The Doe Network

The last couple of days, I’ve been reading the Doe Network. It’s all the people who have died with no name. I find the site fascinating. There are pictures of people who are listed only as Jane or John Doe at this point. They have no identification on them when they die. Sometimes it’s on purpose, as with some of the suicides. There are so many people on the site, from police stations all over, and no one seems to know who they are. Some of the crimes and suicides are old news, and some pretty current.

The authorities are led to a body left at a motel. A note may be left. In one case, it was signed “Jane Doe”. She didn’t check out, and the maid found her. Another suicide in a graveyard, by the newbaby graves. No ID that time either.

There are times of course when the identification is taken from the victim. Homicides that are unsolved are on the site. The reports give you all the infomation that’s avilable for the case. Sometimes the report will say if it’s a homicide, or foul play suspected.

Most of the cases have an artist who has tried to flesh out the face, so if anyone saw the picture, they might know who the person was. The artists have more than one way to capture the likeness. Drawing the face is one way.  It looks like some artists are using clay on the skull. It there is more than way way, all the ways the artists used are with the entry.

The site also describes all the clothing and anything else the dead person had with them, or was in the vicinity. Sometimes pictures are included of the items. The authorites seems to been doing all they can to help anyone visually identify these dead people.

The police departments includ a section on dental health and what teeth if any were with the body. If dental records are avilable, that’s added in, too. I find it interesting. Some of the victims have 20, 000 dollars with of dental care, and they are still unidentified. One woman had dental work that was so good the average dentist could not have done it. I found that of interest, too. I thought dentist were pretty much all the same. Maybe at my level they are.

 I’m up to index page twenty on the site, and I know I have more to go. I look at random entries. Not that I’m going to know anybody. But you never know. I think the draw for me is the sad fact that these people who had lives are dead and no one knows them. Maybe it speaks to a part of me who hopes I don’t die so lonely that I can’t even be identified.

Take care, Beth