LA PLAQUEMINES PARISH JOHN DOE: WM, 16-17, found suicide by hanging himself from a persimmon tree in Belle Chasse, LA - 14 Feb 1975

Plaquemines Parish John Doe (1975)

1582487999546.png

On February 14, 1975, a teenage body was found dead in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. He committed suicide by hanging himself with a bed sheet from a persimmon tree. He was about 16 or 17 years old and wore yellow and maroon shirt, blue pants, mismatched socks and no shoes. Leaning against the tree was a jar filled with papers.

The papers turned out to be a lengthy suicide note. It was addressed to "Mom and Dad". He wrote in part: "When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing long ago. I never did develop into a real person and I cannot tolerate the false and empty existence I have created".

In his note to officers who found his body, he said: "You are bound to preserve domestic peace and order. If you pursue who I was (and spend hundreds of dollars) you will accomplish little. There are no legal consequences of my death or any kind of entanglements. All that can happen is that you will shatter the domestic peace and order of two innocent lives. Do not deprive them of the hope that their 'missing' son will return . . .Let me be, let it be as if I wasn't ever here. Simply cremate me as John Doe."

Among other things, he stated: "It is best if I cease to live, quietly, than risk that later I will break and shatter by violence or linger years under care. I implore you to see a psychiatrist in order that you might understand my death and my life. Ask thoroughly about what I was and you will see that it is not tragic that I am gone, but more natural than if I continued."

The young man included a section of the note entitled "Why you should not feel responsible" in a which he explained "I was born with a definite pervasive melancholy . . .what frustrated me most in the last year was that I had built no ties to family or friends. There was nothing of lasting worth and value. I led a detached existence and I was a parody of a person - literally and figuratively. I didn't tell jokes - I was a joke".

The note even cited the works of Emile Durkheim, the famous philosopher and psychologist. According to the by, Durkheim defined suicide as "an inner direction of homicidal feelings against someone else."

The note concludes with "I am no longer interested in the world and know that it is not interested in me. When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing a long time ago." On separate paper, he told his parents "You have provided me with excellent advantages and privileges and experiences. I am extremely grateful for all of your sacrifices, time and support. I am now repaying you with an arrogant act. In this light, I do see it as criminal. I can only hope that you see that it was me who caused it."

Unfortunately all records to his case have been lost in the 90s due to Hurricane. There is a theory that the John Doe is that of Baynard Cousins who went missing on February 1, 1975

Sources

 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Jason Futch Is going to be discussing this case on his YouTube channel this season. I'm very curious to learn more about this case.
We are going to be putting this case to the side for right now, but we will be planning to cover this in the future! We still don't have alot on this case...was hoping to have more info by the time his episode came around. Sad times :(
 
Plaquemines Parish John Doe (1975)

View attachment 1013

On February 14, 1975, a teenage body was found dead in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. He committed suicide by hanging himself with a bed sheet from a persimmon tree. He was about 16 or 17 years old and wore yellow and maroon shirt, blue pants, mismatched socks and no shoes. Leaning against the tree was a jar filled with papers.

The papers turned out to be a lengthy suicide note. It was addressed to "Mom and Dad". He wrote in part: "When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing long ago. I never did develop into a real person and I cannot tolerate the false and empty existence I have created".

In his note to officers who found his body, he said: "You are bound to preserve domestic peace and order. If you pursue who I was (and spend hundreds of dollars) you will accomplish little. There are no legal consequences of my death or any kind of entanglements. All that can happen is that you will shatter the domestic peace and order of two innocent lives. Do not deprive them of the hope that their 'missing' son will return . . .Let me be, let it be as if I wasn't ever here. Simply cremate me as John Doe."

Among other things, he stated: "It is best if I cease to live, quietly, than risk that later I will break and shatter by violence or linger years under care. I implore you to see a psychiatrist in order that you might understand my death and my life. Ask thoroughly about what I was and you will see that it is not tragic that I am gone, but more natural than if I continued."

The young man included a section of the note entitled "Why you should not feel responsible" in a which he explained "I was born with a definite pervasive melancholy . . .what frustrated me most in the last year was that I had built no ties to family or friends. There was nothing of lasting worth and value. I led a detached existence and I was a parody of a person - literally and figuratively. I didn't tell jokes - I was a joke".

The note even cited the works of Emile Durkheim, the famous philosopher and psychologist. According to the by, Durkheim defined suicide as "an inner direction of homicidal feelings against someone else."

The note concludes with "I am no longer interested in the world and know that it is not interested in me. When you stop growing you are dead. I stopped growing a long time ago." On separate paper, he told his parents "You have provided me with excellent advantages and privileges and experiences. I am extremely grateful for all of your sacrifices, time and support. I am now repaying you with an arrogant act. In this light, I do see it as criminal. I can only hope that you see that it was me who caused it."

Unfortunately all records to his case have been lost in the 90s due to Hurricane. There is a theory that the John Doe is that of Baynard Cousins who went missing on February 1, 1975

Sources



*Click the Report button if you'd like this case moved to the general discussion area to be opened for commenting.
How incredibly sad someone, Especially so young can feel such despair. And didn't care about his identity. Felt he had no one. And the future was only to be worse.
 
Bayard William Cousins is a good candidate


1607771924322.png


Probably this UID boy has never been considered missing, it happens that old cases of disappearance enter the Namus after so many years, it is there that we must hope and look for in my opinion.
 
Last edited:
Bayard William Cousins is a good candidate


View attachment 8155


Probably this UID boy has never been considered missing, it happens that old cases of disappearance enter the Namus after so many years, it is there that we must hope and look for in my opinion.
He was reported missing in 1975 from Virginia. He does seem like a good candidate. However, I wonder why he would drive all the way to Louisiana to commit suicide.
 
]
242844-bf561194875b9fbd0c7958b82aba2a54.jpg



Roger Merton Day is also another candidate

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

The similarity is great too
 
It is probably a missing boy who has never been reported missing, or he has been given as missing but inexplicably still not in the databases, this also happens, I remember the case of Elisabette Lamotte who was reported missing after 30 years of her disappearance, and was a female UID found in TN.
 
Write Michael Nance for LA cases, we wait and hope!


Good evening I am writing to you from Italy, I am a member of the Websleuths and Crimewatchers forums; I wanted to point out with this link that this UID case is not yet in the Namus database; I hope it will be in the database soon, or to hear from her. Kind regards from Italy, Ivan.





plaquemines.png
 
1644007983139.png1644007993952.png
Then in these two interesting articles we talk about a missing boy, Charlie (Charles) Wallace; it appears to have disappeared from the TN, Memphis, but it is not in any database list of the missing. But the most interesting thing of all are the body dental impressions which seem to be compatible with this UID! But his mother did not recognize him later...!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
2,891
Messages
219,873
Members
900
Latest member
BiPolarBear
Back
Top