Miss X (decedent)

Miss X

Born 1942 - 1951
Died March 17 or March 18, 1967 (aged 16-25)
Cause of death
 Septicemia
Body discovered
 March 18, 1967
Bear, New Castle County, Delaware
Resting place
 Potter's Field, Delaware
Ethnicity White
Known for Unidentified decedent
Height 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight 110–115 lb (7 st 12 lb–8 st 3 lb; 50–52 kg)

Miss X is a currently unidentified American decedent whose body was found on March 18, 1967 near the towns of Bear, Wilmington and Glasgow, Delaware. She had previously been thought to have died due to an attempted abortion, but a recent examination disproved this, establishing that she had died because of septicemia.[1]

Circumstances

Laundry bag that partially covered the body

Miss X's body was found on the side of Porter road after an apparent dump job.[2] She was clothed only in a pair of blue bikini-like underwear and a red ribbon that was used to tie her hair back.[2] The victim's body was partially hidden inside of a canvas laundry bag that was whitish in color, which was encasing her legs.[1] The manufacturer labels from her underwear had been removed, possibly by the individual who disposed of her body. It is believed that Miss X had died in a different location and was then disposed of in Bear, likely by a vehicle.[2] The bag that was found at the scene had the words "Bag O - Storage. American Laundry. Dry Cleaning. EX4 5277." printed on it, indicating where it had originated from.[3] It is unknown if the victim was associated with such establishment.[1]

The young woman was discovered to have been three months pregnant when she died.[3] It was assumed that she had attempted to have an illegal abortion, as a substance resembling a chemical used in the process was found in her vaginal cavity.[4] It is still possible that the victim had attempted to abort her child, yet it was not at all the cause of her death. She had developed an infection due to an unknown cause, which was untreated, and ultimately killed her.[1]

Physical characteristics

Miss X was of small frame, at around 110 to 115 pounds at the height of five feet two inches. She had dark, curly hair and brown eyes, leading some to speculate she was of European origin, from areas such as Greece or Italy.[1] Some have also stated that she appeared to be of "Jewish descent".[2] The young woman had no identifying marks on her body except for a vaccination scar on the top her left upper leg and had the blood type O.[5] At one time, her ears had been pierced but she had not worn any earrings recently.[2] She had cared for her teeth very well and had some evidence of repair; she was presumed to have seen a dentist approximately six months before her death. She had a large bra size, estimated to be 34DD.[3] Her age was originally estimated to be between eighteen and twenty one, but has recently been increased to sixteen to twenty-five.[6][2]

Investigation

Miss X's incomplete death certificate

Detectives are focused primarily on identifying Miss X's body instead of finding the individuals who disposed of her body or may have been involved in her death. Because of the significant amount of time that has passed since the body was found and the suspects would either be "dead or elderly".[1]

The laundry bag that was found at the scene was traced to a company known as American Laundry, which operated in Trenton, New Jersey.[2][3] When asked about the victim, members of the owner's family stated that they remembered a young woman, who matched Miss X's description, that either lived close to them or was a customer.[1]

An anonymous man had called police and had claimed to have brought a woman's body from the state of Washington to Delaware, but little information about the investigation of this tip has been published.[3] This lead is somewhat questionable, as Miss X was deceased for less than twenty-four hours and it would have taken a considerable amount of time to transport the body from such a distance.[3]

The case was reexamined in 2011, when an evidence container was located that contained the victim's blood and the ribbon found in her hair. The DNA extracted from the blood was then entered in a genealogy system and was linked maternally to individuals from Virginia and North Carolina, although it is not known how close the relatives were to Miss X. This evidence has not assisted with the identification of the victim.[1]

Early in the investigation, a sketch of Miss X was released to the public in hopes that one would come forward and identify her. It was not until 2013 when the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reconstructed her face with a much more precise and detailed method.[1]

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Zdan, Alex (10 April 2013). "Delaware officials look to Trenton in attempt to solve 1967 cold case". New Jersey Times. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Jane Doe 1967". missingkids.com. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Case File: 743UFDE". doenetwork.org. The Doe Network. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Who Is She? Police Ask". Wilmongton Morning News. 23 March 1967. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  5. ↑ NamUs UP # 7097. identifyus.org. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Who Knows Her?". Newark Weekly. 1967. Retrieved 22 January 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miss X.