Unidentified people · Atlantic City, Atlantic County
The unidentified man found on the old Steel Pier (1987)
Unresolved · Remains unidentified
A man’s body, believed to have been there about six months, was found on the old Steel Pier in Atlantic City in August 1987; New Jersey State Police records show he was never identified.
Found at Virginia Avenue and the Boardwalk
The state police record says the man was found on August 5, 1987, on the old Steel Pier at Virginia Avenue and the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The New Jersey State Police carry the case as number 87-15275, with NIC number U441351725. According to the listing, the body is thought to have been there for about six months, and his estimated date of death is given as January 1, 1987.
What the record describes
The listing describes a white male with red hair and an estimated birth year between 1950 and 1960. His height is given as 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 8 inches and his weight as 150 to 200 pounds. His eye color is unknown, and no scars, marks, or tattoos are recorded. He was dressed in a tan shirt and tan pants, with a white plastic belt and buckle.
The listing also records fractures of a left rib, a right rib, and both feet. It does not say when or how they happened. Full x-rays and dental records are available for comparison.
What remains unknown
The listing gives no name, no cause of death, and no explanation of the fractures. Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Jersey State Police at 1-800-709-7090 or missingp@gw.njsp.org. Other contacts are the Atlantic City Police Department at 609-347-5766 or 609-347-5771, and the NJSP Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000, ext. 2894. These are the contacts given on the official case page.
Sources and research limits
- New Jersey State Police, Unidentified Persons/Bodies — Atlantic County, case 87-15275 / NIC U441351725 — Official case page, reopened and checked September 11, 2026, for the date and location found, estimated time since death, biological profile, clothing, recorded fractures, and tip contacts. The page gives no cause of death, no explanation of the fractures, and no narrative of the discovery. No contemporary 1987 newspaper coverage was located.