Remembering Michael Wade Glover (Aug 24, 1955 – September, 1976) isn’t easy if you were an infant when he died. Jennifer Glover is in that situation. Her father’s homicide is unsolved.

Michael has no web presence and his case is not listed on the Monterey Police Department’s cold cases page. They do actively look at cold cases. Jennifer hopes that one day it will be her dad’s turn.

What do we know?

On September 5, 1976 Michael’s nude decomposing body was found near a cliff in the Monterey area in Southern California. The area was searched but nothing was found: no physical evidence, no tire tracks, no foot and/or shoe prints, no possessions, nothing.

Since Michael’s body was found nude without any belongings he entered the coroner’s office as a John Doe. The coroner found that his neck was broken and estimated that he died within minutes most likely in early September. The visible injuries were post-mortem from being rolled over the soil and down a cliff. Since the body had no distinct features or tattoos the identification was not easy. On September 8, 1976, Michael was positively identified through his finger prints. The family was notified a day later.

A few weeks ago, Jennifer contacted me and asked for help. I have not been able to find anything in the public domain so there is little to go on. But what we do have is family memories. We may not be able to post a case analysis but we can make a tribute post to remember Michael Wade Glover.

Here is Jennifer in her own words: “I was an infant when he was killed so I don’t have memories. Maybe that’s why it’s such a big deal to me. Daddy-daughter stuff is just something I don’t understand.”

Jennifer emailed me what she could remember from talking to her mom and her dad’s sisters. What it comes down to is this: “What I was told is that he was having a hard time finding work so he hitchhiked from Rosemead to find a job. My mom (Candice) says he was headed to Los Angeles. His mother says she gave him bus fair to go to Spokane, WA. His sister says he was headed to Oregon to work on his uncle’s farm. He left with his sea bag and was supposed to call my mom in about a week.”

Michael’s sister sent these memories: “My favorite memory would be of all the long talks we had on the phone in the evenings after he got out of the Marines and was living in California & married to your Mom. He used to take me on bike rides on the handle bars of his bike – he was 4 years older than I so he had lawn mowing money, and he’d take me on his bike up to “the little store” on Mission (back then we didn’t have 7-11’s. We had little neighborhood stores run by families who usually lived next door or with-in the store). Anyway, he would usually buy me an Orange Crush Soda Pop and one or two pieces of “Penny Candy” (in the 60s there really was candy that cost 1 cent!).

I also have very fond memories of playing with his Lincoln Logs sets with him, building cabins & forts or launching missiles with them – which we weren’t supposed to do!

I was always amazed how he always knew what kind of car it was that I would point out to him when we would go on family trips and he ALWAYS won slug bugs as my sore arm could attest to. Even then – I can never ever recall him being mean to me. Just so sad he didn’t have a really good childhood. I think he was so cheated out of a happy life.

I do think he was the most happiest ever though when he was with your Mom & especially when you [Jennifer] were born.”

Here is Michael’s wife Candice: “He loved Radar Love and he would laugh and smack his knees and sing “thank god I’m a country boy.” We used to lay in bed at night and watch Saturday Night Live when it was good in the 70’s and just laugh and laugh. He loved to read and had a great sense of humor and good heart. When he died a piece of me went with him.”

Jennifer wonders who her dad really was. Since he passed away she only hears good memories if people remember him at all. But she would like to have the full picture, know what people didn’t like about him, his attitudes and habits, hobbies, talents, everything a daughter would normally be able to sum up about her dad: “When you are missing someone who is that important to your life you look for little things everywhere to try to connect yourself to them. It’s weird I guess.”

Jennifer has given me permission to use this photograph of her mom and dad. She is of course the baby in this picture. As you can see in the background, the tree is up. That would date the picture to the Holiday Season of 1975 as Michael was found dead in September 1976.

Should I find more about Michael’s case then I will post an update. In the meantime, if you have newspaper links to articles about Michael’s death please contact me so we can update his case.

Thank you to the Glover Family for sharing these memories with us.

May you dad rest in peace, Jennifer.