Photos of Unidentified Man's Tattoos Made Available

A photo has been made available of some of the tattoos found on the arms of the body found in the Little Wabash River near Effingham in mid-September. The photo is being released in hopes of identifying the man.

On Saturday, September 18 at 2:45pm, the Effingham County Sheriff's Department responded to the river southwest of Effingham near the Summit-Jackson Township line at the end of 1175th Street. Two young men kayaking down the river spotted a deceased individual along the river bank lodged in between some trees and river debris.

The Coroner's Office, Illinois State Police Investigations, ISP Crime Scene Unit and the Effingham County Dive Rescue Team responded to the scene. The unknown individual was pronounced dead at the scene by Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes. The Dive Team removed the body from the river, from where it was transported to the morgue at HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham. Dive Rescue Team Commander Terry Trueblood estimated the individual had been in the river for approximately two weeks.

At present, the individual remains unidentified. He is a white male of unknown age, of average build, and weighing 160 to 180 pounds.

The man had several tattoos that included a nautical star on both of his forearms, a larger odd-shaped star on the forearm near his elbow on both arms, and what appeared to be flames on both of his biceps.

It was initially reported that the body had numerous teeth missing, but some of them were found during the autopsy. The man was wearing Fruit of the Loom gray boxer briefs and no shirt.

Fingerprints were submitted to the Illinois State Police Forensics Lab, but only one print was suitable for the database. This print did not produce a match in the state or national databases for identification.

The Coroner's Office submitted a DNA sample to the Illinois State Police Lab for identification, however, it will take several months for a report involving DNA identification. Dental impressions are on file for comparison if needed.

If anyone has information on an individual who fits this description, please contact the Illinois State Police at 217-342-7861 or the Effingham County Coroner's Office at 217-342-4651.

Here are the tattoos. The image on the left is of one of the man's upper arms, the image on the right is of one of the man's forearms.