New York City John Doe/”Scott L.” (June 1989)
- DATE OF DISCOVERY: June 15th, 1989
- LOCATION OF DISCOVERY: New York City, New York County, New York, 10029, USA (40°46’59.1″N 73°56’33.2″W (40.783076, -73.942559))
- ESTIMATED YEAR OF DEATH: 1989
- POSTMORTEM INTERVAL: Not stated/Unknown
- CONDITION OF REMAINS: Recognizable face
- CAUSE OF DEATH: Not stated/Unknown
- SEX: Male
- ESTIMATED AGE: 25 – 40 years old
- RACE1: Hispanic / African American
- WEIGHT (MEASURED): 175 pounds (79.3787 kg)
- HEIGHT (MEASURED): 5’9” (69 inches; 175.26 cm)
- EYE COLOUR: Brown
- HAIR: Black (tightly curled; 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) long)
- DISTINGUISHING MARKS/FEATURES:
- Thin black moustache
- Left earlobe pierced
- Multiple scars, including –
- RIGHT LOWER ABDOMEN: 4-inch (10.16 cm) scar
- BACK OF RIGHT HAND: Five parallel linear scars
BACKGROUND
On June 15th, 1989, a man’s body was discovered floating in the East River at East 97th Street in New York City, New York. The authorities were informed and removed the man from the water.
The victim is believed to be a Hispanic / African American male between 25 to 40 years old. He weighed 175 pounds and stood at 5’9” in height. He had brown eyes and black, tightly curled hair that was 0.5 inches long. He also had a thin black moustache, his left earlobe pierced, a 4-inch scar on his right lower abdomen, and five parallel linear scars on the back of his right hand.
He was found wearing khaki pants, a white pullover shirt, a shirt with a black diagonal stripe, and white shoes with yellow trim. A note was found in one of his pockets which read “I am Scott L.”
Coordinates were included on NamUs, and when searching them up, it looks like he was found in the water near FDR Drive and the Bobby Wagner Walk, near East 96th Street and East 97th Street. I will include a Maps photo of the coordinates.
There is sadly not much information about this Doe or his case other than his NamUs page, which provides minimal information.
CLOTHING/ITEMS – On the body, the following was noted
- Khaki pants (No brand or size noted)
- White pullover shirt (No brand or size noted)
- Shirt with black diagonal stripes (No brand or size noted)
- White shoes with yellow trim (Brand “Avia”; no size noted)
- Note in a pocket reading “I am Scott L.”
NOTES – Things of note or discrepancies found during research
- 1 RACE – NamUs notes his race in the demographics section as African American / Hispanic, but in the case details it said “Unknown Hispanic male…” I am not completely sure if they think he was both Hispanic and African American, or one or the other.
IDENTIFIERS – I could not find any information regarding identifiers
- Dentals: Unknown
- Fingerprints: Unknown
- DNA: Unknown
INVESTIGATING AGENCY & OTHER CASE INFORMATION
AGENCY ONE
- Agency Name: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner – New York City
- Agency Contact Person: Angela Soler (Forensic Anthropologist)
- Agency Phone Number: 212-447-2030
- Agency Case Number: M89-05237
OTHER INFORMATION/CASE NUMBERS
- NamUs Case Number: #UP9732
REFERENCES