I came across a recently entered unidentified-person case in NamUs and wanted to see what others think about Thomas Doolan (MP92087) as a possible candidate.
Unidentified man: https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/158229/details?nav
Remains found April 16, 2026 in Manhattan, New York
White/Caucasian male
Estimated age: 50–90
Estimated height: 5’7”–6’2”
Weight: unable to estimate
Remains were skeletal and not near-complete, so tattoos/scars apparently could not be documented
Clothing recovered/on the remains included a hat, size-small Gildan shirt and boxers
ME/C case number: M26-12262
Thomas Doolan: https://charleyproject.org/case/thomas-doolan
Missing from New London, Connecticut since December 6, 2019
White male
DOB: October 25, 1960
Age if alive when the remains were recovered: 65
Height: 5’10” (some contemporary reporting listed 5’9”)
Weight when missing: 190–200 lb
Brown hair
Blue eyes
No eyeglasses are mentioned in the missing-person descriptions I found
He had abdominal/back scars and tattoos on his bicep and shoulder, but because the unidentified man’s remains are incomplete/skeletal, the absence of documented tattoos doesn’t appear useful for excluding him.
Doolan disappeared while living at a sober-living facility on Berkeley Avenue in New London. He believed he might have to leave the facility and disappeared on December 6, 2019. He left most of his belongings behind. His only known transportation was a black mountain bicycle. After his disappearance, there was reportedly no activity on his bank account or EBT card, his only sources of income.
His daughter said his disappearance was extremely out of character: he normally contacted her every few days, but after December 6 he missed both Christmas and his grandson’s birthday.
Why I think he’s worth submitting:
The objective characteristics don’t produce an obvious exclusion:
- White male ✓
- Age 65 in 2026 → Doe estimate 50–90 ✓
- 5’9”/5’10” → Doe estimate 5’7”–6’2” ✓
- Brown hair ✓/potentially consistent
- Missing in the Northeast ✓
- Missing long enough for skeletal remains ✓
- Tattoos/scars unavailable for comparison due to condition of remains
The remains being found in Manhattan would obviously require Doolan to have traveled from Connecticut at some point, and I haven’t found evidence establishing that he ever went to NYC after disappearing. That’s the biggest speculative part of the comparison.
Also, the Doe’s extremely broad age and height estimates mean that these similarities aren’t particularly distinctive by themselves. Ultimately, dental records and/or DNA would be needed to establish or exclude a match.
