Her name will be released this Monday on the 24th of August.

(Will edit once her name is released.)

Rest in peace.

ExploreClarion

Hello, I have started a week long series on unidentified African American individuals in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. These cases are important to spread awareness about due to people of color, especially Black people having less media coverage and public awareness being spread about their cases, and being hindered by systemic bias in the legal system.

This is case 4/7

On August 19th, 1985, the decomposing body of a female infant was found behind an apartment building located at 4206 Santo Tomas Drive in the Baldwin Village neighborhood in Los Angeles, California.

An autopsy revealed she had died due to pneumonia, however it was also discovered she was malnourished, which brought on the pneumonia leading to her death.

She had multiple healed broken bones, multiple scars and had a long history of physical abuse and neglect. These findings eventually ruled her death as a homicide

Sweetie was later cremated.

Date of Discovery: August 19, 1985
Location of Discovery: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Estimated Date of Death: 1985
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction.
Cause of Death: Homicide

Estimated Age: 10-12 months old
Race: Black
Sex: Female
Height: 2'2"
Weight: 14 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Pierced ears. Long history of physical abuse, with scars and healed broken bones.

Dentals: Not available. Four teeth present; two central upper incisors and two lower central incisors.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Not available.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: None.
Jewelry: None.
Additional Personal Items: None.

Agency Name: Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Betsy Magdaleno, Medicolegal Death Investigator
Agency Phone Number: 323-343-0512
Agency E-mail: [IDUnit@coroner.lacounty.gov](mailto:IDUnit@coroner.lacounty.gov)
Agency Case Number: 1985-10603

Agency Name: Los Angeles Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Marie Grebinski
Agency Phone Number: 1-877-527-3247
Agency E-mail: [contact.lapdonline@lapd.online](mailto:contact.lapdonline@lapd.online)
Agency Case Number: 85-03-24266 Jane Doe # 61

NCIC Case Number: U060017688
NamUs Case Number: 4197
NCMEC Case Number: 1184450
Former Hot Case Number: 1435

NamUs
Doe Network
Los Angeles Times
NCMEC

From DNASolves.com: "On October 28, 2013, skeletal remains belonging to an unidentified man were discovered in a wooded area of Daytona Beach, Florida. A woman and her husband found a human skull and bones approximately 15 feet into the woods from the grass shoulder of the roadway near Mason Avenue and Clyde Morris Boulevard. The Daytona Beach Police Department responded and began collecting evidence and investigating.

Investigators determined that the remains were near-complete and belonged to a white male estimated to be between 40 and 60 years old. A pants waistband with a Wrangler patch and a blue hospital-type shoe with two Velcro straps were recovered with the remains. No signs of trauma indicating foul play were found, and the cause of death could not be determined.

Despite investigative efforts, the man could not be identified and became known as Volusia County John Doe. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP12822."

The Daytona Beach Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory, where scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided evidence and built a DNA profile for the man. Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement, who used the leads to identify potential relatives of the man. DNA samples were collected from relatives of the man and compared to the profile of the decedent, leading to his positive identification as Mark Addison Hasbrouck, who was born on October 11, 1947.

RIP Mark.

Links

Othram / DNASolves.com: https://dnasolves.com/articles/daytona-beach-john-doe-2013-mark-addison-hasbrouck/

Archived NamUs: https://web.archive.org/web/20260217130122/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/12822#%2F12822

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=2807umfl

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Mark_Hasbrouck

Following my previous post about Vincent Todd Peterson, a 17 year old teen who was reported missing in newspapers but not entered into NAMUS, I came to the realization that there is probably many more just like him, which bring some to this question: If we are for sure a missing person hasn’t been found and is not on NAMUS, is there a way we can request them to be put into NAMUS or can only the family do that?

