# Lyle Stevik > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Lyle_Stevik > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Lyle_Stevik.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Stevik > Source revision: 1341927915 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Formerly unidentified decedent (died 2001)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}} {{for|the fictional character|Lyle Stevick}} {{Infobox person | name = Lyle Stevik | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = File:Lyle Stevik Recon 002c.jpg | alt = | caption = Facial reconstruction | birth_place = [Alameda County, California](/source/Alameda_County%2C_California), U.S. {{cite web | last=Edge | first=Sami | title=Dead man found in Washington state, who had ties to N.M., ID'd through DNA | website=The Santa Fe New Mexican | date=May 8, 2018| url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/dead-man-found-in-washington-state-who-had-ties-to/article_00accfb7-b964-5a57-a9ae-ed6841bb2917.html | access-date=May 9, 2018}} | disappeared_date = | disappeared_place = | disappeared_status = Identified on May 8, 2018 | death_date = {{death date and given age|2001|9|16|25}} | death_place = [Amanda Park, Washington](/source/Amanda_Park%2C_Washington), U.S. | death_cause = [Suicide by hanging](/source/Suicide_by_hanging) | body_discovered = September 16, 2001 | resting_place = Fern Hill Cemetery, [Aberdeen, Washington](/source/Aberdeen%2C_Washington), U.S. (until May 2018) | resting_place_coordinates = | other_names = | known_for = Former [unidentified decedent](/source/unidentified_decedent) | height = {{height|ft=5|in=10|abbr=mos}} - {{height|ft=6|in=2|abbr=mos}} | website = | signature = Lyle Stevik signature.jpg }} '''Lyle Stevik''' (died September 16, 2001) was the [alias](/source/Alias_name) used by an American man who, in 2001, died by [suicide](/source/suicide) inside a [motel](/source/motel) room in [Amanda Park](/source/Amanda_Park%2C_Washington), [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)). Although his body was quickly discovered, and fingerprints, DNA and dental information collected and recorded, there were no matches in any databases and the man's identity remained unknown until 2018. On May 8, 2018, the [Grays Harbor County](/source/Grays_Harbor_County%2C_Washington) Sheriff's Office announced that "Stevik" had been identified after almost 17 years, with assistance from [genetic genealogy](/source/genetic_genealogy) conducted by the [DNA Doe Project](/source/DNA_Doe_Project), a non-profit organization dedicated to identifying unknown deceased persons. Finding a cluster of matches of relatives, perhaps two to three generations removed, in [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico), they were eventually able to locate members of his birth family. The man's family had believed that he was voluntarily [estranged](/source/family_estrangement) from the family. Relatives requested that his identity be withheld publicly for privacy.{{Facebook|id=361445244364120|name=Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office|link=https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=361445244364120&id=235963843578928}}{{cite news|title=Lyle Stevik Identified; Closing 16 1/2 Year Old Unsolved Case|url=http://www.kxro.com/lyle-stevik-identified-closing-16-1-2-year-old-unsolved-case/|access-date=May 8, 2018|work=KXRO|agency=Alpha Media LLC|date=May 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509035751/http://www.kxro.com/lyle-stevik-identified-closing-16-1-2-year-old-unsolved-case/|archive-date=May 9, 2018|url-status=live}} ==Circumstances== The man who identified himself as "Lyle Stevik" checked into the Quinault Inn, a [motel](/source/motel) in [Amanda Park, Washington](/source/Amanda_Park%2C_Washington), on Friday, September 14, 2001, after arriving in the area by bus. The clerk told police that he may have been Canadian as he spoke with what seemed a similar [accent](/source/Canadian_English). When registering for his room, he entered his [alias](/source/Pseudonym) and provided a false home address, eventually discovered to belong to a [Best Western](/source/Best_Western) hotel in [Meridian, Idaho](/source/Meridian%2C_Idaho).{{cite book|last1=Scott|first1=Robert|title=Blood Frenzy|date=November 1, 2010|publisher=Mass Market Paperback|pages=296–297}} The police located that hotel, but none of the staff members recognized photos of the deceased. Stevik was reportedly seen walking back and forth at the side of a highway near the Quinault Inn, but it is uncertain if this was before or after he registered and paid for his room. He requested and received a second room after complaining about outside noise.