Help needed to identify a man found dead in Port Coquitlam in 1998

Coquitlam RCMP is asking for the public’s help to return a man’s remains to his family.

On July 2, 1998, a man’s body was discovered by someone walking a dog near the Port Coquitlam Cemetery.

Police have not been able to identify this man, despite a composite drawing, a DNA profile and help from forensic experts.

“With the 20-year anniversary the investigator in charge thought it would be a good time for a push,” said Coquitlam RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Michael McLauchlin.

“So we put our heads together and we’re asking the public to help us out, see if we can find this guy, who does have some fairly unique characteristics.”

The man’s body was found in a heavily-wooded area in the 4100-block of Oxford Street. A forensic anthropologist has estimated that the man had already been dead between two and 10 years.

RCMP has released a list of the man’s unique features that might help identify him.

• Age: Between 35 and 50 years old when he died
• Height: Between five feet six inches to six feet tall
• Mixed ancestry Caucasian/First Nations: Wearing blue dress pants and remnants of a red T-shirt
• Bad teeth: Visible tooth decay and a missing upper front tooth, which was probably removed at least one year before his death
• Osgood Schlatter disease: This condition develops during adolescence and appears as a bump on the shin below the knee. It is commonly found in young people who play physically demanding sports such as soccer or hockey
• A healed broken nose: It may have appeared slightly lopsided or crooked

“We need somebody to recognize this man with his healed broken nose and his bad teeth and his missing front tooth,” said McLauchlin.

“Perhaps this is going to jog someone’s memory. We’d love to reunite him with his family.”

Police say the man’s apparent poor health may indicate he was homeless or leading a transient lifestyle when he died.

If the mystery man sounds like someone you recognize, or you know a family who lost someone, call the Coquitlam RCMP non-emergency line at 604-945-1550 and ask for Const. Michael Keller (file 1998-25600).