Forensic artist Joe Mullins working on the facial reconstruction at Comic Con 2025 in San Diego. Credit: NCMEC Facebook
San Diego’s Comic Con brings over 100,000 people to the local convention center—and NCMEC is hoping one of them has information on a little boy known only as “John San Diego Doe 2004.”
From Thursday to Sunday, forensic artist Joe Mullins was at Adobe’s Comic Con booth creating a full facial reconstruction of “John San Diego Doe 2004.” Using 3D printing, clay and tools provided by Adobe, Mullins built a physical likeness based on a scan of the child's skull.
“It only takes one—we just need one person to see this finished facial approximation and say, I think I know who that is,” Mullins told CBS.
In what NCMEC calls one of its “most haunting unidentified child cases,” the skeletal remains of John San Diego Doe 2004 were found in a wooded area of Rancho Bernardo in San Diego, California on May 4, 2004. The remains were found inside a green and tan duffle bag that appeared to have been dumped in the area. It is believed the boy had been deceased for at least one year prior.
The boy, estimated to be between 2 and 4 years old, was found wearing distinctive clothing, including red pants with white stripes, a blue vest with gray hood featuring a football player and the text “Football Power,” a green sweatshirt with “Winter Fever” and a cartoon surfer, and a long-sleeved red sweatshirt with a cartoon girl with ponytails and pink heart sunglasses. Investigators also found adult clothing with the remains—a long-sleeved tan/black/red shirt with “Kamikaze” printed on the front and “Racing Team” on the back.
An artist's rendering of what the John Doe may have looked like. NamUs# UP 51183. Credit: NCMEC
Isotope analysis performed in 2004 revealed that the boy was born in the U.S., possibly in the Southeast, and may have moved westward after birth, likely spending time in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas or California prior to his death.
“This child deserves to be known. He deserves justice,” said Gavin Portnoy, vice president of communications at NCMEC. “Every time we create a facial reconstruction like this, we're giving the public the chance to connect with a child who has no voice. Someone, somewhere, knows who he is. That's who we're trying to reach.”
The weekend’s live reconstruction effort is part of NCMEC and Adobe's larger partnership to inspire action, raise awareness and show how everyday people—from artists to educators to Comic-Con fans—can be superheroes for children in need.
Anyone with information about “John San Diego Doe 2004” is urged to contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).