June 24th, 2016 Finding of Charred Human Remains in Philadelphia Appears to be Uploaded into Namus - Grateful Doe Part 2?

By: Shane Lambert

Update @ 11am PT July 11, 2016: Amy Dobbs, Regional Systems Administrator for NamUS, indicated that she's looking into the pins and to possibilities of them providing a lead.

Numerous news agencies that cover the Philadelphia area were abuzz on June 24th, 2016 when someone called 9-1-1 in the morning to report a fire in a vacant lot on the 1700 block of W. Allegheny. When emergency services put the fire out they discovered "charred human remains" according to numerous agencies, including CBS's local news for the city.

NamUs is a website aimed at helping identify unidentified human remains. Case reference number UP (Unidentified Person) #15403 is an individual who was found at the address mentioned in the preceding paragraph on June 24th. With no news of a multiple event in the same parking lot from that day one has to assume that the UP at Namus is the deceased individual mentioned in the news casts.

His details, according to NamUs, are as follows:

• 20 to 50 years old
• White
• Male
• 110 pounds (estimated)
• 5'4" (estimated)
• Died minutes before being discovered on the morning of June 24th
• "reddish colored dreadlocks"
• Many personal effects

In my opinion, the age range increases the difficulty in identifying this individual significantly. Anyone using Namus to cross reference this case with MPs (missing persons) will have a lot of profiles turn up due to the age range. It's probable that the charred condition of the remains are what lead to difficulties in assessing the age. Usually UPs have a much narrower range. 

However, both the dreadlocks and the personal effects found near the decedent are promising leads. Those personal effects include two rings and several pins (all photos used are from NamUs except for the album cover and the last photo, as stated in caption).

The pins are of the NBA logo (Jerry West's silhouette, red and blue), Public Enemy's album cover to "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back," a Washington Wizards pin, and a couple of other pins.

This pin depicts an album cover (see below).

The NBA pin that features Jerry West's silhouette.

The album cover that matches the pin.
The album was released in 1988.

The final two pins are ones that I found interesting. In working on this case freelance, I decided to try to find information about their originations. The pin that looks like it has wings attached has the phrase "Get Shit Done" written in it which lead to a Facebook group and then a company order page.

The designs of the pin with the skull and design in the cranium appears to be identical to the Gold Steal "Flower of Life" Pin. It appears to be paraphernalia related to the rock band known as the Grateful Dead.  

Not from Namus, from GetShitDone.info.

If you know a white male between the age of 20 and 50 with dreadlocks and pins like the ones depicted here then you may want to check on his well being. If you are not able to locate him and haven't seen him since June 24th then please use NamUs to find contact information about this case.

Exit to Namus #15403.