Mental health issues likely contributed to Texas man's death

~ Body found behind Poplar Bluff school identified through dental records

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Authorities believe the Texas man whose body was found last week in a wooded area behind Poplar Bluff Junior High School succumbed to the elements because of mental-health issues and died in early July.

A school maintenance worker found what was later determined to be a human body in an area between the junior high and U.S. Forest Service office at about 3:35 p.m. Monday.

Because of the advanced state of decomposition, authorities were unable to make an immediate identification.

"With the body was a wallet, which had the ID of Mr. Justin Rex Allen; it was a Texas driver's license, along with other personal effects," said Butler County Coroner Jim Akers. The driver's license showed Allen was a Hispanic male, 31 years old, with an Arlington, Texas, address.

Next to Allen's body was a small dog.

"Because of the [decomposition], we couldn't make identification just by the belongings with the body," said Akers, who described the body as having the same physical characteristics as Allen.

Working off the dog's rabies tag, Akers said, he contacted a veterinarian in Texas, who indicated Allen had brought his dog in April 15.

"They were able to provide a place of employment," Akers said. "[Allen's employer] advised he did not show up for work June 26 and provided a landlord's phone number" in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Akers said contact with the landlord was unsuccessful in locating Allen's family; however, "working off information from both [which indicated] he had grown up in the Longview, Texas, area, I contacted the Longview [Police Department]."

The department, Akers said, had a prior case in which Allen's father had reported him missing two years ago, and its officers provided a cellphone number for Allen's adoptive father, Clay.

Akers said subsequent contact was made with Clay Allen, who provided local authorities with his son's dental records, which were used to make what Akers described as a scientific identification, and background information on his son.

Dr. Russell Deidiker, along with Poplar Bluff dentist Dr. Michael Price, who is member of the Missouri Emergency Response Identification Team, made the identification.

"In talking with the dad, we learned that three years ago Justin was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia," Akers said. "The dad was able to provide quite a bit of background on Justin's mental state over the past two years."

Before his mental-health diagnosis, Akers said, he learned Allen had graduated with honors, studied abroad and held full-time employment in both Texas and New York.

After working in New York for six years, Akers said, Allen returned to Houston and shortly thereafter began displaying symptoms of mental illness. He subsequently was diagnosed.

Akers said Allen lived at home for a while, but began getting worse and subsequently moved in with another family member.

"He left there without notice," which led to Clay Allen, a retired 30-year veteran of the Tyler, Texas, Police Department, reporting his son missing, Akers said.

Local officers, Akers said, had contact with Allen, along with his dog, on July 2.

"[Allen] had advised he had rode the train to Poplar Bluff," Akers said. "He refused any assistance even though it was offered by the officers and indicated he was going to catch another train and leave."

"Justin Allen had apparently been camped in the area for some time, as several people reported seeing him near the area where his body was found," according to a news release from Poplar Bluff police Capt. David Sutton. "Some of these witnesses described Allen as unusually thin and said he seemed confused or disoriented."

It appears "he just laid down and went to sleep," Akers said. " ... His arms were folded under him. His legs were crossed."

The dog lay next to him; it's leash was not pulled tight, said Akers, who suspects the dog survived a day or two longer than Allen as it appeared less decomposed.

The autopsy, performed by Deidiker at Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington, Missouri, was not able to provide a cause of death, and no indications of foul play were found, Akers said.

"Because of his paranoid schizophrenia background, we believe he succumbed to the elements because of his mental illness," said Akers, who is of the opinion Allen hadn't been eating or drinking.

Akers said Allen's cause of death and manner of death are listed as undetermined, with his date of death listed as July 3.