Register entry · Case file · Unidentified victim · Wade NC
Cumberland County John Doe.
MUS-2026-0332
Archive card
MUS-2026-0332
Unidentified victim
- Incident
- 2004
- Indexed
- Oct 18, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- Cumberland County Sheriff's Office
- Location
- Wade NC
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
Mummified remains of an unidentified man were found in a drainage ditch off Vance Melvin Road in Wade, North Carolina, in June 2004. Cause of death could not be determined due to late-stage decomposition. He was estimated 40 to 60, Black, 5 feet 8 inches, with gray and black hair in tight small curls and no teeth in his upper jaw at time of death. Entered into NamUs in 2010, the case went cold, then partnered with Othram for advanced DNA testing in 2022. He remains unidentified.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- Jun 2004
Mummified remains are found in a drainage ditch off Vance Melvin Road, Wade, NC.
- Feb 2010
The case is entered into NamUs as UP6656.
- 2022
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and the NC Unidentified Project partner with Othram for advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy, after the case eventually went cold.
- Oct 2026
He is still listed as in-progress and unidentified on the DNASolves In Progress page.
Key people
The people in the file.
Unidentified Black man, estimated 40 to 60, 5 feet 8 inches. Mummified remains found in a drainage ditch in Wade in June 2004.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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