(FIRST) Business card found within wallet (Photo from NamUs)
(SECOND) Tan Ostrich skin like belt (Size 38) and plaid shirt/fabric found (not listed on NamUs) (Photo from NamUs)
(FIRST) Ankle work boots found (Brand “Establo“; size “8”) (Photo from NamUs)
(SECOND) Ankle work boots found (Brand “Establo“; size “8”) (Photo from NamUs)
(FIRST) Photo discovered within wallet (Appears to be of a young boy with short, dark hair. He is wearing a white shirt and is posing in front of a blue backdrop. It reminds me a school photo.)
(SECOND) Photo discovered within wallet (Appears to be of a young girl with dark hair that is pulled back into a ponytail with a white scrunchie hair tie. She is wearing a white dress and is posing next to a newborn baby girl with dark hair who is wearing a white dress, white headband, and white shoes. They are in front of a Winnie-the-Pooh backdrop.)
(THIRD) Photo discovered within wallet (Appears to be of a woman with long, dark hair. She may be wearing lipstick and may have a small mole/birthmark on one cheek near her nose. She is with a young child (possibly a girl) who has long, dark hair. They are both smiling for the camera. They may be inside, possibly on plaid a couch or chair.)
Ocotillo John Doe (October 2, 2003)
- DATE OF DISCOVERY: October 2nd, 2003
- LOCATION OF DISCOVERY: Ocotillo, Imperial County, California, 99259, USA (32°41’49.7″N 116°02’58.4″W (32.697140, -116.049550))
- ESTIMATED YEAR OF DEATH: 2003
- POSTMORTEM INTERVAL: 1 month
- CONDITION OF REMAINS: Not recognizable – Partial skeletal parts only
- CAUSE OF DEATH: Not stated/Unknown
- SEX: Male
- ESTIMATED AGE1: 20 – 40 years old
- RACE: Hispanic / Caucasian
- WEIGHT: Cannot estimate
- HEIGHT (ESTIMATED): 5’4” (64 inches; 162.56 cm)
- EYE COLOUR: Unknown
- HAIR: Unknown
- DISTINGUISHING MARKS/FEATURES: None noted
BACKGROUND
On October 2nd, 2003, human remains were discovered in the Ocotillo Mountains near Kumeyaay Highway/Interstate 8, West of Ocotillo, California. It is believed that the person had been deceased for 1 month prior to discovery.
The individual is believed to be a Hispanic and/or Caucasian male between 20 to 40 years of age. He stood at approximately 5’4” (64 inches; 162.56 cm) in height. His weight, eye colour, and hair colour could not be determined.
On the body, size 8 “Establo” brand ankle work boots and white socks with blue toe and heel patches were found. Near the body, size 34×31 “Levi’s” brand jeans, a size 38 tan Ostrich skin style belt, size 8 “ESTABIO” brand ankle work boots, white socks with blue toe and heel patches, and a “NIKE” brand tan cap/hat for the “Lakers” NBA basketball team were found.
A wallet was also found near the body, which had the name “AVILA-TORRES” and possibly the word “RANA” carved into it. It contained photos of possible family members of the Doe. Descriptions of these photos include:
- One appears to be of a young boy with short, dark hair. He is wearing a white shirt and is posing in front of a blue backdrop. It reminds me a school photo.
- One appears to be of a young girl with dark hair that is pulled back into a ponytail with a white scrunchie hair tie. She is wearing a white dress and is posing next to a newborn baby girl with dark hair who is wearing a white dress, white headband, and white shoes. They are in front of a Winnie-the-Pooh backdrop.
- One appears to be of a woman with long, dark hair. She may be wearing lipstick and may have a small mole/birthmark on one cheek near her nose. She is with a young child (possibly a girl) who has long, dark hair. They are both smiling for the camera. They may be inside, possibly on plaid a couch or chair.
Also, within the wallet, a business card (or cards) was discovered which reads “GARDENING MAINTENANCE SERVICE” and has the name “DOMINGO ROMAIN” with “OWNER & MANAGER” underneath, a telephone number “TEL: (213) 381-7814” and an address “133 N. RENO ST. #104 Los Angeles, CA 90026” on it. NamUs states “…there was a business card…” but in the photo of the card it looks like there are possibly multiple of them? I attempted to find information on this business or the owner, but could not find anything solid.
(*Currently, I am focusing mostly on cases of migrants who passed when crossing the Mexico-United States border. A lot of these cases have very little information provided.*)
CLOTHING/ITEMS – On the body, the following was noted
- Ankle work boots (Brand “Establo”; size “8”)
- White socks with blue toe and heel patches (No brand or size noted)
Near the body, the following was noted
- Jeans (Brand “Levi’s”; size “34×31”)
- Tan Ostrich skin style belt (No brand noted; size “38”)
- Tan hat/cap for the “Lakers” NBA basketball team (Brand “NIKE”)
- Wallet with the name “AVILA-TORRES” and possible the word “RANA” carved into. It contained possible family photos and a business card for “GARDENING MAINTENANCE SERVICE”
- Some sort of plaid shirt/fabric can be seen in some of the photos provided on NamUs but is not mentioned otherwise
NOTES – Things to note or discrepancies found during research
- 1 ESTIMATED AGE – Under “Estimated Age Range (Years)” NamUs notes “20-40”, while in the “Circumstances of Discovery” NamUs notes “30s-40s”.
IDENTIFIERS
- Dentals: Unknown
- Fingerprints: Unknown
- DNA: Unknown
INVESTIGATING AGENCY & OTHER CASE INFORMATION
AGENCY ONE
- Agency Name: Imperial County Coroner’s Office
- Agency Phone Number: 442-265-2105
- Agency Case Number: 03-186
OTHER INFORMATION/CASE NUMBERS
- NamUs Case Number: #UP13207
- DoeNetwork Case Number: 4763UMCA
REFERENCES