Veda #22 : A Man Who Doesn't Exist

Day 22
Question by : Me - "Who is John Doe?"

(Not) John Doe

A question pop on my mind lately, just because i'm seeing too much crime tv series. Often at the murder scene, the victim has been murdered, and his identity simply taken by the killer. Whenever the victim goes to the autopsy room, he was reffered as John Doe. Even in the court, to ensure the safety of the survived victim, he often reffered as that name. The question is simple : who is this John Doe?and why did they called John Doe?

The History
The name "John Doe" is used as a placeholder name in a legal action, case or discussion for a male party, whose true identity is unknown or must be withheld for legal reasons. The name is also used to refer to a male corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown.

"John Doe" dates from the reign of England's King Edward III (1312-1377). A famous legal document from this period labels a landowner "John Doe," who leases land to a "Richard Roe," who then claims the land as his own and kicks out John.
Actually, the names don't have any particular relevance, other than the fact that a doe is a female deer, while a roe is a smaller species of deer. But the debate became a history of legal theory, and the name "John Doe" in particular gained wide currency in both the legal world and general usage as a generic stand-in for any unnamed person.

The Usage
In the US or Canada, the name John Doe is used for a defendant or victim in a legal matters or for a person whose identity is unknown or is intended to be anonymous. Male corpses whose identity is unknown are also known by the name John Doe. A female who is not known is referred to as Jane Doe. A child whose identity is unknown is referred to as Precious Doe or Baby Doe. Additional people in the same family may be called James Doe, Judy Doe, and so on.

According to The Oxford English Dictionary states that John Doe is "the name given to the fictitious lessee of the plaintiff, in the (now obsolete) mixed action of ejectment, the fictitious defendant being called Richard Roe".
But practically, to made it more simpe and avoid mistakes during the trial, the first victim usually called John Doe, and the second victim called Richard Roe if there is no blood relation.

By extension from the law usage, John Doe is often used in computer software needing a default or example first and last name for a form.

The Common Story
So you have read the explanation and history about this John Doe and its origin, but sometimes people who knows this matter usually reffered John Doe more simple : John was the common first name in US, and Doe was the common surname. I don't know it that's true. Let's keep it as it is.
And this is my version, i think John Doe and Richard Roe really never exist, because it's simple : i can't find the picture of those gentlemen.