PLACER COUNTY, California — Investigators in California say a John Doe in a nearly 55-year-old cold homicide case is believed to be a Des Moines man.
In October 1972, law enforcement in Placer County, California, discovered a man along Interstate 80 at the Drum Forebay Overcrossing near Baxter, California. According to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, the man appeared to have been burned alive.
The victim was found wearing a hospital gown and appeared to be emaciated with a healed fracture to his left arm, the sheriff’s office said. He was described as being a white man, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing about 135 lbs. Law enforcement also located bedding and personal items consistent with what would commonly be used in hospitals, nursing facilities, or convalescent homes.
The sheriff’s office said that at around the same time the victim was found, the Weimar Joint Sanatorium, now called Weimar University, closed. Investigators have been unable to locate patient records from when the facility shut down.
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At the time, investigators were unable to identify the victim. Now, almost 55 years later, the sheriff’s office said it believes it has uncovered who the victim is…