The Oklahoma City Police Department needs the public's help in identifying a dead man who was found in Downtown Oklahoma City.
The whole thing is a sad situation.
According to OKCPD social media posts and local news reports, the unidentified man – who police have named Johnus Doeanderthalis – was found cold and lifeless in a wheelchair at 4th and Hudson during a recent arctic air blast.
The cops and local shelters don’t know the man’s name, so they released this police sketch in hopes the public could help identify him.
Yep, that’s who the police need help identifying. If you think you may know his identity, please contact them or the University of Oklahoma Archaeological Society.
Okay, that last wisecrack was classless and wrong.
You see, I was actually being sarcastic and mocking the mean-spirited online lollygaggers who live, work, and breed amongst us.
These big meanies decided to hop online and leave public comments making light of the fact that – if we’re being honest – the sketch does kind of resemble something you’d see on Sunday morning while watching NOVA more than it does something you'd see on Unsolved Mysteries.
For example:
Yep, that’s right. Instead of keeping their sick observations to themselves – or simply texting like-minded friends in a group chat – those sick weasels shared rude public comments mocking a drawing of an unidentified dead man for the world to see.
Talk about behind-the-times cavemen, huh?
In addition to the stone-aged comments, other people took it down another level and said the sketch resembled Bigfoot.
Others simply complained about the OKCPD sketch artist.
I’m going to stick up for the sketch artist here. It’s not like they are drawing a caricature sketch at the Greek Festival! Being a sketch artist is tough work!
Seriously, can you imagine how difficult it must be to draw an accurate-looking picture of what a dead man who was frozen to death may have looked like when he was alive? Hell, here in Oklahoma, we can't even make statues look like people who are still kicking it:
“Patrick, couldn’t the OKCPD just retrace the man’s steps, talk to local businesses and shelters, and maybe find video or footage of the man to share with the world instead?”
Good point. But that’s a different conversation for a different day.
While the awful people above mocked the death of a homeless man, there was also a rush of people quick to point fingers, defend his honor, and scold and criticize all those who dared mock the police sketch.
Here are some examples:
Listen, are a lot of the comments about cavemen and bigfoot distasteful, making light of a sad situation and showing disrespect to a dead man? Yes. Are some of the comments also kind of funny? Maybe. If you’re overly sensitive, compassionate, and kind – except, of course, when people make a joke, comment, or observation you don’t agree with – do you have a right to get mad and complain? You bet. Are the arguments that result from these two online tribes of humans meeting in a public comment section proof that we, like our ancient ancestors, are on a path to extinction? I think so.
That being said, call me an idealistic moron here, but can’t we live in a world where you can see a charcoal police sketch of a dead man that resembles an ancient hominin species that predates modern humans and think, “Wow, that looks like something I’d see on a Stefan Milo YouTube video,” while also simultaneously having compassion for the homeless and sympathy for the man and his unknown family?
It’s okay to do both… right?
I hope so because it would help make our current world a less insufferable, more tolerable place and help answer the question that Charles Darwin once famously posed in The Origin of Species: “Can we all get along?”
While you ponder that and life’s many other great mysteries, I guess contact OKCPD if you think you know the man. Or better yet, if you have the means and a moment, set up a recurring donation to the OKC Homeless Alliance, City Rescue Mission, or Jesus House to help prevent future tragedies like this one from occurring.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
