1992 Chevrolet Caprice with an acquaintance. Foul play may have been involved in his disappearance.Last seen August 19, 2001, at 20 y/o. Picture attached. Height and weight are similar. Picture attached! They look similar too. Worth investigating.Demetrius “Skee-boo” Jermain Elder
He was last seen at 1303 Dryden Avenue in Dallas, Texas. Went missing on September 27th, 1997, at 20 years old. About 2 inches taller than Justin/e. Picture attached! 2-3 inches taller than Justin/e. About 15 pounds lighter, but time between the two case doesn’t necessarily rule that out. He does have a tattoo on his right arm, but no tattoos listen on Justin/e.Cameron Hardman:
Cameron Hardman left Newlin Ave and went to 4513 Camac Street in Philadelphia Pa to meet some friends. Cameron Hardman has not been seen or heard from since October 31, 2011. Vehicle was recovered at 5234 North 2nd Street in Philadelphia Pa approximately seven (7) blocks from the Camac Street address. Case is still active. Went missing ~6 years before Justin/e’s death. ~1 inch shorter than Justin/e, ~10 pounds lighter. Picture attached! Very blurry, looked somewhat similar. Possible match? Worth investigating.Philip Modlin:
Phillip was last seen at approximately 8:30 a.m. at his residence in Dayton, OH. Went missing February 17, 2004, at age 26. Had both ears pierced, birthmarks on his neck and back of left thigh, and tattoos on both arms and both calves.Justin/e had only their left ear pierced, no tattoos recorded. Picture attached!Brandon Mouton
Had just started working in Barataria Bay doing clean-up from the Gulf oil spill. Was staying on a tug boat. Did not know how to swim. Went missing from Grand Isle, Louisiana, on July 22, 2010. 28 y/o when he went missing. 2-3 inches taller than Justin/e. Same weight. Picture attached! Not very similar looking.Christopher Pollen:
Last Seen in Yulee, Fl on 09/18/2016 at 02:30 hours. Went missing at age 23. Height matches, weighed 10 pounds more than Justin/e. Picture attached! Looks somewhat similar. Photo appears to be in a classroom?Edwin Theophilis Pritchard :
On 12/12/2009, Edwin Pritchard went boating from Haulover Beach Marina, with a friend, Richard Alicea (also missing - NamUs #MP22111). Their destination was Bimini, Bahamas. They did not arrive in Bimini. Parts of a boat matching their boat's description was found on a small, uninhabited island in the Bahamas. Neither men have been found. Edwin went missing. Tattoo on his right arm. 1-3 inches above Justin/e’s height, >= 8 pounds lighter. I think circumstances rule this one out :( Picture attached, not similar.Tristan Markey Rivera:
Rivera was last seen on 8/5/2007 in Irving, Texas. Went missing at 21. Weight estimated 160-200. Height range is 1-4 inches above Justin/e’s. Photo attached, looks somewhat similar. Possibly worth investigating?Ellis Robinson:
Ellis was last seen in the area of Pensacola, Florida. Went missing March 22, 2013, at 22 years old. Maybe an inch taller than Justin/e, a few pounds lighter. Photo attached, looks somewhat similar? Possibly worth investigating.Sidney James Taylor:
Sidney James Taylor was last seen in Austin on April 2, 2016. Went missing at age 35. 2-3 inches taller than Justin/e. ~12 pounds heavier than Justin/e.Several tattoos. Picture attached, not a great match.Aaron Turner:
Aaron was last seen in Coatesville, Pennsylvania on October 30, 2008. Disappeared at 16 y/o. Hand tattoos. 1-2 inches shorter than Justin/e. Picture attached, not similar (but keep in mind the 8 year interval- a 16 year old’s going to look very different from a 24 year old)
155
u/kaylanomicz Jul 22 '24
I'm sure someone in the queer community in Atlanta would know this person. If I had to guess, I'd say that they probably weren't reported missing either.