List of unidentified murder victims in Michigan

Detroit Jane Doe (2009) remains unidentified.

In Michigan, there are a number of murder victims, in the category of unidentified decedents, whose identities have yet to be determined.

Chippewa County John Doe (1966)

External images

Sketch

Profile

Belongings

Keys

On November 13, 1966, the decomposed body of a male was found in the Hiawatha National Forest in Trout Lake, Chippewa County, Michigan. The man's cause of death was determined to be a homicide by gunshot to the head. The victim was aged between 19 and 25, although he may have been up to 30 years old when he died. He was approximately 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 150 pounds (68 kg). His hair was around four inches (10 cm) long and was brown with a reddish tint. He was dressed in a tan shirt with jeans, and had both American and Canadian currency in his shirt pocket, leading officers to believe he was of Canadian nationality. Additionally, he was found near the border of the Canadian province of Ontario. A gold and chrome-colored lighter, and a set of five Canadian-style keys on a key ring, with the number "330" etched in it, were also found with the remains. The man's belongings and clothing no longer exist, as they were destroyed. He is believed to have died approximately six months before his discovery.

"Jenny"

External image

2020 NCMEC Reconstruction

On October 20, 1967, the body of a young/middle aged African American woman was found in a field by a group of hunters in Blendon Township near Hudsonville, Michigan. She had been beaten to death and strangled, and had been deceased for approximately a month. She was estimated to be between 20 and 40 years old, was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 100 pounds. She had black hair cut in a short afro style and brown eyes. Her body was found to have various healed scars in various areas, and she had an extra tooth fully grown behind her upper right incisor. She was found wearing a pair of yellow/gold ankle-length denim pants, a pair of pink Bermuda brand shorts, and a pair of men's light blue socks with dark blue and red diamond patterns on the sides. A white Rambler car had been seen on a trail close to the dump site three days prior to her discovery, however, no definitive link between the woman and the car has been established.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had partnered with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office in July, 2020 to exhume the body for testing, as well as reconstruction, however they later dropped the case in October. The DNA Doe Project was later contacted in April 2021 to assist with the woman's identification.

Jackson County Doe

External images

Reconstruction depicting wig

Profile

Reconstruction without wig

On August 30, 1978, a body was discovered in a garbage bag near a road in the Waterloo State Recreation Area in Jackson County, Michigan, just north of Interstate 94. The individual was African American, and estimated to be between 20 and 45 years old. They were between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighed approximately 130 pounds. They were found to be wearing a pair of blue jeans, a violet long-sleeved blouse, a beige long-sleeved blouse, a reddish-brown neck scarf, a pair of pantyhose, a bikini bra and panties, a pair of black high heeled shoes with a gold tassel ankle tie and an auburn wig.

Investigators initially believed that the individual was female, however recent testing found that they were assigned male at birth. Their death is being investigated as a homicide. Another victim was found with the individual, who was later identified as being from the Detroit area, leading investigators to believe that the unidentified individual may have also been from that area.

On January 27, 2021, the DNA Doe Project was asked to assist with the individual's identification.

Wayne County Jane Doe (1987)

External image

Sketch

On February 10, 1987, the body of a young woman, aged 16 to 25, was located in a dump in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. The victim was deceased less than two days and had been stabbed to death. She was approximately 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall and weighed around 114 pounds (52 kg). The victim had given birth eight weeks to one year prior, and she was lactating. A scar from an episiotomy was also found on her body. Her hair was brown with red and blond highlights, and was styled with a long nape with various layers. She was slender, but had an athletic build and an O blood type. Her nails were painted with pink polish, and she had brown or hazel eyes. A worn black bikini bottom was the only clothing she wore. Two rings were found on her left hand, one on her index finger and one on her ring finger, indicating she may have been married. She also had pierced ears. Along with some other unidentified decedents from Detroit, the victim was exhumed in 2014 for additional examination. The DNA Doe Project is assisting with the victim's case.

Her NamUs profile was removed in June, 2020, possibly meaning she was identified, however no definitive identification has been made. On November 24, 2020, it was announced by the project that she had been tentatively identified, her name pending announcement by officials.

Saginaw John Doe

External images

NCMEC Reconstruction

Sketch

On October 8, 1988, the body of a teenage African American boy was found in Saginaw, Michigan. He had been shot to death and had only been deceased for a few hours prior to discovery. He was estimated to be between 16 and 20 years old, was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 165 pounds. He had black hair that was short-faded on the sides, and was styled in a "sagittal crest mohawk" on the top. He also had a very slight mustache and brown eyes. He was found wearing a yellow-green short-sleeved T-shirt, a pair of black jeans, a pair of low cut, white sneakers with blue and white laces and two gold chain necklaces.

Othram Inc. was contacted to help with the boy's identification in February 2021.

"Betty The Bag Lady" (1992)

External images

3D reconstruction

Sketch

The remains of a woman were found on August 23, 1992 in New Buffalo, Berrien County, Michigan. The victim was nude, and between the ages of 65 and 75 when she was murdered. The victim was wrapped in a bed sheet, two garbage bags, and a towel, and left alongside a highway. Her hands were severed to prevent identification through fingerprint examination. The victim was also missing her dentures, as she had no teeth. The body was at the scene for approximately two days, but she was killed four to seven days before. The woman may have been from a nursing home in Illinois or Indiana. She was believed to have been five feet two inches tall and weighed around 102 pounds. The DNA Doe Project was asked to assist with identifying the body in December, 2019.

