Deschutes County authorities released computer reconstruction of 'John Doe,' in hopes of identifying man whose body was found near Deschutes River in 2004.
Eighteen months after a man's body, bundled up in a sleeping bag, was found along a Deschutes River walking trail, stumped Deschutes County sheriff's detectives released a computer-reconstruction photo Thursday in hopes of identifying the "John Doe."
Deputies responded around 10:40 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2004 to a report of a deceased male along the river near Meadow Camp, west of Bend. Deputies found the man, bundled in a sleeping bag, and detectives were called in.
The man appeared to be transient, and no identification was found on or near him, said sheriff's Det. Troy Gotchy. The medical examiner's office determined he had died of exposure.
Investigators tried to identify the man by sending his fingerprints to the Oregon State Police, to be compared with others in the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or AFIS, but no match was found, Gotchy said.
"Detectives have followed up on several leads, and identification still has not been made," Gotchy said in a news release.
The man's DNA also has been sent to a missing persons DNA database at the University of North Texas Health Center, but no match has been found, the detective said.
The unidentified man also has been placed on a Website called the Doe Network (www.doenetwork.org.) The page lists case histories, and both computer and clay reconstructions of missing and unidentified deceased people, Gotchy said.
A computer reconstruction was created by a Florence County, S.C., sheriff's lieutenant who is a member of a Project EDAN, a non-profit group of certified forensic artists who volunteer their talents to law enforcement, the detective said.
"John Doe" is described as a white male adult, 40-50 years old, about 5 feet tall and 180 to 190 pounds. When he was found, he was in a green military-style sleeping bag and had an orange backpack. He was wearing a gray stocking cap, a black RW brand coat, a brown extra-large sweater, a gray Michigan University sweatshirt, black Levi jeans, gray wool socks and brown Donner boots.
Anyone with information regarding the deceased man is asked to contact Detective Gotchy at 617-3389 or call the sheriff's office at 388-6655.
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