John Doe Mystery For Monday...!

Probably one thing worse than finding a dead body for the police is finding out they can't identify them.

It's sad enough to have someone found dead, but to not be able to notify the family id even more sad. When you bring in any mysterious findings of the case, then you have a double tragedy on your hands. That was the case with this next story from Listverse.

The Georgia-Pacific West Inc. John Doe

When the remains of unidentified men or women are discovered and their identity cannot be determined, they take the name John or Jane Doe. However, one of the most bizarre places an unidentified John Doe has ever been discovered was the Georgia-Pacific West Inc. paper mill in Bellingham County, Washington. On September 20, 1987, a worker noticed a temperature spike inside the chimney of one of the paper mill’s boilers. The worker went to check inside the chimney and was shocked to see skeletal remains lying on top of the pipes near the bottom. A forensic investigation determined that the victim may have been a Native American male between the ages of 20 and 40.

The chimney was rarely checked, so the remains could have been in there for several days. During that the time, the boiler was often running and temperatures ranged from 115 to 185 degrees Celsius (240 to 370 °F). Since the victim’s bones were broken, they either had fallen or were thrown down the chimney. What made the discovery unusual was that it seemed like an insanely difficult place to dispose of a dead body. In order to toss the remains into the chimney, a person would have to climb up several flights of stairs to the roof of the building. There was nothing to indicate the victim had been an employee at the paper mill since no one who worked there was reported missing during that time. The only clue to his identity was the burnt remnants of what appeared to be a baggage claim for Continental Airlines. Unfortunately, because of the extreme heat inside the chimney, all traces of DNA were destroyed, so this John Doe may never be identified.

Ya know, if something ever happens to me, I hope that I can be identified so my family could at least know what happened to me. Knowing something bad happened is bad enough, but not knowing anything when they disappear would be worse, I think.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. I have to go to V.A. later, but we have time for a cup and a visit!