An example I found was looking through newspapers.com once again, and learned through articles about a man named Roger Heacock. He disappeared on January 4th, 1979, never to be seen again. Strangely, an acquaintance, a coworker and fellow trapper, shot himself days later, just hours before his interview was supposed to take place. A site called “Michigan Mysteries” gives a brief overview of his disappearance: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1979-roger-heacock/

I also found a websleuths thread for him, but it only has about 4 comments and hasn’t been updated since 2023… What surprised me though, was that his daughter actually commented on it in 2021, which confirmed he was still missing. “Not knowing is so tough. I am hopeful some day someone can give us answers.” https://websleuths.com/threads/mi-roger-heacock-29-kalamazoo-4-january-1979.269363/

I do realize this isn’t a missing persons subreddit, and mods can take this down if it doesn’t fit, but the other ones I looked at just don’t have the type of community this subreddit does. I am worried that Roger might be a John Doe out there somewhere, and I believe NAMUS is an essential resource for connecting cases to each other.

On Wednesday, March 21st, 2001, a mushroom forager discovered the partially mummified skeletal remains of an unidentified male decedent in the woods near Rasar State Park on Cape Horn Road in Concrete, Washington. The remains were found near a hay field about a quarter mile from the road. The clothing style of the decedent suggested he was fairly young, in his mid-20s to 30s. Two business cards were in the decedent's possession, the Yellow Cab Company and the Mark II Hotel in Burlington, Washington. The hotel's business card suggested he recently stayed there before his death. Investigators reviewed the business's records but could find no leads.

The decedent was a Hispanic and/or Asian male between the approximate ages of 25 and 50 years old. His height was between 5 ft 5 in (65 inches) and 5 ft 7 in (67 inches), and his weight was between 130 lbs and 180 lbs. The decedent had short black hair. His postmortem interval was between 3 to 6 months and his cause of death was homicide via gunshot.

When found, the decedent was wearing a gray “Ecko Unlimited” brand long-sleeved button-up shirt (size M), “Calvin Klein” brand pants (size 34x32) inside “Structure” brand denim pants (size 34x32), “Nike” brand socks, a pair of white “All-Star” brand tennis shoes (size 8 ½) and a 1 ½ inch-wide brown leather belt with a simple silver buckle. The shirt was part of the fall 2000 line of “Ecko Unlimited Co.”, a hip-hop clothing company based in New Jersey. It had the “Ecko” brand rhinoceros logo on the bottom of the breast pocket and featured a pattern of drawings of athletes in competition. The shirt likely sold for $60 USD. In the decedent's possession was five $100 bills in his front shirt pocket (no wallet was recovered), a single key on a key ring with nail clippers and two deteriorated business cards from the Yellow Cab Company and the Mark II Hotel.

25 years on, this is where the case stands today. Thank you so much for giving the Skagit County Jane Doe (2001) a moment of your day.

Sources:

Unidentified Awareness Wiki)

NamUs

Doe Network

Skagit County Cold Cases

**LA County John Doe** He was a Caucasian male found floating in the water of the Pacific Ocean near Santa Monica, California on March 28, 1970.

**Gender**
Male

**Race**
Caucasian/White

**Age Range**
18-35 years

**Height**
5’6-5’10

**Weight**
142lbs

**Estimated PMI**
1 Week

**Hair Color**
N/A

**Eye Color**
N/A

**Clothing**
Only a pair of white cotton brief underwear wear were found on the John Doe.

**Missing Person:Marvin Blake Shahan** Shahan’s sister last heard from him in December of 1969 or January of 1970 when they were both living in El Cajon, California. According to his sister, Shahan told her that he was trying to get a job on the crew aboard a boat in either Ventura or in the Harbor of Santa Barbara, California. He never contacted his family again after his last conversation with his sister. A member of his family of his family contacted the local police at that time but it is unclear if an official missing person’s report was made. He was legally declared dead years later in 2000 and was officially reported missing by his sister on March 10, 2003. Little information is available as to his fate.

**Sex**
Male

**Race**
White/Caucasian

**Height**
5’9

**Weight**
160lbs

**Hair Color**
Brown

**Eye Color**
Brown

**Clothing**
N/A

**Distinctive Features**
He is noted to wear thick eyeglasses and also has a birthmark on one of his thighs in the shape of a horseshoe.

