• It's FREE to join our group and ALL MEMBERS ARE AD-FREE!

WA BICYCLE MAN JOHN DOE: WM, 25-35, found in the Yarrow Bay lowlands in Kirkland, WA - 8 Dec 1985 *WILLIAM HORN*

370UMWA - Unidentified Male

370UMWA1.jpg

Reconstruction of the decedent.

Date of Discovery: December 8, 1985
Location of Discovery: Kirkland, King County, Washington.
Estimated Date of Death: 1985
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Exposure - hypothermia


Physical Description

Estimated Age: 25-35 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair: Brown and wavy. Brown beard with the same texture and light reddish-brown mustache.
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Four-inch abdominal scar.


Identifiers

Dentals: Unknown.
Fingerprints: Unknown.
DNA: Unknown.


Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: Gray sweatpants, a Nike windbreaker, a long-sleeve navy hooded sweatshirt with a picture of an apple and the word "Washington." He also wore a blue-and-white T-shirt that read "Puritan, the sporting life."
Jewelry: Unknown.
Additional Personal Items: Silver 10 speed bike, serial #J2508512.


Circumstances of Discovery

The decedent was a transient who died from exposure in the Yarrow Bay lowlands. Earlier, he was seen riding a well-cared-for gray 10-speed bike in the area.

He was known as the "Bicycle Man." He lived in the Kirkland area and was a familiar sight to police, who occasionally stopped and chatted with him. No one, however, knew his name.

He would ride through the area on his silver 10-speed bicycle, with its shiny spokes and wheel rims. Bicycle Man used a sturdy lock to keep his prized possession secured, and investigators hoped to identify him through locksmiths.

When he was discovered deceased, he was lying under a plastic tarp, under blackberry bushes, in the Yarrow Bay lowlands. Police found his bicycle next to him.


Investigating Agency(s)

Agency Name: Kirkland Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Misty Velotta
Agency Phone Number: 425-587-3400
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 85-4584

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 16334


Information Source(s)

NamUs
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Times
(3/13/88)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
In March 2025, working with the King County Medical Examiner's Office, the Kirkland Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas where scientists determined that advanced DNA testing could help identify Bicycle Man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to the man's potential relatives. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be William Horn. Horn was born on August 3, 1950 and was 35 years old when his remains were found.


Police in Kirkland, WA identify cold case victim from 1985 with genetic testing​

An investigation four decades in the making has a new break in the case. Police in Kirkland have identified a man who died in 1985.

After 40 years of pursuing tips and leads for the unidentified man found dead outside in the cold, police turned to genecology testing in 2025. By Dec. 22 of last year, a match confirmed him to be the brother of a living relative.

After years of following leads, the county exhumed his body in 2019 to take DNA evidence from his femur bone. By August 2025, they were able to start identifying possible familial matches.

One man, Gregory, was found to be the brother of the man who died years ago at the age of 35, William Horn.

The results were confirmed on Dec. 22, 2025.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Forum statistics

Threads
3,226
Messages
290,502
Members
1,086
Latest member
charrb
Back
Top Bottom