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View Full Version : this Marine family was ****ED!


platoonDaddy
03-20-12, 16:27
dang, both parents will never know he wasn’t a deserter. How ****ing sad!

Friggin base is less than 100 miles and they said “he looks like military and no one followed up!”

You know I am getting old, but I am sure I was fingerprinted in 1961 during boot camp.

As a parent and a vet, I am really pissed! If the story is accurate as reported, some investigator should have his|her pension revoked.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/20/john-doe-found-naked-and-murdered-in-174-idd-after-37-years-as-marine-branded/
Moose-Knuckle
03-20-12, 17:14
Wow, just wow. :eek:

FUBAR.
kmrtnsn
03-20-12, 17:21
There were no databases back in 1974, no DNA, nada, it was an analog world where calling from Oceanside to Laguna Beach was a long distance call. There were, however, lots of deserters at that time. The military did not then, nor do I believe they do so now, list AWOLs and deserters as missing persons. The guy didn't show up for formation and the Corps wrote him off, I am sure he wasn't the only Marine to go missing from the base that week. I'd bet that Camp Pendleton didn't even share their AWOL/Deserter lists with the navy, who had a sizable presence in Long Beach back in the day. Long Beach had a naked body, no witnesses, and no ID, it wasn't even ruled a homicide back then, a naked dead Doe with a head injury; not a whole lot to go on. I doubt this case even made it to a homicide detective's desk back then, It was just a cold Doe case out of the Coroner's Office, where Doe's are standing room only to this day. This isn't any detective's fault and nobody's head should roll over it. A sad story to be sure but there isn't any malfeasance here.
The_War_Wagon
03-20-12, 17:43
I pray they were all Christian - they would've known the TRUTH the moment they entered heaven.

Kudos to the investigators, who finally put it together for the rest of the family, and the Corps, for honoring him, no matter how belatedly.
Moose-Knuckle
03-20-12, 17:55
There were no databases back in 1974, no DNA, nada, it was an analog world where calling from Oceanside to Laguna Beach was a long distance call. There were, however, lots of deserters at that time. The military did not then, nor do I believe they do so now, list AWOLs and deserters as missing persons. The guy didn't show up for formation and the Corps wrote him off, I am sure he wasn't the only Marine to go missing from the base that week. I'd bet that Camp Pendleton didn't even share their AWOL/Deserter lists with the navy, who had a sizable presence in Long Beach back in the day. Long Beach had a naked body, no witnesses, and no ID, it wasn't even ruled a homicide back then, a naked dead Doe with a head injury; not a whole lot to go on. I doubt this case even made it to a homicide detective's desk back then, It was just a cold Doe case out of the Coroner's Office, where Doe's are standing room only to this day. This isn't any detective's fault and nobody's head should roll over it. A sad story to be sure but there isn't any malfeasance here.

You had a dead 18 YO male with a high and tight and military tattoos with in spitting distance of upteen gazillion military installtions and no one could put 2 and 2 together? :confused:
kmrtnsn
03-20-12, 18:26
You had a dead 18 YO male with a high and tight and military tattoos with in spitting distance of upteen gazillion military installtions and no one could put 2 and 2 together? :confused:

Back in 1974 short hair was extremely popular, at least where I grew up. The Vietnam War was winding down, everyone and their brother who served had a military tattoo. It was a different time then, LBPD didn't know what was going on in Wilmington, Torrance, Downey, or Compton, its next door neighbors, let alone at Camp Pendleton. Information wasn't as readily shared or available back then as it is now. Three were no fax machines to send photos back and forth, there wasn't an Internet, the Marines weren't peppering the local communities with AWOL wanted posters. Unfotunately this guy was a white male DOA John Doe at a time when they were literally coming out of the woodwork. Times have changed, information flows more freely. I know I have signicantly more databases and the associated information available to me today than I did back in 1999. I have many more tools to do my job too. I can't imagine trying to do the job I have now with a pen, a typewriter, and comunicating with a one line dial telephone on my desk and a roll of dimes for payphones for when I'm in the field like they did in 1974. It is a great thing that this cold case was solved, thanks to a grant which funded a detective to sort through old files but it is completely pointless to try to blame someone for not figuring this out 35 years ago.
Moose-Knuckle
03-20-12, 19:28
Back in 1974 short hair was extremely popular, at least where I grew up.

I wasn't alive until five years later but I would have guessed long hair, afro's, and the shaggy look was all the rage.
Voodoo_Man
03-20-12, 19:29
Sadly things like this happen, the focus must now be on the person who this marines life and for his family to remember him correctly.
SeriousStudent
03-20-12, 19:32
Fair winds and following seas for the fallen Marine.

I do hope that this brings a small measure of comfort to his surviving family members, even though it creates so many new questions.
platoonDaddy
03-20-12, 21:10
I wasn't alive until five years later but I would have guessed long hair, afro's, and the shaggy look was all the rage.

I certainly was 'alive' and for sure the 70's was an extension of the 60's long hair and afro's.

Autopsy report showed blunt force trauma and other injuries including tattoos and short hair. Just plain sloppy police work.
ICANHITHIMMAN
03-21-12, 06:12
I think someone realy droped the ball on this one! How said, its as if they did not even try to find out who he was. Hum military tattos.....? I dont know guys lets check his info aginst the local military bases and see who is missing at muster hum.....? na **** it.
graffex
03-21-12, 18:20
Seems ludicrous to me. Just awful police work :(
spr1
03-21-12, 18:42
Tragedy all around. The parents, God that gets to me. The pain of loss, believing in their their son, but not knowing for certain. Hopefully, there was a reunion on the other side.
lifebreath
03-21-12, 19:07
Back in 1974 short hair was extremely popular, at least where I grew up.

You sure your not thinking '64? I don't remember much short hair in '74!

Sad story. A parents nightmare and long sadness. At least some resolution for surviving family.