On Saturday, October 8, 1988, a resident of an apartment house in the 400 block of Carroll Street, contacted the Saginaw Police department to report that apartment door was ajar and inside was what looked like a deceased person lying on the floor. When police arrived, they discovered the body of a 16-20-year-old black male, with a shotgun wound to his face. Despite the wound, the deceased was still recognizable but without an ID law enforcement was unable to identify him. Investigators interviewed several neighbors and witnesses who said that he was from Detroit and had been staying at the apartment house for about a week.

Several high schools in the Detroit area were contacted, but none of them had information on a missing student matching Saginaw John Doe's description. Although authorities have not been able to identify Saginaw John Doe, they have identified a person of interest in this case. Unfortunately, they have not been able to gather the evidence needed to arrest this person. Lieutenant Kendziorski from the Saginaw Police Department, told Dana Poll host of True Crime PI, “There are individuals who have the information, they know who he is and the identity of his killer...it’s sad that they choose not to share it."

On February 25, 2021, the Saginaw Police Department partnered with DNAsolves to crowdfund the testing and genetic genealogy needed to identify Saginaw John Doe. In late May of 2021, the funding goal was reached and a DNA profile has been created. Today, Saginaw John Doe remains unidentified.

Clothing: black denim jeans, a lime or greenish yellow short-sleeved t-shirt, low top white Nike Air tennis shoes with blue and white laces, and two gold chains around his neck.