Spotlight ON: Forensic Artist Barbara Martin Bailey

The Story of "Chester"

Ms. Barbara Martin Bailey, Forensic Artist at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, has been called upon again and again to assist outside law enforcement agencies with identification of missing persons or unidentified victims of crimes.  Her professional skill and expertise are sought around the world and her dedication to her art and solving crimes is unmatched.  The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is fortunate to have such an amazingly skilled artist on their team.  She volunteers her skill for the EDAN (Everyone Deserves a Name) Project as one of 22 experienced, certified forensic artists from around the country who are dedicated to helping law enforcement agencies with facial reconstruction of unidentified persons.  

Todd Matthews, Director of Project EDAN (Everyone Deserves a Name), requested a three dimensional clay facial reconstruction of a homicide victim from Yolo County, California.  The victim's skull was shipped to Ms. Bailey, and her work began.  As the reconstruction developed, this unidentified victim became known as "Chester" (pictured here).

"Chester" was fatally stabbed in the chest and found in a remote area by the east bank of Elk Slough, Clarksburg, California, and was found on March 4, 1999. He is a mixed race (Caucasian and African-American), 5'11", 180 lbs, and in the age range of 23-30 years old.  His lower left wisdom tooth was extracted, but both upper wisdom teeth had come in.  However, his lower right wisdom tooth has a partial eruption and he would have needed it pulled.  No hair was present on the skull, so he was given a close cropped hairstyle typical of the time.  "Chester's" eyes were made by an Ocular Specialist, Christie Erickson of Erickson Labs in Kirkland, Washington, who also wanted to assist in recovering this young man's identity.

Should anyone know of "Chester's" true identity, they should contact Detective Sergeant Bailey, Yolo County Sheriff's Office, or Laurel Weeks, Yolo County Coroner's Office, at (530) 668-5280. Please reference case number 99-015. 

The EDAN Project artists receive cases from any law enforcement agency in Australia, North America, and Eastern Europe.  Requests are made for two dimensional facial reconstruction drawings, clay reconstruction from a skull (as shown here), or an age progression drawing of a missing persons case that has gone cold over the years, but may still be alive.

The United States Justice Department has coordinated and linked the EDAN Project with law enforcement and is also linking with the first national repository for missing persons and unidentified decedent records, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).  NamUs consists of two databases anyone can search.  The Justice Department hopes law enforcement officials and the public will use the databases to share information to solve cases.  The Unidentified Decedents database contains information entered by medical examiners and coroners.  Anyone can search the database using characteristics such as sex, race, distinct body features, and dental information. 

The Missing Persons database contains information that can be entered by anyone.  Before a missing person's case will on this website, however, it must be validated.  The site also links to state clearinghouses, medical examiners and coroners, victim assistance groups, and pertinent legislation. 

This year, the two databases will be linked.  Families, law enforcement agencies, medical examiners and coroners, victim advocates, and the general public will be able to search for matches between missing persons and unidentified decedent records.