Before telling this Jane's story, I want to give a warning that there are some pretty graphic details and unsettling information surrounding this case.
Jane of Troy
UP14919 - 42UFIL
July 20, 1990 was a rather warm Friday in Troy, Illinois, undoubtedly sweltering for those working outside in the rural Jarvis Township area. A road maintenance crew was working along Lebanon Road, just west of Troy-O'Fallon Road when one of the workers happened to look over into a field of soybeans and noticed something odd that made them quickly called for police. This happenstance discovery would stun locals and add another Jane to the unsettling, long list of unidentified women. It may have been the end of the work week for many, but the work was just beginning for local authorities. In the field, authorities would find the badly decomposed nude body of a young woman.
As if her temporary resting place wasn't sad enough, or the fact that she laid there for days waiting to be found, her death was brutal. She had been sexually assaulted, stabbed multiple times about her neck and torso, cut and mutilated, and her reproductive organs removed. It's believed that she was dumped in the field not long after her death 2-3 days prior. Whoever killed her didn't stop after stabbing her repeatedly, but went into the realm of "overkill" to mutilate her body.
If you read the article (PDF linked to the button below) from the Herald and Review out of Decatur, IL in September 1990, a man who drove a taxi reported having seen the woman in June or July 1990, not long before she would meet her untimely end. According to the man, she told him that her name was Debbie, she was 31 years old, that she had 2 children whom had been left with her mother in Decatur, and that she had hitchhiked from Decatur to St Louis, then to Troy. Authorities cautioned the public not to put much thought into the name Debbie, as the man's recollection may not be entirely accurate. Even with that information, it's been almost 30 years since Jane of Troy was murdered and she is still waiting to be identified.
As if her temporary resting place wasn't sad enough, or the fact that she laid there for days waiting to be found, her death was brutal. She had been sexually assaulted, stabbed multiple times about her neck and torso, cut and mutilated, and her reproductive organs removed. It's believed that she was dumped in the field not long after her death 2-3 days prior. Whoever killed her didn't stop after stabbing her repeatedly, but went into the realm of "overkill" to mutilate her body.
If you read the article (PDF linked to the button below) from the Herald and Review out of Decatur, IL in September 1990, a man who drove a taxi reported having seen the woman in June or July 1990, not long before she would meet her untimely end. According to the man, she told him that her name was Debbie, she was 31 years old, that she had 2 children whom had been left with her mother in Decatur, and that she had hitchhiked from Decatur to St Louis, then to Troy. Authorities cautioned the public not to put much thought into the name Debbie, as the man's recollection may not be entirely accurate. Even with that information, it's been almost 30 years since Jane of Troy was murdered and she is still waiting to be identified.
What We KnowWhite
25-35 years old 5' 5" 130 lbs estimated Auburn hair worn in a ponytail Wore an upper denture plate, ears pierced Found near remains: White Gelmart bra size 36A, Pink t-shirt with "Florida" and 4 blue palm trees on the front, White Pebble Beach sandals with side-buckle, White metal ring with inlaid turquoise heart & small scroll patterns |
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My Two Cents
According to some sources, 3 women are murdered by a current or former intimate partner every day. Was this Jane a victim of someone close to her? Or did she meet her brutal end at the hands of a stranger? One could speculate that the level of violence indicates a personal connection, and it makes sense to think that her murder could have involved a spurned lover or abusive relationship boiling over. Alternatively, it's not impossible that she was killed by a stranger whose uncontrolled anger and aggression could have been unleashed on any woman that crossed his path, and Jane happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person.
It's horrifying to think that she was a random victim and that someone who didn't know her at all could have exhibited such rage toward her. The fact that she was assaulted and stabbed doesn't really point in a specific direction, but the removal of her reproductive organs seems like something that would be too macabre for an angry ex-boyfriend or husband. For that reason alone, the possibility that a random psychopath was responsible for her death can't be taken off of the table. Of course, intimate partner homicides have had their fair share of gruesome details over time. I just can't figure out if that key detail was an attempt to remove evidence or if it was some type of M.O. that hasn't been connected with other murders (yet).
As for who I think she might be, I'm sadly lacking in ideas. I don't know how much thought to put into the cab driver's report, but I'd hate to discount it if the details are true. And I wonder why her family never reported her missing. If she did, in fact, have 2 children who had been left in the care of their grandmother, why was no one concerned when she didn't come back for them? Was she known for being in and out of their lives? Was it typical for her to be out of contact for long periods? Did they all assume that she had just left to start a new life and didn't want to bring her children along? It seems as if we may never know the answers to any of these questions. The possibility that she had left her children with her mother and run off with a boyfriend or husband isn't far-fetched, which makes it more likely that the one person who should know her whereabouts (the partner) could have been the one who ended her life. If she was hitchhiking her way around Illinois, it's not a stretch to think that she could have simply accepted a ride from someone who inevitably murdered her and dumped her in the field. But the location of the dump site feels more like a place that a local would be more drawn to, rather than someone merely passing through. Only time will tell if she was one of the many women killed by someone close to them, or if she was a victim of a murderous stranger.
It's horrifying to think that she was a random victim and that someone who didn't know her at all could have exhibited such rage toward her. The fact that she was assaulted and stabbed doesn't really point in a specific direction, but the removal of her reproductive organs seems like something that would be too macabre for an angry ex-boyfriend or husband. For that reason alone, the possibility that a random psychopath was responsible for her death can't be taken off of the table. Of course, intimate partner homicides have had their fair share of gruesome details over time. I just can't figure out if that key detail was an attempt to remove evidence or if it was some type of M.O. that hasn't been connected with other murders (yet).
As for who I think she might be, I'm sadly lacking in ideas. I don't know how much thought to put into the cab driver's report, but I'd hate to discount it if the details are true. And I wonder why her family never reported her missing. If she did, in fact, have 2 children who had been left in the care of their grandmother, why was no one concerned when she didn't come back for them? Was she known for being in and out of their lives? Was it typical for her to be out of contact for long periods? Did they all assume that she had just left to start a new life and didn't want to bring her children along? It seems as if we may never know the answers to any of these questions. The possibility that she had left her children with her mother and run off with a boyfriend or husband isn't far-fetched, which makes it more likely that the one person who should know her whereabouts (the partner) could have been the one who ended her life. If she was hitchhiking her way around Illinois, it's not a stretch to think that she could have simply accepted a ride from someone who inevitably murdered her and dumped her in the field. But the location of the dump site feels more like a place that a local would be more drawn to, rather than someone merely passing through. Only time will tell if she was one of the many women killed by someone close to them, or if she was a victim of a murderous stranger.