Vernon County Jane Doe

Vernon County Jane Doe

Forensic facial reconstruction of the Vernon County Jane Doe
Born Approx. 1919–1934
Status Unidentified for 30 years, 11 months and 27 days
Died c. 3 May 1984 (aged 50 to 65)
Westby, Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States
Cause of death
 Blunt force trauma
Body discovered
 4 May 1984
Resting place
 Viroqua Cemetery, Vernon County, Wisconsin
Known for Unidentified victim of homicide
Height Between 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
and 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight 150 lb (68 kg)

The Vernon County Jane Doe is a murder victim, discovered May 4, 1984, whose identity remains unknown.[1][2][3] The victim's case has been heavily investigated since the dicovery of the body with no results toward discovering both her identity and murderer. The female's hands were removed from her body, likely to prevent identification through fingerprinting. The victim's case was broadcast through a three-day news special to uncover new leads in 2013, yet none so far have proved useful.

Discovery

Near the city of Westby, Wisconsin, the body was found on the night of 4 May 1984 by three teenagers within 24 to 48 hours after her death.[4][5] She had suffered blunt force injury to the head, which had broken her dentures, and her hands were removed, likely to prevent identification through fingerprinting.[3][1][6] The woman was believed to have been killed at another location alongside the same road and then disposed of further at the side.[7] After the case was broadcast on the news, a couple stated that they had seen a suspicious man returning to the driver's seat of a yellow car, believed to be a 1982 Datsun, near the location.[8] When police went to the spot where the car was seen, tire tracks from a hasty U-Turn were found at the location; a broken denture and blood were found as well as a man's watch.[1]

Description and clothing

The Vernon County Jane Doe was a white woman between 50 and 65. She had graying brown hair, presumed to have been in a perm, and stood at 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 6 inches (approximately 170 cm). She weighed 150 pounds (68 kg) and had worn dentures, likely those found at the second crime scene.[5] As for clothing, the decedent wore a multicolored coat, a black dress decorated with blue and white paisley print, as well as a blue turtleneck and nylons. The brand labels had been removed.[9] [3] The woman's dentures had both raised and indented numbers and she also wore distinctive buttons on her clothes that had unique stitching.[10]

Investigation

Over 400 leads have surfaced in the case, one recently being the arrest of multiple persons who fraudulently used checks from a missing Portage, Wisconsin, woman who disappeared around the same time as the Jane Doe.[11] Police believe that she was not native to the area where she was located.[9] Two missing women have been ruled out as possible identities for the decedent.[2][12] She is currently buried at the Veroqua Cemetery as "Jane Doe" with the date of her discovery on the headstone.[4] In 2012, the victim's case was broadcast within three days and did result in some tips to be reported. It is unknown if these developed into solid leads.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Jane Doe 1984 - Vernon County" (PDF). Vernon County Sheriff Department. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "NamUs UP # 4786". NamUS. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Case File 261UFWI". The Doe Network. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Catching her killer: Justice for Jane Doe - Part 1". WKBT TV. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS – Westby, Wisconsin". FBI Victims Identification Project. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  6. ↑ Millard, Kevin (3 May 2012). "Who Is 'Jane Doe'?". Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Handless Body is still Unidentified". The Wisconsin Journal. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Westby, Wisconsin Jane Doe". hellbeasts.com. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Johnson, Matt (5 May 2012). "Authorities seek help in grisly 1984 murder in Vernon County". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Catching her killer: Justice for Jane Doe - Part 2". WKBT TV. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "The Vernon County Sheriff's Department Seeks Public's Help As It Investigates a Cold Case Homicide". http://www.doj.state.wi.us/''. Wisconsin Department of Justice. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  12. ↑ Le, Pauleen (3 May 2013). "Catching her killer: New possible lead in Jane Doe case". News 8000. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  13. ↑ "Catching her killer: Justice for Jane Doe – Part 3". WKBT TV. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Unidentified murder victims.
External images
Clothing
Mortuary photograph
Earlier composite image