Odessa Jane Doe (1993)

DISCOVERY:

On November 25, 1993, skeletal remains were found in a shallow grave, in an overgrown field near Odessa, New Castle County, Delaware. The location, about three miles northeast of the city, was in William J. Baxter Memorial Park, west of Delaware Route 9 and south of Vance Neck Road.

It’s reported that most of the bones from the decedent’s hand and feet digits weren’t found. Two other types of bones also weren’t recovered, but they haven’t been publicly specified.

AUTOPSY:

An autopsy conducted on the remains determined that the decedent was a female who’d died over three months prior to her remains being found. Given the circumstances, it’s suspected she was a homicide victim.

DETAILS:

Jane Doe is described as a White and/or Hispanic female between the ages of 20 and 45. She stood at 5’1″ and had dark brown hair. Given the skeletal nature of the remains, her weight and eye colour couldn’t be determined.

An examination of the decedent’s teeth showed her to have been in good dental health. However, there were a few things of note:

• The #13 tooth was slightly smaller.
• The #20 tooth was rotated to the lingual side.
• The #23, #24, #25 and #26 teeth were slightly crowded.

It’s possible Jane Doe may have given birth at some point in her life.

RULE OUTS:

1. Susan Maria Ann Cerritelli, who went missing from Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on May 11, 1983.
2. Dail Boxley Dinwiddie, who went missing from Columbia, South Carolina, on September 24, 1992.
3. Arisoneide Oliveira Gosselin, who went missing from Turlock, California, on May 28, 1992.
4. Kathryn Marie Rahe Gregory, who went missing from Spokane, Washington, on November 4, 1981.
5. Ellabeth Mae Lodermeier, who went missing from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on March 6, 1974.
6. Catherine Ruth Malcolmson, who went missing from Stow, Massachusetts, on August 13, 1985.
7. Anne D.V. Manchester, who went missing from Newark, Delaware, on June 29, 1980.
8. Myra Manley, who went missing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 2, 1983.
9. Christine Marie Markey, who went missing from Oneida, New York, on January 10, 1993.
10. Kathleen Anne Meyer, who went missing from New Castle, Delaware, on September 10, 1988.
11. Dawn Marie Miller, who went missing from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, on October 24, 1992.
12. Virginia Sue Pictou-Noyes, who went missing from Bangor, Maine, on April 24, 1993.
13. Jennifer Lynn Pandos, who went missing from Williamsburg, Virginia, on February 2, 1987.
14. Dianne Nguyen Robbins, who went missing from Kennewick, Washington, on June 18, 1985.
15. Patricia Ann Schmidt, who went missing from Richmond, Virginia, on June 4, 1985.
16. Tiffany Louise Sessions, who went missing from Gainesville, Florida, on February 9, 1989.
17. Valerie Smith, who went missing from Long Island, New York, on March 4, 1981. Her remains were found in May of that year, but they weren’t identified until October 2021. Foul play is not suspected in her death.

CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:

Jane Doe’s dentals and DNA are available for comparison.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact Delaware State Police at (302) 739-5901. Tips can also be called into the Division of Forensic Science Agency at (302) 577-3420.

Image Credit: NamUs/The Doe Network

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