For decades, he’s been one of California’s most famous John Does: a man with wavy strawberry blond hair, the name “MARK” tattooed across his knuckles. And although clear, recognizable photographs of him existed, no one could figure out who he was — until now.
The mystery began on June 2, 1978. That summer day, a group of teenagers piled into a Volkswagen Beetle in Riverside. The 17-year-old driver was reportedly drunk and, as he took a corner at high speed, he lost control of the car. The Beetle slammed into another vehicle, killing five people in the chaos.
Dead in the backseat was a young man. In his pocket was an Oregon ID for Daniel Earl Bushnell. The next day, a police officer was dispatched to the Portland home of Bushnell’s mother. The news was bad, the officer told her. Her son had died the day before in a car crash in Riverside…