{{cite web|title=Who is Lyle Stevik? (Found in WA State)|url=http://missingyou7.blogspot.com/2006/12/who-is-lyle-stevik-found-in-wa-state.html|access-date=December 29, 2014|date=December 30, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101034800/http://missingyou7.blogspot.com/2006/12/who-is-lyle-stevik-found-in-wa-state.html|archive-date=January 1, 2015|url-status=live}} Stevik may have derived his name from that of "Lyle Stevick", a character from the novel ''[You Must Remember This](/source/You_Must_Remember_This)'' (1987), written by [Joyce Carol Oates](/source/Joyce_Carol_Oates). In the story, the character Stevick contemplates [suicide](/source/suicide).{{cite news|last1=Patterson|first1=Lisa|title=Cold Cases Haunt Detectives|url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/1305EFED9D6B5770?p=AWNB|access-date=April 29, 2015|work=Aberdeen Daily World|publisher=[The Daily World](/source/The_Daily_World_(Aberdeen))|date=February 24, 2006}} Located by techniques of [genetic genealogy](/source/genetic_genealogy) performed by staff and volunteers of the [DNA Doe Project](/source/DNA_Doe_Project) in 2018, the man's family had been unaware of his suicide. They believed that he was living a life elsewhere and did not want to speak to them. Due to the [estrangement](/source/family_estrangement), they had not filed a missing person report. There was no report that appeared to match the decedent. ==Death== Stevik [hanged himself](/source/suicide_by_hanging) by his belt from a bar inside a clothes closet. He had left money in the room to cover the remaining two nights of the weekend, together with a note simply reading "suicide". He is thought to have died on Sunday, September 16. His body was found the following day. Initial reports stated that Stevik had stayed at the motel for two nights, but his actual arrival date was Friday, September 14, indicating that he had been registered at the hotel for three nights.{{cite news|work=Aberdeen Daily World|title=Suicide victim discovered in motel room|agency=[The Daily World](/source/The_Daily_World_(Aberdeen))|date=September 18, 2001}} He paid at the desk for one night's lodging, but said that he planned to stay for "a few more days". Upon discovery of the body, police reported that Stevik had closed the blinds in the room and lined the closet in which he hanged himself with pillows. He left a note saying "for the room" at the bedside table, which contained $160 in [$20 bills](/source/United_States_twenty_dollar_bill). It has been speculated that Stevik may have taken his own life due to [depression](/source/depression_(mood_disorder)) or because of a fatal disease, although the [autopsy](/source/autopsy) showed no signs of the latter. It was also theorized that the man was native to a non-English speaking country. An investigator said that a piece of paper was located in a trash bin with the word "suicide" written on it, as if he were practicing. Stevik had no luggage with him; only a toothbrush and toothpaste were found in the room. He wore a blue shirt in a plaid design, a gray T-shirt underneath, blue jeans and black boots.{{cite web|title=Case File 233UMWA|url=http://doenetwork.org/cases/233umwa.html|website=doenetwork.org|publisher=[The Doe Network](/source/The_Doe_Network)|access-date=November 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141126034656/http://doenetwork.org/cases/233umwa.html|archive-date=November 26, 2014|url-status=live}} ==Postmortem examination== Stevik was described as fair-skinned with black hair and green/hazel eyes. The local [coroner](/source/coroner)'s office said that he may have also had [African-American](/source/African-American) ancestry, in addition to [Native American](/source/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas) and [Hispanic](/source/Hispanic_American).{{cite web|title=Active unidentified remains cases|url=http://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/info/Coroner/ActiveCases.html|website=www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us|publisher=Grays Harbor Medical Examiner|access-date=December 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141123090303/http://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/info/Coroner/ActiveCases.html|archive-date=November 23, 2014|url-status=live}} [DNA](/source/DNA) analysis concluded he was at least one-quarter Native American and one-quarter Hispanic or Spanish. His teeth showed evidence of earlier treatment with braces. He had an old [appendectomy](/source/appendectomy) scar. A mole was noted on his chin and he had [attached earlobes](/source/Earlobe), a genetic characteristic. The examination also showed that Stevik had recently lost a large amount of weight, up to {{convert|40|lb}}. The coroner estimated this weight difference after noting that the size of the man's jeans was fairly large in comparison to his body. His age was estimated to be between 20 and 30 years old, giving an estimated birth date from 1971 to 1981. It was also estimated that he might have been around 35 years old, however, so his birth could have been as early as 1966.