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By Rona Sue Dane Sullivan
In March 2010, while preparing a new burial vault at Esmond-Evergreen Cemetery, sexton Tait Shellenbarger made an unexpected discovery in a plot believed to be vacant when he unearthed a human cranium.
Working with law enforcement and the forensic department at Michigan State University, investigators eventually recovered 98 percent of a human skeleton along with several artifacts, including casket hardware, fragments of the original casket, nails, remnants of fabric, two porcelain buttons, and several iron pieces arranged in a cross-like shape near the hands. Once it was determined the remains were archaeological in nature rather than evidence of foul play, the effort to identify the man began.
In 2011, both femurs were sent to MSU for analysis. Mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) testing determined the remains belonged to a European-descended male between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall, estimated to have been 35 to 55 years old at the time of death. Evidence showed signs of arthritis and a life marked by routine, strenuous, repetitive labor. Further study revealed he had suffered a broken nose that had not been properly set, and wear patterns on his teeth suggested he was a pipe smoker.
In October 2012, the cranium and mandible were sent to Louisiana State University, where its Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) team created a facial reconstruction using computer graphics and 3D printing to estimate his appearance at the time of death. A forensic artist also produced a clay sculpture of his face, which remains on display at the Plainfield Township Historical Commission Museum in Eagle Pointe Plaza.
Research into the casket hardware found it had been manufactured by Sargent and Company of New Haven, Connecticut. The hardware carried a patent date of February 15, 1880, and last appeared in the company catalog in 1905, helping narrow the possible burial period.
Using all available evidence, the Plainfield Township Historical Commission began compiling names of deaths and burials from that era, researching each possibility one by one. Every name examined was eventually ruled out.
In June 2013, John Doe was reinterred at Esmond-Evergreen Cemetery, not far from where he was originally found. Though he remains unidentified, the Plainfield Township Historical Commission continues the search for his name. By working with agencies such as NamUs and DNA Doe Project, they hope renewed DNA testing and database comparisons may someday provide a familial match, and finally restore the identity of Hale’s mystery man.
