This month’s Doe case is an especially strange one – we possibly know what his name was, because investigators found someone that knew him in life. And you may notice that I’m using “he” instead of “they” in this post – that’s because we know how the Doe identified his gender in life. How did Sebastian Pasqual end up murdered in a vacant lot in Immokalee, Florida? Let’s explore.
The Discovery
On the morning of May 12, 1986, a passerby stumbled across the body of a man about 20 to 30 feet off of a foot trail near South 4th St and Boston Avenue in Immokalee, FL. The passerby notified police of the discovery around 7:30, stating that they believed the man had been stabbed. Despite this initial guess at a cause of death, the only publicly released information was that it was, indeed, a homicide.
via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
The Description
Sebastian was estimated to be between 15 and 30 years old. He stood at 5’1” or 5’2” tall, and weighed between 120 and 140 lbs. He had a medium complexion and long black hair. At the time of death, he had slight beard stubble. He had brown eyes and based on a dental examination was thought to be a smoker. At the time of his death, Sebastian was wearing a pair of blue jockey short-style underwear. Toughskins brand blue corduroy pants, a black belt with a distinctive bullet belt buckle, and peach- or tan-colored western shirt with beige floral accents on the shoulder and pocket flaps. He had a $5 bill and 97 cents in change in his pants pockets. His shoes were not found.
via The Unidentified Wiki)
The Investigation
While the police were investigating, a man who claimed to know the deceased came forward. He claimed to have briefly known Sebastian. They had traveled together in a large group of about 20 undocumented migrant workers, where he knew the deceased as Sebastian Pasqual. The group apparently had originated in Guatemala and traveled to the United States in 1985. The first sought out work in Arizona before heading to Florida. Half of the group found work in LaBelle, and the other half traveled to Immokalee. The group arrived in town only about a week before Sebastian was found dead. No suspects have ever been identified. No leads have been found since the man claiming to know Sebastian came forward. The case quickly went cold.
Theories and Speculation
I don’t typically have sections devoted solely to speculation, but I wanted to be clear that this section is simply me trying to put things together. These theories may have been posted elsewhere, put forth by people whose minds are in the same places as mine. However, as you read the following, please keep in mind that there is no Police-Supported theory in this case. Now, let’s get into it. Based on the fact that Sebastian still had money in his pockets, the motive for this homicide does not seem to have been robbery.
I do think this may have been a hate crime. Many states in the American South, Florida included, see an influx of migrant workers during harvest seasons. It is possible that someone took their hatred and bigotry towards migrants out on Sebastian, simply enraged with him for existing. However, it is impossible to gauge how likely this is without knowing the cause of death. I have to hope that investigators in this case are not releasing information in order to verify any confessions or witness accounts, but having researched other cases from this time period, it is concerning. We do know that Sebastian’s DNA is available, so hopefully scientific breakthroughs can lead to advancement in this case.
Possible Identities
This Doe case differs from others we’ve covered in the past here at the Morbid Library. We more or less know that Sebastian was an undocumented immigrant looking for farm work in the United States. That means that our usual sources – NamUs, the Charley Project, Missing Persons Wikis, etc. – are of no help in finding possible identities here. There are also no publicly accessible databases for missing persons from, say, Mexico or Guatemala or other Middle and South American Countries. That means I can’t come up with individual identities that possibly match Sebastian – but I can come up with a general profile for who he may have been. So here are the facts we know about Sebastian Pasqual. He is likely originally from Guatemala. He was likely born between 1956 and 1971. He was likely traveling throughout the United States as an undocumented immigrant, looking for work on farms.
Investigating Agencies
If you or anyone you know have any information that could lead to the formal identification of Sebastian Pasqual, there are two institutions you can contact. First, you can contact Elizabeth Nunez at the District 20 Medical Examiner’s Office. The phone number is 239-434-5020 and the agency case number is 1986-00129. The second agency is the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, which can be reached at 239-252-9300 in reference to agency case number 86-27009.
Sources
- http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1621umfl.html
- https://www.missingkids.org/poster/ncmu/1184531/1
- https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/1228
- http://www2.fluiddb.com/index.php/component/fabrik/details/5/132
- https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/tx-manuel-mejia-dominguez-34-falfurrias-1983.370179/
- https://www.hud.gov/states/florida/working/farmworker/commonquestions
- https://www.census.gov/srd/papers/pdf/ex96-23.pdf
- https://www.hud.gov/states/florida/working/farmworker/resources
- https://www.icmp.int/the-missing/where-are-the-missing/guatemala/
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2012/11/city-disappeared-three-decades-searching-guatemalas-missing/
