This individual was recently confirmed to have been identified. Some details may change as more information is released publicly.
Mitchell L. Mendelson was a man whose skeletal remains were found by a hunter in a wooded area in West Donegal Township, Pennsylvania.
He was identified by the DNA Doe Project in November 2024.
Case[]
Investigators found Mendelson died of natural causes, possibly a diabetic stroke, while on a walk in the woods sometime in 2012, a few months before his remains were found. His wallet was likely stolen afterwards, meaning no ID was found on his body.
Mendelson was originally from Long Island, New York, but lived for many years in Birmingham, Alabama, where he wrote a newspaper column called "The Alabama Experience" under the pseudonym "Vine Boy". He later moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he worked for a bus company, retiring shortly before his death. He had cut off communication with his family in 2009.
Clothing[]
- Haines camo t-shirt, size XL.
- Joe Boxer pajama-type pants with a drawstring, size XL.
- Blue jeans were found near the body.
- Black sneakers.
Gallery[]
Media[]
While he was alive, Mendelson once appeared as a host on The Alabama Experience, a public access TV show created by the University of Alabama. He and his work as a journalist and historian is the main focus of the episode Vineboy, which originally aired on November 5, 1992.