John Doe

6 Stories

20 Years After Missed Court Date, His Skeleton Was Found

Police seek info on Ronnie Joe Kirk, whose remains turned up in Wisconsin store chimney

(Newser) - His name was Ronnie Joe Kirk. How he got to be in the chimney of the Good 'n Loud Music store in Madison, Wisconsin, is anyone's guess. The body of the 5'7" man was discovered at the base of the chimney on Sept. 3, 1989, during the...

How a Reddit User Helped Solve a 20-Year-Old Mystery

Family members spotted shared photos of 'Grateful Doe'

(Newser) - For 20 years, he was known as "Grateful Doe." Now, police have confirmed a man killed in a car accident in Greensville County, Va., with two ticket stubs for a Grateful Dead concert in his pocket, was Jason Callahan, a 19-year-old from Myrtle Beach, SC, who'd set...

What Happens to America's Missing and Unidentified?

Some Jane and John Doe cases are cold, while others are in 'deep freeze'

(Newser) - On any given day there are 80,000 people missing, the FBI estimates, while the list of unidentified deceased people is some 10,000 Jane and John Does long. Some cases are cold, while others are in "deep freeze," reports Reveal , the publishing arm of the Center for...

Chicago to Post Photos of Mystery Stiffs Online

Cook County aims to give closure to victims, even if it's not pretty

(Newser) - If your loved one died in a grisly way, finding a grisly photo of them online might not be your favorite way of finding out, but the Cook County medical examiner's office is betting it's better than nothing. The county, which includes Chicago, has begun posting photos of...

Utah's Mystery Inmate Identified

Brother says 'John Doe' is actually Phillip T. Beavers

(Newser) - Mystery solved: Utah's "John Doe" inmate is a man who had gone missing from New Mexico. Phillip T. Beavers has been locked up for more than three weeks and has barely said a word to authorities, but after his case got more publicity his brother identified him, the...

'John Doe' Inmate Baffles Utah Police

Older man won't, or can't, reveal his identity

(Newser) - A mystery man believed to be in his 70s has been locked up in a Utah jail for more than three weeks and has baffled investigators because he refuses to reveal his identity or provide any details about his life. The graying, disheveled man with blue eyes and a scruffy...

6 Stories