COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A man’s burned body was found in a pile of debris at the end of a dead-end road in Covert Township, Michigan 43 years ago. He still hasn’t been identified.
He was found on July 27, 1979, by retired Covert Township Police Chief Rick Winans and the then-chief of police. The two were working to find people dumping garbage at the end of 30th Avenue, where it stops before I-196, according to WOODTV.
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They saw a smoldering green tarp just off the road and that’s when they discovered the body.
“Digging through it, we found a pretty badly burned body that was in there,” Winans told WOODTV in 2019.
The man had been shot in the head before he was burned and dumped at the end of the dead-end road.
Scientists at Michigan State University used his skull to rebuild his face out of clay and his DNA is on file, with investigators still hoping to identify him.
“It would be great for the family,” Winans told WOOD in 2019. “I’m sure, like the girl from Oklahoma, what family she has left after all these years was glad to find out what happened to her.”
A woman’s body found in 1988 was identified by the Michigan State Police genealogy project as Marcia Bateman, of Oklahoma City.
The unidentified man is believed to be a Hispanic male in early to middle age. He is believed to be between 5′9′' to 6′5′' tall.
He had a broken nose at some point in his life before he died. He was wearing a unique religious medallion that had Spanish writing on the back. It translated to “our lady of Guadalupe - pray for us.” On the same chain was a gold anchor and ship’s wheel.
He was wearing an electric Timex watch with a twist-o-flex band and Keds brand tennis shoes. Due to his burns, he was unrecognizable but his DNA has been collected.
Anyone with information should contact Michigan State Police at 269-657-5551.
| Details | John Doe |
|---|---|
| Estimated Age | 33-69 |
| Race/Ethnicity | White/Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino |
| Estimated Height | 5′9″-6′5″ |
| Estimated Year of Death | 1979 |
| Hair Color | Reddish-brown |
| Notes | Gad broken nose prior to death |
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