Willamette River Jane
73 years have passed since the Willamette River Jane was first discovered on April 13, 1946. Her fully clothed torso was found floating in the Willamette River, with her head, arms and legs having been removed with precise cuts of a saw. The torso had been wrapped in burlap sacks, wrapped with telephone cord, and weighted down with window sash weights. The three fisherman who discovered the gruesome burlap package wouldn't be the only ones to play a part in the recovery of this Jane's remains in 1946.
The next day, five boatmen found a burlap sack floating in the river, which was discovered to contain her arms and legs. Authorities at the time did what they could with the remains, though it wasn't much when compared to modern day investigations and forensic testing. It would be another 6 months before local law enforcement was able to finally put the puzzle together. In October 1946, her head was recovered from the river. Now they could finally try to determine cause of death and possible identity. |
Clothing found on Willamette River Jane's torso:
Brown slacks Dark blue sweater Long underclothing Black dress materials Topcoat |
What We KnowWhite
40-50 years old 5' 2" to 5' 4" 115 - 125 lbs Brown & graying hair, in curlers and pins Full upper denture Cause of Death: Blunt force trauma to the head Estimated Time of Death: Weeks prior (Some of the boatmen reported having seen the sack containing her arms and leg in the river some 30 days earlier) DNA & Fingerprints not available, Dental comparison may be possible |
Want to know more about this Jane? |
My Two Cents
While it may seem that this case is more difficult due to the significant length of time that's passed, it isn't all that much more challenging than, say, a case from the 1970s or 1980s. The good thing about the 1940s is that newspapers were a lot like social media; they had columns about who visited who, where people moved, if someone was ill, and so on. There was less of what we consider news, and more about keeping the community connected. That in mind, I'm hopeful that there may be some mention of a woman having disappeared around February - March of 1946 in newspaper archives.
Looking into the type of clothing she wore is on my searching to-do list, because it could give insight into her lifestyle and possible social status. If she was poor or transient, it makes the case exceptionally difficult. But if she was a notable member of her community, finding records of her may be simpler. As always, going back to birth records for the area may be helpful, though I'm certain that there are a wagonload of records to sift through.
This case is not only about finding this Jane's identity, but attempting to identify her killer as well. Her death was ruled a homicide and, as far as I know, there have never been any suspects named or charged in her death. The killer, whoever he was, tipped his hand when he made such precise cuts in the process of dismembering her. The average person didn't have such knowledge of anatomy, so it serves to narrow down the potential areas of employment that the killer may have been in. Finding more information on the burlap sacks could point us in some direction, but it's unlikely to produce any real leads. In the Cleveland Torso Murderer (also known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run) case, some remains were found in burlap sacks, but authorities quickly learned that there was no way to track the owner of those sacks due to the mass quantities that shop owners sold.
All in all, this case is intriguing and gruesome. I don't want to say that we, living in this era, are "used to" such crimes, but we're certainly desensitized to some of the details that may have left people fainting or becoming sick by just reading about the murder and remains. Someone, likely close to Jane, knows how she died and who killed her. It's just a matter of digging into that haystack and coming out with a shiny little needle.
Looking into the type of clothing she wore is on my searching to-do list, because it could give insight into her lifestyle and possible social status. If she was poor or transient, it makes the case exceptionally difficult. But if she was a notable member of her community, finding records of her may be simpler. As always, going back to birth records for the area may be helpful, though I'm certain that there are a wagonload of records to sift through.
This case is not only about finding this Jane's identity, but attempting to identify her killer as well. Her death was ruled a homicide and, as far as I know, there have never been any suspects named or charged in her death. The killer, whoever he was, tipped his hand when he made such precise cuts in the process of dismembering her. The average person didn't have such knowledge of anatomy, so it serves to narrow down the potential areas of employment that the killer may have been in. Finding more information on the burlap sacks could point us in some direction, but it's unlikely to produce any real leads. In the Cleveland Torso Murderer (also known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run) case, some remains were found in burlap sacks, but authorities quickly learned that there was no way to track the owner of those sacks due to the mass quantities that shop owners sold.
All in all, this case is intriguing and gruesome. I don't want to say that we, living in this era, are "used to" such crimes, but we're certainly desensitized to some of the details that may have left people fainting or becoming sick by just reading about the murder and remains. Someone, likely close to Jane, knows how she died and who killed her. It's just a matter of digging into that haystack and coming out with a shiny little needle.