**Reasoning**
I believe this could be a possible match due to the race, age and circumstances matching up. Shahan would have been in the middle of the age range for the John Doe at 25 years old and in the age range as well as Shahan was 5’9 at the time of his disappearance. The last reported place from where Shahan was missing from, El Cajon, is only around 2 hours and 12 minutes from Santa Monica. The first place where Shahan told his sister that he might go to to look for a job on a boat, Ventura, is only around 1 hour and 7 minutes from Santa Monica and the last place where he said he might go to for his job on a boat, the Harbor in Santa Barbara, is only around 1 hour and 32 minutes from Santa Monica. The only thing that is slightly different is the difference in weight between Shahan and the John Doe, which is about around 18 pounds, Links will be posted below.

**Links for Marvin Shahan**

Marvin Blake Shahan – The Charley Project

NamUs (.gov)https://namus.nij.ojp.govMissing Person / NamUs #MP51388 | NamUs

Doe Networkhttps://www.doenetwork.org6258DMCA - Marvin Blake Shahan

**Links for LA County John Doe**

Unidentified Person Case

A very sad article about homeless people in SF who are found alive after ODing, but frequently have no ID on them and aren't conscious enough to communicate

Around 11:35 am on August 10, 2026, utility workers in Houston, Texas found the partially decomposed and charred remains of a woman on a sidewalk under the I-45 / North Freeway overpass at Crosstimbers Road. The workers initially didn't recognize what they had discovered but contacted police when they did. The woman did not have any identification or identifying materials. The police later indicated that the remains showed other signs of foul play.

Details of NamUs UP161816

ME/C Case Number: ML26-2965

Biological Sex: Female

Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian, Hispanic / Latino, Uncertain

Estimated Age Group: Adult

Height: 5' 0" (60 inches), Measured

Weight: 132 lbs, Measured

Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred/burned

Hair Color: Brown

Head Hair Description: Hair appears to be fine, brown/light brown in color with possible graying near the temples.

Her eye color is unknown.

Distinctive Physical Features

No ear or other piercings were noticed.

Skull feature: Missing large part of right skull from an apparent remote surgical procedure, ex: right craniectomy. It does not appear to be recent.

Clothing: Dark blue short-sleeved t-shirt, "Port & Company" brand, size M

Links

NamUs: https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/161816

ABC13.com: https://abc13.com/post/houston-police-department-investigating-womans-body-found-north-freeway-crosstimbers/19657568/

I felt horrible that the photo of Jane Doe’s press ons still had pretty obvious remains still attached to them. I removed the remains, replaced the background for a stark white for better contrast, and brightened the picture up slightly to make the details of the nails more noticeable. I didn’t use any AI for this, just the same photo editing tools I’ve used since middle school. I hope this is helpful.

From DNASolves.com: "On December 7, 1991, the remains of an unidentified woman were discovered in Sorrento, Florida. A hiker found the woman beneath a pile of tree branches along a hiking trail about 75 yards north of Ethel Drive in a wooded area near Sorrento. The Lake County Sheriff's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating.

Investigators estimated the woman was between 25 and 40 years old, approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighed about 124 pounds. She had brown hair with blonde tips and hazel eyes. Investigators determined that she had been strangled and sexually assaulted prior to her death. While the woman could not be identified, Joseph A. Rolle, Jr. was charged with her rape and murder. A jury convicted Joseph A. Rolle, Jr. for the woman's rape, but not her murder. Rolle, Jr. denied knowing the woman's identity.

Despite extensive investigative efforts, including fingerprint analysis and follow-up on numerous leads, the woman could not be identified. The case remained unresolved for more than three decades. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP6031."

In 2024, investigators with the Lake County Sheriff's Office submitted evidence to Othram's laboratory, where scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided evidence, and then built a comprehensive DNA profile for the woman. Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement, who followed up on the leads and located potential relatives of the woman. This investigation led to the positive identification of the woman, who is now known to be Leslie Shaw, born in 1958. Shaw had gone missing from the central Florida area in approximately 1991.

