Date of Discovery: September 20, 1978
Location of Discovery: Rural, Carbon County, Utah
Estimated Date of Death: Days prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction.
Cause of Death: Unknown
Estimated Age: 50-55 years old
Race: White / Caucasian
Gender: Male
Height: 5'5" Measured
Weight: 158 lbs
Hair Color: Gray or Partially Gray. Short.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Burn scar on right thigh. Right arm: snake Right forearm: Dorothy Jan 8 1950 Right forearm: dagger. Chest: 2 daggers. Body hair description is Not mentioned in autopsy report
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Backpack. Bottle of lotion with the name Byron Ditton on it. Book of matches from County Steel Liquor Store in Lincoln, Nebraska. Book of matches from Westgate Bank in Lincoln Nebraska. Empty vodka bottle from Utah State Liquor Store. Prescription eyeglasses. Eyeglass case with B Botions Sullivan Union National Building Wichita, Kansas written on it.
A moderately decomposed male was found at the bottom of a coal car. On 09.09.1978 the coal car had been in Grand Island, Nebraska. The train then traveled through Salt Lake City, Provo, and Helper before arriving to rural Carbon county on 09.18.1978. Property found on the decedent suggests he may have been in Lincoln, Nebraska and Wichita, Kansas.
Deputy Sheriff Jim Robertson said he planned to send fingerprints taken from the body to the FBI. He said he is also checking a pair of glasses which bore the name of a Wichita, Kan. optical company and a name on the bottle of hair lotion, both found near the body, for a clue to the identity. The body was found September 20 by workers who were loading coal at the Banning Station. The workers were checking the railroad cars for trash before loading them. The cars, which had only been there for about 15 minutes, had come from Grand Island, Neb. through Salt Lake, Provo and Helper. The body was sent to the Utah State Medical Examiner. Deputy Robertson said it has been there since it was found.
Agency Name: Carbon County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: David Brewer
Agency Phone Number: Unknown
Agency E-Mail: Unknown
Agency Case Number: Unknown
Agency Name: Utah Office of the Medical Examiner
Agency Contact Person: Jill Haslam, Medicolegal Death Investigator
Agency Phone Number: 801-816-3850
Agency E-Mail: Unknown
Agency Case Number: 197800841A
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: UP9872
NamUs Newspapers.com - The Sun Advocate, Sept. 27, 1978
Added: 03/12/2023; Last Updated: 03/12/2023
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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