Alcona County Jane Doe

FBI Reconstruction of Alcona County Jane Doe

External images

LSU FACES Reconstruction

Sketch

3D Reconstruction

On October 26, 1994, the skeletal remains of a young to middle aged female were found by a hunter in a rural area near Curtis Township, Michigan. She was killed by blunt force trauma to the head, leading investigators to believe she was the victim of a suicide, and had been deceased for between 1 to 4 years. She was estimated to be between 30 and 50 years old, was between 4 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed approximately 135 pounds. She had light brown hair with a possible reddish tint. She had a gap in her front teeth and had poor dental care around the time she died, however she appeared to have had braces when she was younger. No clothing was found with the decedent.

"Matilda"

External images

3D Reconstruction

Sketch

On November 6, 1994, the skeletal remains of a young-middle aged woman of unknown race was discovered by a pair of hunters in a cornfield in Coopersville, Michigan. Cause of death could not be determined, but investigators are treating the case as a homicide. She had most likely died between August or September of that year. She was between 30 and 45 years old, was between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighed 160 pounds. She had red/dark brown hair. She also had severe arthritis in her left leg, which may have caused her to limp. She also had a healed fracture on her lower back. Sixteen of her teeth were missing, and one tooth had a filling. Some clothing items were found on the scene, but it is unknown if they are related to the case. They include a pair of black stretch pants, pink panties with blue stripes, and blue high-heeled shoes.

Investigators believe she may have been a victim of an unknown serial killer who preyed on prostitutes in the area, similar to the Kent County Jane Doe.

The DNA Doe Project was contacted to help with her identification in late April 2021.

Highland Park Jane Doe (1996)

External images

NCMEC reconstruction

Second NCMEC reconstruction

Watch

The body of a female between 15 and 25 years old was located in an alley in Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan on May 20, 1996. The victim was shot in the neck. The young woman weighed 191 pounds (87 kg) and was 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m) tall. She is presumed to be a mix of white and African-American. Her hair was reddish-brown, curly, and tied with a white bow in a ponytail. She wore a distinctive white shirt with yellow smiley faces, a white bra, white socks, black shoes, and a teddy-bear shaped wristwatch. Her eyes were brown, like her hair. The victim's teeth had three fillings and untreated decay, although no teeth had been removed. She is also believed to have been a tobacco smoker; other than this, she is believed to have been drug-free. She had type O blood and painted her nails; her fingernails were purple, and her toenails were pink. Other distinguishing features included many freckles on her face and a scar under her right knee. The victim also had pelvic inflammatory disease.

Kent County Jane Doe

External images

3D Reconstruction

Profile

Digital Reconstruction

On July 31, 1997, the partial skeletal remains of a young African American female were discovered in a wooded area in Ada Township, Michigan. Cause of death could not be determined, however investigators believe she was the victim of a homicide. She had possibly died between March and August of the previous year. She was estimated to be between 20 and 30 years old and was between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall. Weight, hair color, and eye color could not be ascertained. She had a healed fracture on her nose at the bridge, which investigators described as 'noticeable'. She was found wearing a navy blue leg warmer.

Investigators believe that she may have been a victim of an unknown serial killer who preyed on prostitutes in Ottawa, Kent, and Muskegon counties during the mid 1990s.

The DNA Doe Project was asked to assist with woman's identification in July, 2020.

Wayne County Jane Doe (2005)

Reconstruction of the 2005 Wayne County Jane Doe prior to losing her teeth.

External image

3D reconstruction

On July 13, 2005, the severely deteriorated body of a 35- to 60-year-old woman was found naked inside an abandoned building in Detroit, Michigan. The woman had extremely poor dentition, possibly due to methamphetamine use. However, her toenails and fingernails were well cared for. She had short auburn and grey hair, and was approximately 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m) tall. The skull was reconstructed twice, once with clay and the other by drawing.

Wayne County Jane Doe (2006)

External image

3D reconstruction

An African-American woman of slender build, reported to be a sex worker, was discovered on June 5, 2006, around a week after her death. She had been strangled and suffered trauma to the head. She was between 20 and 30 years of age, and had been left in a deserted building. The clothing she wore included a red T-shirt, a blue jacket decorated with flags, and Nike shoes. One of her front teeth was missing; her oral care was not well performed. Shelley Brooks, a serial killer, confessed to killing her and six other women, and remains incarcerated for the rest of his life.

Wayne County Jane Doe (2009)

The partially mummified remains of a woman were located in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan on March 26, 2009 in an alley. The woman's cause of death is unknown, but she was found without clothing, which indicates homicide. The victim was between 25 and 45 years old, and around 4 feet 8 inches (1.42 m) tall. Because of the state of her body, her weight could not be estimated; the Jane Doe was deceased for approximately eight months. Judging by a wad of hair found at the scene, she may have had red or auburn hair when she was alive. Examining the woman's bones suggested that she had given birth to at least one child and had trauma to her back before she died, which likely caused her pain.

See also

• List of unidentified murder victims in the United States

External links

• The Doe Network at doenetwork.org
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at missingkids.org
• National Missing and Unidentified Persons System at namus.gov

This article "List of unidentified murder victims in Michigan" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:List of unidentified murder victims in Michigan. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

📰 Article(s) of the same category(ies)

• List of assassinations and acts of terrorism against Americans
• List of unidentified decedents in Texas
• List of unidentified murder victims in California
• List of unidentified decedents in California
• List of unidentified murder victims in New York
• List of unidentified murder victims in Arizona
• List of unidentified murder victims in Pennsylvania

---