Roy, Utah Freight Train John Doe (1951)
On September 20, 1951, an unidentified man fell from a moving freight train onto a spur track near the station in Roy, Utah, and was struck by 28 freight cars. He has never been identified. The case is carried in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as UP106803 and in the Doe Network as case 4736UMUT.[1][2]
Discovery
The incident occurred on September 20, 1951, when the man was observed riding on top of a freight train. As the train slowed on a spur track near the Roy station in Weber County, Utah, he fell between the cars and was run over by 28 of the following freight cars. No wallet or identifying papers were found on or near the body.[1]
Description
The decedent was described at the time of recovery as a white male, estimated between 50 and 55 years of age.[1] He stood approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed approximately 160 pounds, with dark, graying hair. The Doe Network records his height range as 5'7" to 5'9" and his weight range as 155 to 165 pounds.[2] Eye color is listed as unknown.
He was wearing a blue pin-striped suit at the time of discovery.[1] No other clothing, accessories, or personal effects are on record.
The condition of remains was recorded as not recognizable due to traumatic injuries.[1]
Investigation
The case was assigned Weber County Sheriff's Office case number 23WC11744 and is listed as an active unidentified deceased investigation.[1] The Doe Network formally indexed the case as 4736UMUT, with the entry recorded as added in December 2025.[2]
No fingerprints, dental records, or DNA profile are on file for this individual. All forensic identifiers are listed as unknown in the Doe Network record.[2] No formal exclusions of specific missing persons candidates have been documented in any available source.
In 2024, the Weber County Sheriff's Office formed the Weber Metro Cold Case Task Force, a multi-detective unit focused on unresolved Weber County cases. That same year, the task force partnered with Othram, a forensic genomics laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas, to identify a separate 1992 John Doe, NamUs case UP9400, subsequently identified as Kevin Lynn Capps, using forensic genetic genealogy. That identification was funded through a Utah Department of Public Safety Community Project Funding grant (15PBJA-23-GG-00292-BRND). No forensic genealogy submission for UP106803 has been publicly documented.[3]
How to Help
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Weber County Sheriff's Office at 801-395-8221, referencing case number 23WC11744.[2]
The case is also listed on NamUs as UP106803: namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/106803
References
- "NamUs Case UP106803." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
- "Case 4736UMUT." Doe Network. doenetwork.org
- "Weber County Sheriff's Office and Utah DPS Team with Othram to Identify Kevin Lynn Capps." DNASolves, 2024. dnasolves.com