Monroe County John Doe was a man whose body was found in a swimming pool in Key West, Florida, in 1940. Despite an extensive investigation, authorities were unable to identify the man.
Case[]
This body was found by WPA watchman Silvio Carrera, floating face down and covered in mud near the diving platform of a salt water swimming pool on the northern branch of Roosevelt Boulevard. Multiple people had used the pool over the days prior but were unaware of the body's presence. Carrera flagged down a passing Parks' Dairy truck driven by Ike Parks by shouting "Here's a dead man". Parks turned over the body upon arriving.
The man had been dead for 3 to 5 days. His hands and feet were bound with green fishing wire, and a dog collar looped through his belt was attached to a small rock, too small to hold his body down. His body had to have been dumped in the pool as the pool's intakes from the nearby bay were screened.
The man's body was brought to Pritchard's Funeral Home, and 200 people paid to view the body. None of the viewers, including city officials, could identify the man and did not believe he was a local. Laundry marks on his pants were checked by Columbia Laundry Company, but they found no record of them. He had no identifying documents apart from a note in his wallet reading "Poison Dick No. 244-948".
On January 11th, police released a description of the man, and Sheriff Roy Hamlin was subsequently informed that a man who was rooming with Mr. and Mrs. Millen Roberts, hotel bellhop Henry D. Hatch Jr., had disappeared the week prior. Mrs. Roberts viewed the body and identified it as Hatch, and Hatch's mother was notified that her son had died. However, Hatch came forward alive and well; it turned out he had enlisted in the army and was stationed in the Key West barracks. Hatch's mother was informed the identification was false. Hatch could not identify the man.
The misidentification was blamed on bloating and obscured facial features. Another lead regarding a missing fisherman also surfaced, but this man was also found alive. Although there was speculation the man committed suicide, no water was found in his lungs, indicating he did not die in the pool. On January 18th, a coroner's jury ruled he died from "suffocation, strangulation or asphyxiation."
The man's fingerprints were taken and sent to the FBI, but no matches were found. It is unknown if his fingerprints survive on record. He is buried in the potter's field of Key West Cemetery.
Characteristics[]
- Reddish hair.
- Grey eyes.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Wire gray worsted trousers with a thin brown stripe, laundry marks M13154, X-731 HV, and 21570 in the pockets.
- Light gray shirt with a red and white stripe, size 15, laundry mark T-B-B.
- Blue gray tie.
- Plain black shoes with an English toe, size C-8.
- Cheap watch.
Belongings[]
- Fishing line.
- Rubber purse, similar to those used by fishermen.
- Fisherman's knife.
Sources[]
- ↑ Age variously given as 33, 35, and 50.