A 44-year-old case is finally uploaded to NamUs: |
52 years after she was assaulted and murdered in a field in Huntington Beach, California, it looks like we're about to finally learn her name! Huntington Beach Jane may very well be on the cusp of identification and I'm SO anxious! |
I was working on the first episode for the Names for Janes Podcast (sloooowly taking form) with HB Jane being a spotlighted case for the episode, and realized that her NamUs page had vanished. I quadruple checked the link, case numbers...everything. It was gone. No warning, no explanation. I waited (not so) patiently for a full day, then called the Orange County Coroner's Office. I hoped that they would have even a sliver of information about HB Jane that could explain why her case vanished from NamUs, but the only thing they could tell me is that the police department should have a press release out soon. Of course, I called the Huntington Beach PD and left a message to see if they could shed more light on when we could expect the press release, but haven't heard back from them yet.
The last time Huntington Beach PD issued a press release for this Jane was in 2011 after a potential witness came forward to say that she might have known the Jane way back in 1968. The information they received wasn't enough to identify her, but it was more than they had before that. So...if there's a press release or conference coming, I think it's safe to say that there's something big on the horizon for Huntington Beach Jane.
Someone has spent half a century looking for her, worrying about her, wondering where she went all those years ago. I could be disappointed that my well-researched first episode has been sent back to square one, but I'm beyond happy that there's a long-overdue resolution for another Jane. Princess Blue got her name back last week, Huntington Beach Jane (aka "Rosie" Jane) could be identified within the next week...who will get their name back next?
The last time Huntington Beach PD issued a press release for this Jane was in 2011 after a potential witness came forward to say that she might have known the Jane way back in 1968. The information they received wasn't enough to identify her, but it was more than they had before that. So...if there's a press release or conference coming, I think it's safe to say that there's something big on the horizon for Huntington Beach Jane.
Someone has spent half a century looking for her, worrying about her, wondering where she went all those years ago. I could be disappointed that my well-researched first episode has been sent back to square one, but I'm beyond happy that there's a long-overdue resolution for another Jane. Princess Blue got her name back last week, Huntington Beach Jane (aka "Rosie" Jane) could be identified within the next week...who will get their name back next?
After 38 years, is the Televangelist's Daughter close to being identified?
I've spent months digging through mountains of information, praying that I come across the most elusive needle in a haystack that's grown over nearly 4 decades. And I think I may have found something promising.
I had almost given up hope of finding any new-to-me missing people, reported or otherwise. I'd been through dozens of pages of Ancestry family tree records, growing more disappointed with each dead end. My search was both very general and quite specific: people born between 1935 and 1945, within the United States, with "missing person" being a required phrase. I was looking for anyone who, by memory or experience, was noted as being missing by family. Some were great-grandchildren told stories by relatives, merely adding that small detail among hundreds of familial records. Some were distant relatives who had heard stories of that "great aunt's cousin's half-brother's child" who went missing decades ago. Very few could be matched with available missing persons reports. Deep within those photos, stories and records was a photo of a young woman. The family tree mentions of her all listed "Unknown - Missing Person" in place of information about her death. We'll call her CC for now, keeping in mind that nothing is confirmed and I'm still working on contacting any living relative to fill in some blanks.
I had almost given up hope of finding any new-to-me missing people, reported or otherwise. I'd been through dozens of pages of Ancestry family tree records, growing more disappointed with each dead end. My search was both very general and quite specific: people born between 1935 and 1945, within the United States, with "missing person" being a required phrase. I was looking for anyone who, by memory or experience, was noted as being missing by family. Some were great-grandchildren told stories by relatives, merely adding that small detail among hundreds of familial records. Some were distant relatives who had heard stories of that "great aunt's cousin's half-brother's child" who went missing decades ago. Very few could be matched with available missing persons reports. Deep within those photos, stories and records was a photo of a young woman. The family tree mentions of her all listed "Unknown - Missing Person" in place of information about her death. We'll call her CC for now, keeping in mind that nothing is confirmed and I'm still working on contacting any living relative to fill in some blanks.
The Bull Street Complex is a nearly 200 year old monstrosity; A brick-and-mortar representation of Frankenstein's hodgepodge human-esque creation.
Some went there to be helped.
Some went there to die.
