LA PLAQUEMINES PARISH JOHN DOE: WM, 16-17, found suicide by hanging himself from a persimmon tree in Belle Chasse, LA - 14 Feb 1975

Plaquemines Parish John Doe (1975)

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On February 14, 1975, a teenage body was found dead in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. He committed suicide by hanging himself with a bed sheet from a persimmon tree. He was about 16 or 17 years old and wore yellow and maroon shirt, blue pants, mismatched socks and no shoes. Leaning against the tree was a jar filled with papers.

The papers turned out to be a lengthy suicide note. It was addressed to "Mom and Dad". He wrote in part: "When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing long ago. I never did develop into a real person and I cannot tolerate the false and empty existence I have created".

In his note to officers who found his body, he said: "You are bound to preserve domestic peace and order. If you pursue who I was (and spend hundreds of dollars) you will accomplish little. There are no legal consequences of my death or any kind of entanglements. All that can happen is that you will shatter the domestic peace and order of two innocent lives. Do not deprive them of the hope that their 'missing' son will return . . .Let me be, let it be as if I wasn't ever here. Simply cremate me as John Doe."

Among other things, he stated: "It is best if I cease to live, quietly, than risk that later I will break and shatter by violence or linger years under care. I implore you to see a psychiatrist in order that you might understand my death and my life. Ask thoroughly about what I was and you will see that it is not tragic that I am gone, but more natural than if I continued."

The young man included a section of the note entitled "Why you should not feel responsible" in a which he explained "I was born with a definite pervasive melancholy . . .what frustrated me most in the last year was that I had built no ties to family or friends. There was nothing of lasting worth and value. I led a detached existence and I was a parody of a person - literally and figuratively. I didn't tell jokes - I was a joke".

The note even cited the works of Emile Durkheim, the famous philosopher and psychologist. According to the by, Durkheim defined suicide as "an inner direction of homicidal feelings against someone else."

The note concludes with "I am no longer interested in the world and know that it is not interested in me. When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing a long time ago." On separate paper, he told his parents "You have provided me with excellent advantages and privileges and experiences. I am extremely grateful for all of your sacrifices, time and support. I am now repaying you with an arrogant act. In this light, I do see it as criminal. I can only hope that you see that it was me who caused it."

Unfortunately all records to his case have been lost in the 90s due to Hurricane. There is a theory that the John Doe is that of Baynard Cousins who went missing on February 1, 1975

Sources

 
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this is a weird thought, but is this case also an ethical dilemma to you all? it keeps me up sometimes. while everyone needs a name, his last wish was to go without one. looking for his name almost feels wrong to me but not looking for his name also feels wrong. very off-topic but just a thought. let me know if theres anything i can do for this!
 
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Then in these two interesting articles we talk about a missing boy, Charlie (Charles) Wallace; it appears to have disappeared from the TN, Memphis, but it is not in any database list of the missing. But the most interesting thing of all are the body dental impressions which seem to be compatible with this UID! But his mother did not recognize him later...!
which leads me to wonder how many "identified" have been identified wrongly or not identified due to wrong info.
 
this is a weird thought, but is this case also an ethical dilemma do you all? it keeps me up sometimes. while everyone needs a name, his last wish was to go without one. looking for his name almost feels wrong to me but not looking for his name also feels wrong. very off-topic but just a thought. let me know if theres anything i can do for this!
Well, I never thought about that. But I think he deserves to be identified, His family deserves to know.
 
Well, I never thought about that. But I think he deserves to be identified, His family deserves to know.
yeah, i suppose you're right. the leads as to who he is seem very promising! as much as he probably doesn't want a name, he obviously lived a rough life. he deserves the dignity.
 
Added to the doe network!

3832UMLA - Unidentified Male

ALT TXT

Reconstruction of Victim

Date of Discovery: February 14, 1975
Location of Discovery: Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Estimated Date of Death: 1975
State of Remains: Recognizable face.
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description

Estimated Age: 16-18 years old
Race: White / Caucasian
Gender: Male
Height: 5'10"-6'0" Estimated
Weight: 150-160 lbs, Estimated
Hair Color: Brown, short
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Slightly protruding front teeth

Identifiers

Dentals: Not available
Fingerprints: Not available
DNA: Not available

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: Maroon & yellow long-sleeved 'Puritan' shirt; Blue 'Arrow' pants with a brown belt; one grey & one dark blue socks.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery

This Unidentified white male was located off Highway 23, on a farm road that is in between Highway 23 and the Mississippi River, near Alliance, in Plaquemines Parish. There are no surviving reports/records from either the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office or Coroner's Office.

Investigating Agency(s)

Agency Name: LSU FACES Laboratory
Agency Contact Person: Unknown
Agency Phone Number: 225-578-4761
Agency E-Mail:faces@lsu.edu
Agency Case Number: LSU 22-05 / 117-15-979

Agency Name: Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: Unknown
Agency Phone Number: 504-564-2525
Agency E-Mail: Unknown
Agency Case Number:Unknown

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: UP88342

Information Source(s)

NamUs
 
View attachment 13915View attachment 13916
Then in these two interesting articles we talk about a missing boy, Charlie (Charles) Wallace; it appears to have disappeared from the TN, Memphis, but it is not in any database list of the missing. But the most interesting thing of all are the body dental impressions which seem to be compatible with this UID! But his mother did not recognize him later...!

In websleuths forum a member user posted the photo of Charles Wallace; for me it is very compatible, almost disturbing and uncanny the resemblance!

