County of San Diego

GLENN N. WAGNER, D.O.

CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER

OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER

5570 OVERLAND AVE., SUITE 101, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92123-1206
TEL: (858) 694-2895 FAX: (858) 495-5956

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

11/27/2016
NAME OF DECEASED (LAST, FIRST MIDDLE)

JAQUISH,

Lee

AKA

16-02293

Martin

INVESTIGATOR

REPORTED BY

REPORTING AGENCY

Michael A. Ellano

Officer Tate ID 5532

San Diego Police

CALL DATE AND TIME

10/01/2016

CASE NUMBER

HIO

PREVIOUS WAIVE #

ARRIVAL DATE AND TIME

1352

RETURN DATE AND TIME

10/02/2016

0730

DATE AND TIME OF DEATH

DATE OF BIRTH

AGE

GENDER

1140

03/14/1961

55 Years

Male

Unknown

COUNTY

LAST SEEN ALIVE

10/01/2016

RESIDENCE (STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP)

RACE

None ,
COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE

OCCUPATION

USA

Undetermined

PAID AUTOPSY

LOCATION OF DEATH

TYPE OF PLACE

Found, San Diego Riverbed

Other

ADDRESS (STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP)

N 32 46 51 W 117 06 24 San Diego, CA 92108

SUMMARY

On the morning of 10/01/16, the skeletal remains of a male were found in the San Diego Riverbed by two people who
were surveying the area for invasive plant life and trash. They hiked back out approximately a 1/4 mile through heavy
dense brush and called police. Officers responded to the location and were led back to the area but the remains could not
be located after an extensive search. Due to the late hour, the recovery was postponed until the morning of 10/02/16 when
Search and Rescue would be available with cadaver dogs.
Everyone is meeting behind the Quicki Lube located at 4232 Camino Del Rio N, 92108. Once there, they will decide on
the best location to enter the wooded area to locate the body.

LOCATION OF INCIDENT

INCIDENT PLACE TYPE

ADDRESS (STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP)