In order to tell the Televangelist's Daughter's story, I felt like I needed to dig a little deeper into the history of the South Carolina State Hospital. After reading numerous articles and reports about both the hospital itself and the Department of Mental Health, it was difficult to refrain from jumping into the rabbit hole. Alas, that's a story for another day, but I picked the details apart to find bits that are relevant to this Jane's story. The South Carolina Lunatic Asylum opened it's doors in the late 1820s as only the second institution of its kind in the country, it would later be renamed the South Carolina State Hospital for the Insane, and the South Carolina State Hospital. An investigation by the U. S. Department of Justice resulted in a 1985 report detailing the "flagrantly unconstitutional" conditions at the hospital, marking the beginning of the end for an institution that had become a stain on the city of Columbia.
Big things are happening over here, in spite of the current status of some cases. It feels as if we're taking two steps forward, then one step back, but that won't slow me down!
I'm a fan of the "compliment sandwich" when I want to be tactful yet concise in communications, especially when it may not be a welcome discussion. The same goes for times like these. Good news, bad news, great news is just an extension of the concept. I like ending on a high note, ya know?
Drumroll please...
For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.
- Luke 8:17 -
A local was out walking their dog that Monday just north of Skull Valley when they stumbled upon the washed-away grave of a woman, only her bones and clothing remained. Somewhere there is a family that has spent the last 11-16 years wondering where their loved one has been all this time. After a week of attempting to identify this Jane, investigators called in a forensic anthropologist in hopes of learning more about her. Even with that new information, sadly, 10 years have gone by with no solid leads. All that we have to go by is a very general age estimate, a sketch, and limited other details. |
This week the spotlight is on a Young Jane in Los Angeles, California from 1989
In the early morning hours of May 25, 1989, an alley in Los Angeles would become a temporary resting place for a young teenage girl. Some time between 3:00 - 6:00 am, her body was discarded near W 8th St, where it lay waiting to be found by anyone who would pass by. She lay there clothed, various jewelry left untouched, facing the sky as the sunrise greeted the City of Angels. Where did she come from? How did she die? Who abandoned her in the alley? Who was she? So many questions quickly swirled around the investigation into her life and death. 30 years later, many of those questions remain unanswered. |
This week, the spotlight is on a newborn in
Winona County, Minnesota from 2011
A family of four was enjoying their long Labor Day weekend, boating along the Mississippi River and camping on Prairie Island that September in 2011. The 5th, Monday, began like that of many others enjoying family time outdoors. They cruised along that afternoon, down near Trempealeau, MN, then headed back upriver toward Prairie Island.
The couple and their two sons were making their way toward their campsite around mid-afternoon that day when they spotted something in the water up ahead. As they slowly motored toward it, they saw that it was a canvas tote bag, mostly submerged in the warm water of the Mississippi. The couple directed their sons to fish it out of the water and check inside for a wallet or some kind of identifying information, thinking that someone had accidentally lost their shopping bag on the river. In an instant, their holiday weekend would become unforgettable.
The couple and their two sons were making their way toward their campsite around mid-afternoon that day when they spotted something in the water up ahead. As they slowly motored toward it, they saw that it was a canvas tote bag, mostly submerged in the warm water of the Mississippi. The couple directed their sons to fish it out of the water and check inside for a wallet or some kind of identifying information, thinking that someone had accidentally lost their shopping bag on the river. In an instant, their holiday weekend would become unforgettable.
This week, the spotlight is on a young teen in
White Hills, Arizona from 2016
An Arizona couple took advantage of the pleasant weather that Wednesday evening, September 28, and went for a hike in an area near White Hills, along Highway 93 between Kingman and the Hoover Dam. The area offers a variety of hiking trails that appeal to hikers of every skill level. The Cherum Peak Trail, Mount Tipton Wilderness Trails, Camp Beale Loop, and Monolith Garden Trail attract people of all kinds. Unfortunately, this Jane would not get to enjoy the picturesque views or beautiful weather. Instead, her young life would end and the wilderness would be her temporary resting place. |
We can sometimes forget that adults aren't the only unidentified persons.
Some are newborns, toddlers, and adolescents.
Each week, I'd like to put the spotlight on the case of a young Jane, ranging from newborn to 15 years old, in hopes of getting fresh eyes on their cases. Hopefully, the attention will lead to identification for some of them, at least.
Emily
True crime, cold case, long-term missing/unidentified, and all things mystery. I've always been interested, but now I'm involved in the search.
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Jinx!, Damian Gadal