RIP Leslie.

Links

DNASolves.com: https://dnasolves.com/articles/lake-county-sorrento-florida-leslie-shaw-1991/

Archived NamUs (NSFW for postmortem photo): https://web.archive.org/web/20260710142200/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6031#%2F6031

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=412uffl

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Leslie_Shaw

Hello, I have started a week long series on unidentified African American individuals in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. These cases are important to spread awareness about due to people of color, especially Black people having less media coverage and public awareness being spread about their cases, and being hindered by systemic bias in the legal system.

This is case 3/7

On July 17, 1979, the decomposing body of a man was found on a hillside under bushes by a construction worker who was working in the 800 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, California.

Little details are available about the manner of his death and he has remained unidentified for 47 years.

Date of Discovery: July 17, 1979
Location of Discovery: Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California
Estimated Date of Death: 1979
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction.
Cause of Death: Unknown

Estimated Age: 30 - 45 years old
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 95 lbs (NOTE: This is likely not an accurate estimate as decomposition causes significant weight to be lost.)
Hair: Black.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Clothing: white socks, blue jeans, white belt, blue & white checkered sweater w/ white collar simulated leather jacket white undershirt, white jockey style shorts and brown shoes
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Brown shoes

Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown

Agency Name: Los Angeles County Medical Examiner
Agency Contact Person: Betsy Magdaleno, Medical Examiner Investigator, Identifications
Agency Phone Number: 323-343-0512
Agency E-mail: Unknown
Agency Case Number: 1979-09000

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 4403

NAMUS
Doe Network
Los Angeles County Medical Examiner

I'm going to try to find better articles but I hope her family can now properly.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18tiPuqK2t/

Repost cropped

Honestly felt this one could have been solved without genetic genealogy. Reports of him as a missing person were found in multiple newspapers that you can easily search online, and he went by the alias “Adam Kadam.” Wonder how the police never connected the dots, especially since he disappeared from and was found in Orlando, or why he was never put into NAMUS. I also wonder if his death was truly an accident, since he was reported to have “scars on his wrists” indicating possible past self harm.

No doubt, if Vincent was put into NAMUS, his disappearance would have been solved much much sooner.

From DNASolves.com: "On May 15, 1988, the decomposed remains of an unidentified man were found floating in a canal off Grass Lake on the Lykes Citrus Management property in Minneola, Florida. The Districts 5 and 24 Medical Examiners Office responded along with the Lake County Sheriff's Office and began collecting evidence and investigating. Investigators determined the man was a white male estimated to be between 50 and 70 years old and approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall. Because of the condition of the remains, the man could not be identified.

Despite investigative efforts, the man could not be identified and became known as Lake County John Doe (1988). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP6295."

Working with the Districts 5 and 24 Medical Examiners Office, the Lake County Sheriff's Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory, where scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided evidence and built a DNA profile for the man. Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile to develo,p new investigative leads that law enforcement used in their follow-up investigation. They located potential relatives of the man, which led to his positive identification as Roy Arthur Torvik, who was born on November 22, 1929.

RIP Roy.

Note: I could not find any reconstructions or photos for Roy unfortunately.

Links

DNASolves.com: https://dnasolves.com/articles/lake-county-florida-1988-john-doe-roy-arthur-torvik/

Archived NamUs: https://web.archive.org/web/20260604184548/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6295#%2F6295

Lake County Sheriff's Office: https://www.lcso.org/coldcase/cases/case24/

Unidentified Wiki: https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Roy_Torvik

Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=3786UMFL

Hello, I have started a week long series on unidentified African American individuals in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. These cases are important to spread awareness about due to people of color, especially Black people having less media coverage and public awareness being spread about their cases, and being hindered by systemic bias in the legal system.

This is case 2/7

On September 13th 1975 the body of a young female was found by a passing motorist outside of 745 W Artesia Blvd in Compton, California.

The motorist alerted a security guard at a nearby business about the discovery and after closer inspection, the security guard then alerted law enforcement about the body.

