DISCOVERY:
On November 11, 1995, the frozen body of an unidentified man were found in a coal train car in Wright, Campbell County, Wyoming. The train had travelled from the Pruitt Power plant in Richmond, Texas, some 1,000 miles away, and had made a number of stops before arriving in Wyoming. It’s believed John Doe could have hopped on the train at any point during the seven-to-10 day journey.
AUTOPSY:
Given the circumstances, no autopsy was ordered on the decedent. While his date of death is unknown, the cause was deemed to be hypothermia, given the cold temperatures and a lack of trauma to the body.
John Doe’s remains were cremated and interred at Mount Pisgah Cemetery in Gillette on November 30, 1995, under a gravestone marked “Unknown Man.”
INVESTIGATION:
The original Campbell County Sheriff’s Office report stated drag marks were found at the scene, indicating John Doe had climbed into the train car. However, several details show this to be unlikely, such as his height. He was just over five feet tall and the cars were upwards of 12-feet high. Other evidence also suggests he tried and failed to jump from the train car.
In 2015, Campbell County coroner Laura Sundstrom reopened the case. One of her first investigative avenues was to look for the train’s manifest to figure out where it stopped on its way to Wyoming. Unfortunately, the archives only go back to 1996.
DETAILS:
John Doe is described as a 40-50-year-old man of White or Cuban descent. He stood between 5’1″ and 5’2″, and weighed around 150-160 pounds. He had greying black hair on his scalp, black chest hair, and a black beard and moustache, and brown eyes. He had a blood acetone concentration of 17 percent, which is consistent of individuals with diabetes.
The decedent had a number of distinguishing marks, including three tattoos – “CARIDAD” written unevenly on his upper left arm/shoulder, “Cubano” on his left hand and a cross on the web of his right hand – and a 14-centimetre scar on his left hip. It’s believed this could have been the result of either a surgery or an accident.
John Doe wasn’t overly-dirty and had recently shaved underneath his beard. He was found wearing a short-sleeve purple button-down shirt; brown pants held up with a brown belt that had “Morillon” engraved on it; undergarments; light-coloured socks; yellow Cuban heel loafers; a watch; and a silver-coloured pinky ring. A green Mexican blanket vest was found draped over his head, and he had on him three keys and a lighter.
Regarding the lighter, it’s believed the decedent may have been a smoker, given cigarette butts were found at the scene. They also indicate he’d been at the location for a decent period of time.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
John Doe’s fingerprints were taken when he was found, but they were later lost, as were his belongings once they were turned over to the Wilson-Noecker Funeral Home. He was unfortunately cremated before DNA testing or dental charting could be done.
Anyone with information regarding the decedent’s identity is asked to contact the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office at (307) 682-7271 or the Campbell County Coroner’s Office at (307) 687-6179.
Image Credit: Carl Koppelman/The Doe Network
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