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So sad he felt he wasn't worth identifying. It makes me wonder if he didn't have any family. And if he did, All these years wondering what happened to him.
i think its less of him feeling as though hes not worthy of a name and more so sparing his family from the grief and letting them hold onto hope that their son is alive. i think thats what makes this case so ethically challenging to me. his last wish was to not be identified for his parents but im sure that they so badly wanted to know what actually happened to their baby. it feels like a loss either way. ive been debating on wether or not to get involved with this one because of it.
 
i think its less of him feeling as though hes not worthy of a name and more so sparing his family from the grief and letting them hold onto hope that their son is alive. i think thats what makes this case so ethically challenging to me. his last wish was to not be identified for his parents but im sure that they so badly wanted to know what actually happened to their baby. it feels like a loss either way. ive been debating on wether or not to get involved with this one because of it.
I have followed this case for years. The leading MP for being this John Doe is Bayard Cousins. Unfortunately, no one knows exactly where John Doe is buried.
 
i think its less of him feeling as though hes not worthy of a name and more so sparing his family from the grief and letting them hold onto hope that their son is alive. i think thats what makes this case so ethically challenging to me. his last wish was to not be identified for his parents but im sure that they so badly wanted to know what actually happened to their baby. it feels like a loss either way. ive been debating on wether or not to get involved with this one because of it.
I have thought about that with this case several times. But I think his family knowing is more important. It haunts families not knowing until they die. IMO It's better to know an awful truth than not to know. It destroys families, Individuals lives, Consumes every waking moment. It's torment. and alot of people say they just want to know before they die.
 
I think it may be possible that he got into an argument with his parents or parent. Took off in anger. Already had mental illness issues and by him doing everything to remain anonymous was his way of getting back at them. A decision made under duress.
 
Just MOO, but the portions of the note that have been made public do not sound like a teen, even a teen in 1975. To me, the note sounds more like a college student or recent college grad. I believe John Doe was a little older than the estimated age range, probably in his early 20s, but looked younger.
 
Seems strange to take the time to write such a detailed note to "mom and dad", and then ask authorities to not try to identify him in order to give that note to them. I guess he just needed to get it off his chest.

Just MOO, but the portions of the note that have been made public do not sound like a teen, even a teen in 1975. To me, the note sounds more like a college student or recent college grad. I believe John Doe was a little older than the estimated age range, probably in his early 20s, but looked younger.
I was just thinking that too. It doesn't seem like something a teenager, even a more sophisticated teenager, even one from the 70s, would have written. Possible, I suppose, but he does seem a bit older.

I have followed this case for years. The leading MP for being this John Doe is Bayard Cousins. Unfortunately, no one knows exactly where John Doe is buried.
That is horrible. Doe Network says that his fingerprints were circulated at the time, but are no longer available. That seems strange. And per NamUs, no one has been officially ruled out, probably because they don't have DNA or dentals.
 
I have followed this case for years. The leading MP for being this John Doe is Bayard Cousins. Unfortunately, no one knows exactly where John Doe is buried.
its really sad but when it comes to unidentified deceased individuals they often bury them in unmarked graves or cremate them and dispose of the ashes. im not sure why they would insist on that kind of disrespect, but they do. can I get a brief summary of the similarities and circumstances?
 
its really sad but when it comes to unidentified deceased individuals they often bury them in unmarked graves or cremate them and dispose of the ashes. im not sure why they would insist on that kind of disrespect, but they do. can I get a brief summary of the similarities and circumstances?
IIRC, the records of where he was buried and the fingerprints were destroyed in a hurricane/ subsequent flood. At work right now, will post more tonight.
 
Bayard Cousins went missing February 1, 1975 from Virginia. 1664233232473.png
John Doe was found Feb. 14, 1975.

John Doe was buried in an ummarked grave in the Westlawn cemetery in Gretna. Louisiana. Exactly where is unknown. Mothe Funeral home handled his remains and funeral home records are private and not available to the public.
The coroner at the time in Plaquemines parish, was apparently not a forensic pathologist. Dr. Minyard's specialty was gynecology. The only requirement for being coroner was to be licensed to practice medicine in Louisiana. If no one qualified ran for the office, the requirement could be waived.
( Side Note: Years ago, -1980s, a dentist was elected county coroner in one of the counties in my home state. He did an excellent job, but months later, the state legislature changed the law to state coroners must have graduated from a medical school going forward.)

Only portions of JD suicide note have been made public. JD quoted Durkheim, one of the founders of modern sociology. The tone of the sentences seemed to strongly indicate JD had a sociology, philosophy, psychology, liberal arts background.
 
Belle Chasse, LA had and has a Naval Air Station. The location where JD was found is not a likely spot for tourists. Either JD was familiar with the area or had lived there previously, perhaps a family member had been stationed at Belle Chasse in the past.

There are no fingerprints or DNA available for Bayard Cousins, or for Charles Wallace. About the only hope is if someone recognizes the handwriting in the suicide note, since no one knows where JD is buried in the cemetery. The note apparently did not mention siblings, just his parents, which leads me to believe he was an only child. MOO.
 
Perry Corlew, age 18, missing from Michigan since 1974, also bears a stunning resemblance to John Doe. At one point, Michigan LE sent his dental records to Louisiana for comparison. They were the original records and the only copy. The dental records for Corlew were also lost in Louisiana.
 
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Perry Corlew. 18 years old when he disappeared in 1974. Brown hair, green eyes. 6ft 2-6ft 4 inches tall. Wore glasses. Thin build, light complexion. Had some dental fillings.
 

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