Menagers Dam John Doe: Skeletal Remains on the Tohono O'odham Nation (2021)
Incomplete skeletal remains of an unidentified Hispanic male were recovered on February 4, 2021, from a remote desert location within the Tohono O'odham Nation, approximately six miles north of the United States-Mexico international border.[1][2] An identification card in the name of Juan de Dios Ramirez Flores was found with the remains, but DNA comparison has excluded that individual as the decedent.[1] The case is assigned Pima County Medical Examiner number 21-0774 and remains open.[2]
Discovery
On February 4, 2021, partial skeletal remains were found in a remote desert area within the Tohono O'odham Nation in Pima County, Arizona.[1] The recovery site is approximately six miles north of the international border, in the vicinity of Menagers Dam Village.[2] The location falls within one of the most active and dangerous undocumented border crossing corridors in southern Arizona. The remains were partial skeletal parts only, and the condition was described as not recognizable.[1]
The Tohono O'odham Nation Police Department logged the case under case number 21 02 04 160 on the date of discovery.[2] The Pima County Medical Examiner's Office in Tucson assumed jurisdiction and assigned Medical Examiner number 21-0774.[1][2]
Description
The decedent is an adult male of estimated Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[1] Forensic analysis places his estimated age at death between 28 and 40 years, with an estimated birth year range of 1979 to 1992.[2] His height is estimated between 64 and 68 inches (5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 8 inches). Weight could not be estimated from the remains. Hair color, eye color, and other soft-tissue features are unknown due to the condition of the remains.[1]
The estimated year of death is 2019 to 2020, suggesting the individual died approximately one to two years before his remains were discovered.[2]
Clothing and Personal Effects
The following items were recovered near the remains:[1]
- Khaki shorts
- Two pairs of undershorts
- Undershirt
- Camouflage backpack with matching camouflage hat
- Shoes, size 7.5
- Socks
Personal effects recovered nearby included a black wallet, a cell phone and chargers, assorted cards, and at least one faded wallet-sized photograph.[1]
Investigation
An identification card in the name of Juan de Dios Ramirez Flores was recovered with the remains. DNA comparison subsequently excluded the named individual as the decedent.[1][2] No additional named candidates have been identified through public databases.
The Menagers Dam area has seen multiple similar recoveries. Crime Solvers Central records three additional unidentified persons cases from the same general area on the Tohono O'odham Nation, all involving isolated skeletal remains discovered during 2022.[2] These cases are consistent with a shared migration corridor through this stretch of desert.
No public record has been found of the DNA profile being submitted to CODIS or any forensic genetic genealogy platform. No facial reconstruction, isotopic analysis, or forensic odontology report has been publicly released for this case.
Forensic Context
In a comparable Pima County case, NamUs UP126288, the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office partnered with Othram Inc. to apply Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to skeletal remains recovered from a remote desert environment. That effort was funded through a DNASolves crowdfunding campaign.[3] No equivalent forensic genealogy submission has been publicly announced for UP106624.
How to Help
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the investigating agencies:
- Tohono O'odham Nation Police Department, Sells, Arizona — case number 21 02 04 160. Phone: (520) 383-3275.[2]
- Pima County Medical Examiner's Office, Tucson, Arizona — case number 21-0774.[1]
The case is listed on NamUs as UP106624: namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/106624
References
- "NamUs Case UP106624." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
- "Crime Solvers Central Case 1657." Crime Solvers Central. crimesolverscentral.com
- "Pima County John Doe 2024." DNASolves. dnasolves.com