Case Profiles #63
Smithfield John Doe
On June 18th, 1987, a boater on Stump Pond in Smithfield, Rhode Island saw something floating on the water near a dam. When he got closer, he saw that it was a decomposing body. Police headquarters were actually right on the shore of the pond, and they found that the body was covered in chicken wire. It had also been weighed down with 90 pounds of rocks and barbell weights that were attached with thick coaxial cable. The body was identified as that of a man, and further examination revealed he had been stabbed 21 times in total with 7 wounds to his head and 14 on his chest. The weapon is estimated to be an ice pick or something similar. The medical examiner determined that the man’s body had been dumped into the water and weighed down so it remained at the bottom of the pond until the body’s natural gases began to build up as a result of decomposition. It was estimated that he was at the bottom of the pond for 1-3 weeks. The John Doe is 5’5” tall, 122 pounds and had a beard that was described as “scruffy.” He had brown hair that was described as being straight and receding with a brown mustache. He had brown eyes. He was estimated to be between the ages of 25-35 years old. He is possibly Hispanic. He was found wearing size XS gray sweatpants, a black muscle shirt with text stating “San Juan” on the front and the back. He wasn’t wearing any socks but was wearing size 7 1/2 McGregor Tristar sneakers. He does not have any tattoos, piercings, or scars. Captain Kenneth A. Brown stated “Other than the physical description, there wasn't much to go by. He could be from out West. He could be from Mexico. We don't know." Anyone with any information on the murder of the Smithfield John Doe is asked to please call Captain Michael Rheaume at 401-231-2500 or by calling (617) 343-5837.
Jericho pictured left, Kaymer pictured right
Jericho Scott and Kaymar Tanner
16-year-old Jericho Scott was sitting in a white car with an unnamed, 20-year-old man on April 18th, 2015 in Fair Haven, Connecticut. It was early in the morning, around 12:00 a.m., when gunshots erupted and hit the car Jericho was in. His friend was hit in several places but walked away without serious injuries, while the teenager was fatally injured, later being pronounced dead at Yale-New Haven hospital. One person who was deeply affected by this devastating loss was his best friend, Kaymar Tanner. The two friends did everything together, whether it was playing baseball or basketball, and they were good, quiet kids. Unfortunately, Kaymar would suffer a very similar fate five years later on July 18th, 2020, when he too was shot while in a white car. Kaymar had been driving when the gunshots were fired, and as a result, crashed his car into a nearby business’ fence. A kind neighbor attempted CPR on the boy, but it proved to be unsuccessful due to his gunshot wounds and the blood in his chest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. To this day, neither boy’s murder has been solved. Anyone with any information is asked to please call detectives at 203-946-6306.
Image sources:
wpri.com - “Before police can catch killer, they need to ID 1987 murder victim”
newhavenindependent.org - “Best Friends Murdered, 5 Years Apart”