{{cite web|title=NamUs UP # 11100|url=https://identifyus.org/en/cases/11100|website=identifyus.org|publisher=[National Missing and Unidentified Persons System](/source/National_Missing_and_Unidentified_Persons_System)|access-date=December 29, 2014|date=March 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229045552/https://identifyus.org/en/cases/11100|archive-date=December 29, 2014|url-status=live}} The man known as Stevik was later buried in an unmarked grave at the Fern Hill Cemetery in [Aberdeen, Washington](/source/Aberdeen%2C_Washington). ==Investigation== Because Stevik was deceased for only a short time before his body was found, examiners readily obtained his fingerprints, dental characteristics and DNA. These identifying markers were placed in international databases, including [CODIS](/source/CODIS), but no matches were made. It is believed that he came to the area from Aberdeen or [Port Angeles](/source/Port_Angeles%2C_Washington), locations from which buses daily traveled to Amanda Park. He was not, however, recognized by either of the bus drivers. Two men who were [missing](/source/missing_person) at the time, Alexander Craig and Steven Needham, were ruled out as possible identities of Stevik. In April 2007, Stevik was listed as the profile of the month for Missing from the Circle, a public service initiative launched by Lamar Associates, a law enforcement advisory organization based in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.), to help solve cases involving [missing or unidentified Native Americans](/source/Missing_and_murdered_Indigenous_women).{{cite news|title='Missing from the Circle' service launched to find missing Natives|issue=22|publisher=Native American Times|date=June 1, 2007|id={{ProQuest|367273571}}}} ==Identification== In 2018, two genetic genealogists from the DNA Doe Project, [Colleen M. Fitzpatrick](/source/Colleen_M._Fitzpatrick) and Margaret Press, uploaded DNA profiles to [GEDmatch](/source/GEDmatch) in an attempt to link Stevik to individuals living in [Idaho](/source/Idaho) and [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico).{{cite news|last1=Edge|first1=Sami|title=Internet sleuths, DNA link John Doe to Northern New Mexico|url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/internet-sleuths-dna-link-john-doe-to-northern-new-mexico/article_3e26622a-6ecc-5f64-94a7-922eff538382.html|access-date=April 2, 2018|work=Santa Fe New Mexican|date=March 31, 2018}} The [Grays Harbor County](/source/Grays_Harbor_County%2C_Washington) Sheriff's Office announced on May 8, 2018, that Stevik had been identified through DNA analysis and comparison with genetic relatives, performed by the DNA Doe Project, in collaboration with Aerodyne and Full Genomes Corporation.{{Cite web |url=https://www.forensicmag.com/news/2019/01/dna-doe-project-names-3-more-notes-case-patterns |title=DNA Doe Project Names 3 More, Notes Case Patterns |access-date=February 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110231946/https://www.forensicmag.com/news/2019/01/dna-doe-project-names-3-more-notes-case-patterns |archive-date=January 10, 2019 |url-status=dead }} The Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office notified the man's family, who had believed him to be alive and had thought he had [estranged](/source/family_estrangement) himself from his family. The decedent's family had a set of his fingerprints that were taken in grade school, as part of a children's identification program. The Sheriff's Department compared those with the postmortem prints taken in 2001 and made a positive identification. To protect his privacy as well as theirs, his family has chosen not to identify Stevik publicly. == See also == {{Portal|Biography|United States}} * [Mary Anderson](/source/Mary_Anderson_(decedent)), who died by suicide in a Washington motel under a pseudonym in 1996. As of {{CURRENTYEAR}}, she is still unidentified. *[Peter Bergmann](/source/Peter_Bergmann_case), who died by suicide after staying in an Irish hotel under a pseudonym in 2009. As of {{CURRENTYEAR}}, he is still unidentified. * [Murder of Shirley Soosay](/source/Murder_of_Shirley_Soosay), an indigenous Canadian woman who was also identified by the DNA Doe Project. ==References== {{reflist|2}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevik, Lyle}} Category:1976 births Category:2001 deaths Category:2001 suicides Category:Male suicides Category:Native Americans in Washington (state) Category:People from Grays Harbor County, Washington Category:Suicides by hanging in Washington (state) Category:Unidentified decedents identified through genetic genealogy --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lyle Stevik](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Stevik) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Stevik?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.