Bones were found on the bank of the Miami Canal on April 12, 1917. The police immediately compared the crime to the murder of Eddy Kinsey, whose body had been discovered in similar circumstances a few months before.
What was left of the man was only a skeleton, with evidence that he was the victim of foul play. The bones were taken to Undertaker W.H. Combs. From the general appearance, the remains had been left on this lonely spot for about six months. It had been scattered by buzzards, which had cleaned away the flesh and only traces of garments were left behind. There was also a pair of tan shoes hardly used, which later were proven to have been purchased at an Avenue D shop. A burned buckle showed that he wore a leather belt around his waist.
