Milpitas: Medical examiner releases mystery man's sketch; body discovered last fall
MILPITAS, Calif. (KTVU) - Authorities need help identifying a body discovered in the Milpitas foothills near the San Jose border. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner has dubbed the man John Doe. The man's body was discovered last September in a rural area near Cresthaven Street and Piedmont Road.
On an abandoned road in the Milpitas foothills across from Hillcrest Villas, it’s here where Authorities said John Doe was discovered by a passing motorist found lying on the pathway without a pulse back on the morning of September 29. Police don't suspect foul play but they don't know who he is.
“We were shocked because it was so close to our house because people don't normally hang out over there that vacant area,” said Jason Solito of Milpitas.
Why was he here? What did he die of? It’s those questions neighbors like Solito have been asking for half a year when he and his wife spotted the yellow tarp covered body and saw the police investigation.
“It was obvious someone had died over there but we never again heard or saw anything on the news,” said Solito.
On Thursday, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner released this forensic sketch of the man described to be of Hispanic or Middle Eastern descent- between the ages of 55 and 70 with medium length gray hair and a mustache and beard of similar color.
The coroner's office often turns to the public for help after a fingerprint match comes up short and they've exhausted all other ways to identify him. The only real clue is he's a known transient in the area.
“This is just another tragic episode of someone expiring probably before their time and probably with no one caring” said Scott Wagers of CHAM Deliverance Ministries.
Wagers works closely with the homeless population in San Jose. He said the man in the sketch looks familiar and he's reaching out to the homeless community in the South Bay.
Days after KTVU aired a story last August of a John Doe in South San Jose, a friend saw it on the news and called police. Authorities hope that will be the same in this case.
“These are people, they have families and they have a life and we need to honor them,” said Wagers.
Authorities are not saying how the man died, other than it appears to be from natural causes. They’re hoping this sketch will jog someone's memory to help give him a proper burial.