Brett Kelman

The Desert Sun

More than 450 unidentified bodies have been found in Imperial County since 1990, and authorities estimate that at least 90 percent are undocumented immigrants who died while crossing the border.

In some cases, authorities only have bone fragments to work with. In others, promising clues are recovered with a body.

You can read our main story about this crisis by following this link. Below is a quick breakdown of six Imperial County John/Jane Doe cases with some of the strongest clues:

Case #03-186, The Family Photo Man, possibly named “Avila-Torres”

This man was found on Oct. 2, 2003, in the mountains west of Ocotillo. Authorities found only a partial skeleton, but it appears the man was about 20 to 40 years old and 5-foot-4-inches tall.

Near the body, police found a wallet, which appears to have the names “Rana” and “Avila-Torres” carved into it. Inside the wallet were pictures of a woman and several children.





Border Bodies: The grim mysteries of Southern California

Case #00-081 – The Don Juan Hotel Man, possibly named “Lucio Paulino”

This body was found on June 5, 2000, in an empty lot north of Carr Road in Calexico. The man, who succumbed to heat exhaustion, was a Latino adult, ages 20 to 40, about 140 pounds and 5-foot-6-inches tall.

The man was wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeve denim shirt, hiking boots and a large white “Bruce Adams” belt buckle. He was also carrying a receipt from The Don Juan Hotel in Calexico, where authorities believe he may have stayed before he crossed the border. The receipt was signed “Lucio Paulino,” which may have been the man’s name.

Meet the man who scours the border for lost migrants

Case #00-82 – The Border Shelter Man, possibly named “Juan Marquez”

This body was found on June 6, 2000, in the All-American Canal near Brockman Road in El Centro. The Latino man was wearing a grey long-sleeve shirt, a blue and white nylon swim suit and blue pants. He was estimated to be 18 to 30 years old.

The man was carrying a document from a Mexicali border shelter, the Central Catholico De Orientacion y Ayuda Al Inmigrante. The document was signed by Juan Marquez, with a middle name that is illegible.

A chilling video, burned hands and a haunted survivor

Case #00-108 – The Girl in the Yellow Dress Photo, possibly “Rigoberto Chabes Gomes”

This body was found on July 7, 2000, in farmland near the intersection of Wixom Road and Vogel Road near El Centro. The Latino man, age 30 to 50, was wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and bikini-style leopard-skin underpants.

The man was carrying what appears to be a family photo: A man, a woman and a girl in a yellow dress. The body resembles the man in the photo. A name is written on the back – “Rigoberto Chabes Gomes.”

Editor's note: Why we decided to show faces of the dead

Case #16-037 – The Clown Tattoo Man

This drowned Latino man's body was found on March 10, 2016, on the banks of the All-American Canal. It appeared he had been dead for about five days. The man, age 18 to 40, was about 5-foot-1-inches tall and weighed 130 pounds.

The man had a distinctive tattoo on his chest: Two blue clown faces with red noses and a marijuana leaf.

Case #01-042, The Man in the River

This body was found on Feb. 23, 2001, on the bank of the New River west of Calexico. The Latino man is estimated to be younger than 50, and about five-foot-10-inches tall and about 165 pounds.

He was wearing a belt with “Rene” stitched into it and carrying a photo of an unidentified woman.

Public Safety Reporter Brett Kelman can be reached at 760 778 4642 or atbrett.kelman@desertsun.com You can follow him on Twitter at @TDSbrettkelman.