Police keep hunting for identity of man
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) - June 17, 2004
Author: Jean Laquidara Hill
WEBSTER -- The identity of a balding, clean-shaven man, whose body was found by a hunter in the woods off Sutton Road on Dec. 31, remains a mystery.
Police Detective James T. Hoover is continuing to search for anyone who can provide information about who the man was, where he lived and what he was doing in Webster. The man, who had bright blue eyes, was 55 to 65 years old, 5 feet, 8 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and weighed 180 to 200 pounds, according to Detective Hoover. The man had grayish brown hair, was balding on the top of his head, had no scars or tattoos, and carried no identification, cash or keys.
The man was wearing dress black socks and boat shoes, which are not usually worn for walking in the woods, and was dressed in layers of clothing. He was found wearing a blue, hooded sweatshirt on top of a tan and green flannel shirt and a thermal shirt. He was also wearing a red knit winter hat, and dark gray sweatpants over light blue dress pants, and a brown leather belt.
According to police, the man died of natural causes, hardening of the arteries, four or five days before the body was found on New Year's Eve about a mile and a half from the Sportsmen's Club near the Oxford line.
Although police circulated a photograph of the deceased man widely, they still do not have any clues to the man's identity, a fact that is frustrating Detective Hoover, who has followed leads, including a missing New Hampshire man, to no avail.
The photograph was sent to area police departments, shelters, dentists and other people and agencies, and shown to Sportsmen's Club members and people who live in the area where the body was found,
``The FBI came up with nothing,'' Detective Hoover said.
The man had no record of military service and no fingerprints taken for criminal matters, he said.
``We've got no new leads and it's not for a lack of trying. We did a flyover (of the woods where the body was found) when the foliage was gone and there was no sign of a lean-to or anything,'' Detective Hoover said.
The body is in the custody of the state medical examiner's office in Boston and will soon be buried in a pauper's grave if no one comes forward to identify the man, according to Detective Hoover.
The detective recently had the case posted on The Doe Network (doenetwork.org). The volunteer organization, which works with police on unsolved cold cases, provided a forensic reconstruction picture of the man showing what he looked like when he was alive. Detective Hoover also has posted a photograph of the body and case details on Massmostwanted.org.
``We're out of options,'' Detective Hoover said this week.
Still, Detective Hoover said he expects to discover who the man was.
``I think it's a solvable case. Somebody somewhere knows who he is. He didn't just wander out into the woods with no one knowing. And if he was out there hiding, I want to know that end of the story, too,'' said Detective Hoover.