DISCOVERY:
On March 16, 1982, an off-duty firefighter checking his boat along the Milwaukee River discovered the body of a young woman floating between two metal barrels near the pier. The area of the river is near 420 North Plankington Avenue.
AUTOPSY:
An autopsy was performed upon the remains being brought to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, where it was learnt Jane Doe’s death had occurred between a few weeks to three months prior to her being discovered. While her body had begun to decompose, her face was still recognizable and there were no signs of trauma.
Currently, Jane Doe’s death is being treated as an accidental drowning.
DETAILS:
Jane Doe is described as being African American, and is believed to have been between 15 and 25 years old. However, she could have possibly been up to 35 years old. She stood at 5’4″ and weighed approximately 137 pounds.
She had brown eyes and black hair that was worn in an afro-style. It possibly had a reddish tint to it. Her ears were pierced, yet she wasn’t wearing any earrings, and she had multiple scars across her body, including a surgical scar that ran from her bellybutton to her pubic area, a burn mark on her right ankle and a scar on her right forearm, just below her elbow. It was noted that her fingernails and toenails were well-groomed.
Through the autopsy, it was discovered that Jane Doe had several internal adhesions on her reproductive organs and abdomen. It is also possible she had her appendix removed at some point in her life.
A look through her dental records showed extensive dental work. She had several fillings and a fixed partial bridge that concealed a missing upper tooth toward the middle of her mouth. She’d also had a tooth removed from the left side of her lower jaw.
When her body was discovered, Jane Doe was wearing a tan-coloured hip-length wool jacket with buttons on the front; a brown blouse with a zipper; a brown striped long-sleeved shirt; blue pants from K-Mart; a yellow and tan knit cap with an attached faded purple scarf; green knee-length socks; and black calf-length vinyl boots. A green BIC lighter and an empty Tic Tac container were also found on her body.
RULE OUTS:
1) Laronda Bronson, who went missing from Portland, Oregon on November 19, 1982.
2) Regina McCorkle, who went missing from East Moline, Illinois on August 14, 1981.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jane Doe’s dental records are currently available and DNA samples have been processed. Her fingerprints are also available, but are of poor quality due to the condition of her body when found.
Those with information regarding the identity of Jane Doe are being asked to call the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office at 414-223-1200.
Image Credit: NCMEC
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