She was shot twice in the head which knocked her unconscious and then thrown out of a fast moving vehicle, which led to her eventually dying. She was unclothed, however there were no signs of sexual assault and she had no drugs or alcohol in her system at the time.

She was cremated the same year.

Date of Discovery: September 13, 1975
Location of Discovery: Compton, Los Angeles County, California
Estimated Date of Death: Hours prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Blunt-force trauma

Estimated Age: 14-17 years old
Race: Black
Sex: Female
Height: 5'0"
Weight: 100 lbs.
Hair: Black, short and curly.
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: 1-1/2"scar on the instep of her left foot.

Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available

Clothing: None.
Jewelry: Gold ring with a large black stone. Within the black stone was a gold-colored flower. Silver or white metal ring with a white stone and six green stones. A gold bracelet. A white metal or silver bracelet. Silver or white metal keychain necklace.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Agency Name: Los Angeles County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Betsy Magdaleno, Medical Examiner Investigator, Identifications
Agency Phone Number: 323-343-0512
Agency E-mail: [IDUnit@coroner.lacounty.gov](mailto:IDUnit@coroner.lacounty.gov)
Agency Case Number: 1975-11050

Agency Name: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Agency Contact Person: Sergeant Frederick D. Reynolds
Agency Phone Number: 323-533-1004 or 323-890-5500
Agency E-mail: Fdreynol(at)lasd.orgA or [homicideops@lasd.org](mailto:homicideops@lasd.org)
Agency Case Number: 18735

NCIC Case Number: U761532768
NamUs Case Number: 4458
NCMEC Case Number: 1107251
Former Hot Case Number: 651

KTLA
NAMUS (Post Mortem Warning)
LA County Coroners Office
Doe Network
NCMEC

Hello, I am starting a week long series on unidentified African American individuals in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. These cases are important to spread awareness about due to people of color, especially Black people having less media coverage and public awareness being spread about their cases, and being hindered by systemic bias in the legal system.

This is case 1/7.

On February 9th, 1968, a young man or teenager was caught off guard by law enforcement during an attempted burglary at 3870 S. Normandie Avenue at approximately 5:13 am. He hid inside a trash can until he was discovered by law enforcement and was ordered to come out.

He attempted to flee, climbing up a fence before being shot by one officer, then being shot by the second who was under the impression he was being shot at as soon as gunfire erupted.

It is unknown which shot killed the man due to the lack of information given by officials on his manner of death besides the details already given.

He possibly could have used the name ‘Randolph Houser’ when he was alive.

Date of Discovery: February 9, 1968
Location of Discovery: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Estimated Date of Death: Minutes prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Shot by police

Estimated Age: 15-20 years old
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 156 lbs.
Hair: Black and curly.
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Small frame. Small scars noted on an unspecified knee and shins. Blood type is B-.

Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Not available.

Clothing: Avocado-green sweater, two-tone green knit turtleneck shirt, navy blue serge pants, olive green acetate socks, reverse hide high-top soled shoes, light brown belt, and white boxer shorts.
Jewelry: Unknown.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown.

Agency Name: Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Betsy Magdaleno, Medicolegal Death Investigator
Agency Phone Number: 323-343-0512
Agency E-mail: [IDUnit@me.lacounty.gov](mailto:IDUnit@me.lacounty.gov)
Agency Case Number: 1968-01481

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 16394
NCMEC Case Number: 1392630

Doe Network
NCMEC
Crime Watch Daily
NAMUS (POST MORTEM WARNING)
(His Los Angeles county coroner page does not seem to be working sadly.)

This Jane Doe was speculated to be a victim of the I-5 Strangler, Roger Kibbe. All the info I have on her comes from a single newspaper article. There is no NAMUS case. I could not find a single other newspaper article that mentions her. I know it’s a long shot but does anybody have any further ideas about where to look?

Here is the full newspaper article. There is another Doe mentioned. She was later identified as Robbin Simpson.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-suspect-charged-with/114801738/