DATE AND TIME OF INCIDENT

DECEDENT WAS

COUNTY

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

OFFICER

BADGE #

San Diego Police

Officer Tate

5532

BELTED

HELMETED

Yes

POSITION

REPORT #

ON PRIVATE PROPERTY

No

Yes

VEHICLE

METHOD

Department of Justice

DNA

FUNERAL HOME

PROPERTY

Yes
RELATIONSHIP

No
STATE

LICENSE NUMBER

IDENTIFIED BY

NAME OF NOK OR OTHER

AT RESIDENCE

AT WORK

DATE AND TIME

11/10/2016 1600
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR

No

Yes

DATE NOTIFIED

No

TYPE OF EXAM

Autopsy

NOTIFIED BY

Kenneth Jaquish

Son

11/15/2016

Other

NAME OF NOK OR OTHER

RELATIONSHIP

DATE NOTIFIED

NOTIFIED BY

Martin jaquish

Brother

11/15/2016 8:57:00 AM

Michael A. Ellano

NAME OF NOK OR OTHER

RELATIONSHIP

DATE NOTIFIED

NOTIFIED BY

see case notes

Page 1

Case Number
Investigator
Date of Death
Date Today

San Diego Medical Examiner

5570 Overland Avenue, Suite#101
San Diego, CA 92123-1206
(858) 694-2895

: 16-02293
: Michael A. Ellano
: 10/01/2016
: 11/27/2016

INVESTIGATIVE NARRATIVE
Decedent: Lee Martin Jaquish
Antemortem Events:
On 10/01/16, Officer Tate ID 5532 from the San Diego Police Department provided the following information
during a personal interview at the scene. On the morning of 10/01/16, Jacob Daouse and another friend were
surveying the San Diego Riverbed for invasive plant life and trash when he came across skeletal remains and
clothing on the ground. He took a photograph with his phone and obtained a GPS coordinate of 32.78096
117.10679. They hiked back out through dense heavy brush, estimated to be about a mile and called the
police.
The San Diego Police Department Dispatch Center received the call at 1457 hours on the non-emergency line.
The reporting party (RP) requested that they have officers respond to the Quicki Lube located at 4232 Camino
Del Rio N and they would lead them to the remains. Officer Tate arrived at 1307 and met with Jacob Daouse
behind the business. Additional officers arrived and Jacob took them down into the San Diego River Bed. After
arriving in the general area where the remains were found, Jacob was unable to locate the body. Jacob and
several officers searched the area and still could not locate the remains. They hiked back out and the Medical
Examiners Office was contacted at 1352 hours requesting that I respond.
I arrived at the location at 1429 hours and met with Officer Tate and the RP, Jacob Daouse. After learning that
they were unable to locate the remains, I contacted the San Diego Sheriffs Department at 1442 hours and
requested the assistance of Search and Rescue Cadaver Dogs. After speaking with personnel from Search and
Rescue, we decided to postpone the search due to the late hour and rough terrain until 0800 hours on 10/02/16.
Sgt. Leisz From the San Diego Police was advised and agreed to the delay. He would have everyone met back
at the same location at 0800 hours.
Past Medical, Surgical, and Social History:
On 10/10/16, the decedents brother, Martin Jaquish provided the following information during an interview
with Investigator, Wright. His brother had a long history of illicit drug use and had been living a transient
lifestyle.
Scene Description:
On 10/02/16 at 0900 hours, Investigator Jennifer Wright ID 27 arrived at Global Positioning Coordinates N32
46 51-W117 06 24 located in the San Diego river bed, north of Camino Del Rio North in San Diego. The area
was adjacent to the river bed, from the east. The area was partially wooded with chaparral trees and shrubs,
grass, bamboo, and river reeds. There were no personal identifying items located in the area. There were no
signs of illicit drug use or alcohol abuse noted in the area.
Body Description:
Upon further review, I viewed skeletal remains supine atop bamboo at GPS Coordinates N32 46 51-W117 06
24. The remains were partially clothed with a pair of jeans, black belt, and green size 7 ruffle underwear; all of
the clothing was soiled with mud and biohazard. Animal activity was noted about the jean legs. Inside the left
rear jean pocket was a handwritten list. A cellular phone was noted in the front left jean pocket. There was no
skull located in the immediate area. I located the humerus and several long bones at GPS coordinates N32 46
Page 2 of 3
16-02293

51-W117 06 24. I located a soiled t-shirt with multiple ribs and vertebrae inside. Near the t-shirt were several
vertebrae. There were no other bones located in the immediate area.
92M Transportation personnel, M. Looney, arrived and assisted me with the body. The pelvis and remaining
bones of the lower extremities were placed in a new, white vinyl pouch and labeled with San Diego County
Medical Examiner Case 16-02293. Several skeletal remains were placed in separate plastic bags and labeled
with case number. A yellow identification band was affixed to the outside of the vinyl pouch and the pouch
was sealed with blue tamper evident seal 2152621 at 1015 hours. The skeletal remains were transported to the
Medical Examiners Office for examination.
Special Requests:
None.
Identification:
On 10/13/16, I collected DNA oral swab samples from decedents brother, Martin Jaquish and decedents son,
Kenneth Jaquish and shipped via Fed-Ex tracking number 8071 1542 6687 to the Department of Justice DNA
Lab for comparison of John Doe 16-2293 who may be the missing person, Lee Martin Jaquish.
On 11/15/16, I received a letter from the Department of Justice DNA lab confirming that there was strong
evidence that the decedent was related to his son, Kenneth and brother, Martin Jaquish. The family were
contacted and advised of the identification.
Antemortem Specimens:
Not applicable.
Public Administrator:
No referral needed.
Other Important Factors:
On 10/10/16, Investigator Wright had received a missing persons report with photograph and he looked similar
to the decedents photographs on a SIMS card found at the scene. The brothers information was on the flier.
She called his brother, Martin Jaquish, and he confirmed the information on the flyer. His brother had been
living a transient lifestyle for several years. The decedents last known activity was on 08/08/16 when he used
his ATM card at a US Bank next to the Viejas Casino. He stated that the decedent mostly used a bus pass to get
around and sometimes would catch a ride with friends. The decedent was a San Diego native and although he
frequented Pacific Beach he was known to move about. He had a gambling problem therefore the family was
not surprised he was last known to be near a casino. The decedent had a history of illicit drug use but he could
not elaborate. He stated that at one point he had a pipe and suspected he was free basing but he was not
positive. He stated decedent did smoke marijuana. He carried a pay per minute type of phone. As far as he
knew he did not have a camera. He was known to always have cigarettes and a sharpie marker with him. The
decedent never carried a wallet but did have a California Identification Card and a US Bank card. There has
been no activity on the US Bank card since 08/08/16. The decedent did break one of his arms as a child.

