NEWS
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner seeks the public’s help to identify decedent
The decedent is a male, approximately 50 years of age.
SAN FRANCISCO—The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is asking for the public’s help to identify a male that was found deceased on Tuesday October 22, 2024.
The decedent is a white male, approximately 50 years of age with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet and 6 inches tall and weighs 168 pounds. He was found in an abandoned lot that was filled with water at 348 5th Street, San Francisco. The decedent was found in the water dressed in multiple layers of clothing including an AJAX East Bay sweatshirt, a Kobe Bryant #24 jersey, and a Lakers #8 jersey.
On October 22, 2024, the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) responded to a report of a man lying in the water in a vacant lot at 348 5th Street. Emergency Services were called, and the man was declared deceased on scene. The cause and manner of death are pending.
The OCME uses extensive investigatory methods to identify decedents, such as valid government identification cards on their person, fingerprint check, witness interviews, or DNA testing that lead to a valid identification. In an overwhelming majority of cases, the OCME makes a positive identification of the subject within 24 hours.
In this rare case, the OCME’s investigatory methods have not resulted in an identification. The San Francisco Police Department sketch artist rendered a drawing of the decedent.
Anyone with information about the identity of the decedent should contact the OCME Investigative Division at 415-641-2220 or email OCME.INV@SFGOV.ORG or OCME@SFGOV.ORG. Please reference OCME Case Number 2024-1309.
About the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is responsible for the investigation and certification of any sudden, unexpected, and violent deaths of legal or public health interest. The OCME also compiles data into reports, such as the monthly Accidental Overdose Reports and the Homeless Death Count, to regularly inform public health experts and policy makers. The OCME holds full accreditation status with the National Association of Medical Examiners, the highest form of accreditation a medical examiner office can achieve.