Cranium in the Desert: The Anegam John Doe (1974)
An unidentified human cranium was recovered in the desert approximately 8 miles northeast of Anegam Village, Pima County, Arizona, in February 1974. The remains belonged to a Hispanic or Latino male estimated to have been between 40 and 60 years old at the time of death, with an estimated year of death of 1972 to 1973. The case has remained open for more than fifty years.[1]
Discovery
The cranium was found on or around February 1, 1974, in desert terrain near Anegam, a village on the Tohono O'odham Nation reservation in Pima County, Arizona. No other skeletal elements were recovered; the torso, limbs, and hands were not found with the remains. The Tohono O'odham Police Department holds jurisdiction over the case, with Sells PD serving as the investigating agency.[1]
The condition of the remains at recovery was consistent with an extended post-mortem interval. Secondary records indicate that a forensic assessment placed the post-mortem interval at approximately several months, suggesting the individual died sometime in 1972 or 1973, months before the cranium was located.[2]
Description
The decedent was a Hispanic or Latino male estimated to have been between 40 and 60 years old at the time of death, corresponding to estimated birth years between 1912 and 1933.[2] Height and weight could not be estimated from the recovered remains. Hair color, eye color, and other physical features are unknown.[1] No clothing or personal effects were recovered with the cranium.
Investigation
The case was assigned local case number Sells 2-74 by the Sells Police Department, and the medical examiner case number is recorded as Sells 2-74.[2] The NamUs profile for this case (UP10082) currently lists the agency case number as unknown.[1]
No public documentation of forensic testing has been located. It is not known whether DNA has ever been extracted from the cranium, whether dental charting was completed, or whether the remains were submitted to any laboratory for genetic analysis. No facial reconstruction is known to have been produced. No missing person candidates have been publicly identified or compared against this case record.
How to Help
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Sells Police Department. The NamUs case number is UP10082, and the local case number is Sells 2-74.
- Investigating agency: Sells PD (Tohono O'odham Nation)
- NamUs case: UP10082
Tips may also be submitted directly through the NamUs website.
References
- "NamUs Case UP10082." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
- "CrimeSolvers Central — Case 14707." CrimeSolvers Central. crimesolverscentral.com