Signed: ________________________________ 11/24/16

Michael A. Ellano
Medical Examiner Investigator
Page 3 of 3
16-02293

Approved by: ____________________

Julio Estrada
Supervising Medical Examiner Investigator

County of San Diego

DR. GLENN N. WAGNER

DR. JONATHAN R. LUCAS

CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER

(858) 694-2895

CHIEF DEPUTY MEDICAL EXAMINER

(858) 694-2895

MEDICAL EXAMINERS DEPARTMENT

5570 OVERLAND AVE, STE 101, SAN DIEGO, CA 92123-1215
http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/me/

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION REPORT

Name:

JOHN DOE

ME#:

16-2293

Place of death:

San Diego Riverbed

N 32 46 51 W 117 06 24
San Diego, CA 92108

Age:

Unknown

Sex:

Male

Date of death:

Found,
October 1, 2016; 1140 Hours

Date of examination:

October 3, 2016;

___________________________________________________________________________
CAUSE OF DEATH:

UNDETERMINED

MANNER OF DEATH:

UNDETERMINED

OPINION: According to the Investigators Report, on the morning of 10/01/2016, two

people were surveying the San Diego Riverbed for invasive plant life and trash when the
came across skeletal remains and clothing on the ground. They hiked back and called
the police. The San Diego Police Department and San Diego County Medical Examiner's
Office were notified and dispatched to the location. The area was adjacent to the river
bed.
Forensic anthropology consultation documented the remains to be of an adult male,
approximately 71 inches in height, estimated age late 20s-early 30s, with likely white
ancestry. The skeletonized, partially articulated remains included left and right clavicle, left
humerus, manubrium, 3 left ribs, 4 right ribs, articulated pelvis, left and right femur, left tibia,
right tibia and fibula. Most of the bones showed evidence of animal scavenging. The
estimated postmortem interval was estimated to be likely 2 months. (Please see Forensic
Anthropology Report for details).

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION REPORT

-2-

JOHN DOE 16-2293

Based on the examination findings and the circumstances surrounding the death, as
currently understood, the cause of death is undetermined, and the manner of death is
undetermined.

BRANKICA PAUNOVIC, M.D.

Forensic Pathology Fellow
Date signed:
SUPERVISING PATHOLOGIST:

STEVEN C. CAMPMAN, M.D.

Deputy Medical Examiner
Date signed:

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION REPORT

-3-

JOHN DOE 16-2293

IDENTIFICATION: The remains are identified by a blue Medical Examiner's identification

band affixed to the white vinyl body bag bearing the case number and the name Doe,
Riverbed.
WITNESSES: Assisting is Forensic Autopsy Specialist Jason Newman. There are no
outside observers.
CLOTHING: The remains were partially clothed with:
1.
Pair of jeans, Tommy Hilfiger, size 29x30.
2.
Pair of jeans shorts, Mossimo supply, size 5.
3.
Black belt.
4.
Green ruffle underwear, size 7.
5.
Black thong underwear.
6.
T-shirt.
EXTERNAL DESCRIPTION
Available for examination are skeletonized, partially articulated remains included left and
right clavicle, left humerus, manubrium, 3 left ribs, 4 right ribs, articulated pelvis, left and
right femur, left tibia, right tibia and fibula. No organs are identified.
SPECIMENS RETAINED
TOXICOLOGY: No specimens are retained for toxicology.
HISTOLOGY: No tissue is retained.
PHOTOGRAPHS: Digital photographs of the remains and clothing are taken.
RADIOGRAPHS: Radiographs of the skeletonized remains are taken. There are no
bullets, knife fragments, or implanted devices, and there is no orthopedic hardware.

BP:SCC:lcb
D: 11/3/16 T: 11/3/16
Rev. 11/3/16 lcb