IDENTIFIED!
In February 1982, the residents of Columbia, South Carolina had seen this woman, wandering aimlessly and preaching to passersby. She was slight, standing at only 5 feet tall, with dark blue eyes that seemed to have been gazing into a world that was all her own. She claimed to be the daughter of the well-known televangelist Oral Roberts which, as you can guess, is not the case. But it's the reason for the nickname I use for her. After an unknown amount of time spent shouting the Lord's teachings from the proverbial rooftops, she was brought to the South Carolina State Hospital in Columbia, SC (a state-funded psychiatric institution). The photo on the left was taken upon admission to the hospital and would be the last ever taken of the mysterious Televangelist's Daughter in life.
She suffered an "accidental fall" a few days after her admission to the hospital and died from injuries sustained during the fall. Unfortunately, she was unable to give the hospital staff her name, or any other identifying information prior to her death. (It's noted on her case that she was believed to have been suffering from schizophrenia) She, then, became a Jane. And would, despite the local media and investigators' efforts, would remain a Jane to this day. 37 years without a name. |
What We KnowDied February 15, 1982
White Estimated Age: 35 to 50 years 5' 0" 134 lbs Dark brown hair, slightly wavy Blue eyes No identifying scars/marks She had a history of well-done professional dental care |
SouthCarolinaETV Promo for a 1 hour program called "Down on Bull Street", an exploration of the history of the sprawling campus of the South Carolina State Hospital. |
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Identified by DNA after 41 years!
Virginia Clyde-Higgins-Ray was only 38 years old when she passed away at the hospital in Columbia, SC. She was married at 16 then lost her 9-month-old son to pneumonia. She had several more children in the years that followed, even one in the year prior to her disappearance. In early February 1982, Virginia checked herself out of a North Carolina mental health facility and boarded a bus. Somehow, she ended up in Columbia, SC. In the throes of a mental health crisis, she was unable to communicate effectively with staff at the hospital, and her identity remained a mystery until May 2023.
The dedication and perseverance of the Richland County Coroner's Office kept Virginia's case open and active, always eager for advancements in DNA technology that could finally identify her. With the help of the Dean and Tina Close Memorial Fund and Linda Doyle's amazing DNA & genealogy skills, Virginia has finally been named.
Though I took no personal part in identifying her, I've always felt a connection to her case and I am overjoyed to see her case closed. After four decades of waiting, Virginia can go home.
The dedication and perseverance of the Richland County Coroner's Office kept Virginia's case open and active, always eager for advancements in DNA technology that could finally identify her. With the help of the Dean and Tina Close Memorial Fund and Linda Doyle's amazing DNA & genealogy skills, Virginia has finally been named.
Though I took no personal part in identifying her, I've always felt a connection to her case and I am overjoyed to see her case closed. After four decades of waiting, Virginia can go home.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
- Dr. Seuss
My Two Cents
I don't have much more information than is covered in the sections above, but I can tell you a whole boatload of names that aren't hers. I didn't really plan to look into her case, honestly. But here we are...my first blog post is about her, and the beginning stages of my search for her identity (You can read about that here). Aside from that, I thought I'd include my theories on what could have led to the Televangelist's Daughter being found in Columbia, SC and not being identified for 37 years.
Again, all speculation. I have absolutely nothing to prove any of these theories (yet). But they're the theories that seem plausible enough for me to use as some sort of starting point in the search.
- Loss of Spouse - The theory that is one of the two most likely, in my opinion. Maybe she was married, her husband being responsible for helping her in the times when she struggled to maintain her grip on reality. He could have made sure she stayed close to home, safe, etc. He could have been in an accident, dying on scene or being incapacitated and dying in the hospital, unable to let anyone know that he had a wife at home who relied on his care. Or maybe she was a perfectly normal, functional adult who lost her husband. She may have been diagnosed in the past and taking medications, but the loss of her husband tipped the scale. Or she didn't start exhibiting signs of schizophrenia until after he'd passed. Keep in mind, this is 110% speculation.
- Loner - This theory, while plausible, is the hardest to understand. She may have lived alone, keeping to herself, and one day just walked away from it all in the throes of a psychiatric breakdown. Maybe her neighbors assumed that she'd moved or passed away, or maybe no one noticed that she was gone. Sadly, it wouldn't be the first time that the same scenario occurred.
- Checked-out - Maybe she did come from a facility of some sort, but didn't "escape". Maybe she signed herself out and made her way to the streets of Columbia. She wouldn't have been reported missing by the facility because she left voluntarily.
- Visiting the Past - Assuming that she was out of touch with reality and struggling with some kind of psychiatric issue, it's possible that she could have lived in the Columbia area at some point in her life, and returned there in search of something from her past. Maybe she'd moved across the country, away from South Carolina for years, only coming back when she thought that there was something or someone she had to find.
Again, all speculation. I have absolutely nothing to prove any of these theories (yet). But they're the theories that seem plausible enough for me to use as some sort of starting point in the search.