Miami-Dade County John Doe was a man whose dismembered remains were discovered in Miami-Dade County, Florida on January 27, 1983. He was a possible victim of serial killer William Wickline and the only one who was never identified.
Case[]
The victim was discovered floating in a canal in a rural section of Miami-Dade County. He was found stabbed, decapitated, and dismembered, although NamUs states that all parts were recovered. Initially, the medical examiner who assisted in the investigation stated authorities should look for suspects among the local hog farmers as the dismemberment showed knowledge of butchery.
Informants told authorities in Columbus, Ohio that a career criminal and serial killer named William Wickline may have accepted a contract to kill a man in Florida in January 1983. Authorities believe that the victim could be the man Wickline was possibly hired to kill, as the cuts on the victim were professionally done the way Wickline did them; he learned how to be a butcher in a prison class. It is not clear who the contractor was or why they wanted to kill the man.
Between 1979 and 1983, Wickline was responsible for the brutal decapitations and dismemberments of three to five people in West Virginia, Ohio, and possibly Florida. His victims either had ties to the criminal world or were chance witnesses to his crimes; some of his victims' remains were never recovered. He was convicted of two of the murders and was executed on March 30, 2004.
Characteristics[]
- Dark brown greying hair that is mildly curly and has a pronounced wave, about 2" long.
- Metal partial upper dental plate.
- Bitten fingernails.
Clothing and accessories[]
- White/light colored Harrison Davis polo shirt.
Sources[]
- Miami-Dade County John Doe at NamUs
- West Virginia News
- William Wickline on Wikipedia