FL FL - Sumter Co, 'Little Miss Panasoffkee', WhtFem 17-24, 470UFFL, Feb'71

[carbuff]

Mary's Namus, for reference: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Mary Margaret Cook has not been ruled out as being Miss Panasoffkee, but many of us feel the fact that Miss Panasoffkee had extensive dental work while Ms. Cook is described as having excellent teeth with no dental work makes it a likely ruleout. Not definitive though.

I don't know whether anyone ever actually submitted her.

 

[Victoria Chambers]

Mary's Namus, for reference: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Mary Margaret Cook has not been ruled out as being Miss Panasoffkee, but many of us feel the fact that Miss Panasoffkee had extensive dental work while Ms. Cook is described as having excellent teeth with no dental work makes it a likely ruleout. Not definitive though.

I don't know whether anyone ever actually submitted her.

See, I wonder how often, these husband's who file the initial missing persons reports, I feel they probably might give some misinformation regarding dentals or scars etc just to make identification tougher or even to hinder the search, knowing her demise and whereabouts. If that makes sense?

 

[lonewanderer]

Mary's Namus, for reference: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Mary Margaret Cook has not been ruled out as being Miss Panasoffkee, but many of us feel the fact that Miss Panasoffkee had extensive dental work while Ms. Cook is described as having excellent teeth with no dental work makes it a likely ruleout. Not definitive though.

I don't know whether anyone ever actually submitted her.

There’s things that go against Mary being the victim, too.

For instance, her husband worked in Palm Springs which is about 2 hours southeast of their home, and the site of the UID is about an hour north.

That could be taken as a sign that he went north on purpose to not get caught, or could be taken as him not disposing of her there because it was out of the way.

 

[Richard]

Little Miss Panasoffkee (left) - Mary Margaret Cook (right)

There are a number of similarities between the unidentified "Miss Panasoffkee" (found February 1971) and missing Mary Margaret Cook (went missing November 1970).

I suggested a possible connection between the two cases in my post #316 of this thread.

Investigators viewed Mary's husband, Leathern "Earl" Cook (now deceased), as the prime suspect in her disappearance. As the person who initially reported her missing, Earl was the source of much of her description to investigators.

LINKS:

FL - FL - Mary Margaret Cook, 25, Highland City, 14 Nov 1970

Mary Margaret Cook – The Charley Project

The Doe Network: Case File 1383DFFL

 

[Friday Fan]

If they have any DNA for Miss Panasoffkee, they should be able to compare with Mary Margaret Cook, if her children have provided DNA.

 

[annoulzz]

Hi everyone! I haven't posted here in a long time! I have been posting more regularly in the FB group for Little Miss P. I have been doing some research over the past year or so. I have found that the poncho she wore was probably handmade; gives me "flea market" vibes or from a vintage place. I found a lot of Guatemalan style ponchos from the designer, Pacaya International very similar to the one she wore.

Also I am wondering now if she had Thalassemia, which is very "popular" among Mediterranean people, especially Greek people and it is hereditary. It could explain the issues with her bones. Bone deformities: Thalassemia can make the bone marrow expand, which causes bones to widen. This can result in abnormal bone structure, especially in the face and skull. Bone marrow expansion also makes bones thin and brittle, increasing the risk of broken bones (like her ankle for example).

Between 1970 to 1979 there were over 71,400 Greeks that emigrated to the United States, and between 1965 to 1975, the majority went to New York City and surrounding cities. It's possible that Florida was not the original place she went to when she came to the US. She could have traveled to New York first and then made her way to Florida.

In the Greek Orthodox religion, when you get engaged, you wear the ring on the left hand and during the wedding, the wedding band and engagement right gets switched to the right hand. It was also not uncommon to have multiple kids from 15 years old. My aunt before moving to Australia when she was 18 had 2 kids, my dad was only 12 then when he last saw his sister.

As far as the corn angle, Greece was known to be big on agricultural farming. A lot of people had their own livestock, olive trees; depending on where you were from, you were harvesting multiple crops. Where my husband's family is from in Serres (Northern Greece/Macedonia) they are huge farmers for corn, wheat, barley, cotton, and tobacco which are harvested. Where my family is from in Sparta, we have a lot of olive and orange trees, so for her to have been on a corn diet, it's not so far fetched.

And the last comment I have to make is that I know someone who looks identical to the T of the composite. Little Miss P could be her grandmother or a relative of hers and she happens to be my niece's school friend from Greece. I am going to Greece in a few weeks so I am basically going to try and see other information I can find out. This girl may have no clue that one of her relatives has been missing all this time.

 

[lonewanderer]

Hi everyone! I haven't posted here in a long time! I have been posting more regularly in the FB group for Little Miss P. I have been doing some research over the past year or so. I have found that the poncho she wore was probably handmade; gives me "flea market" vibes or from a vintage place. I found a lot of Guatemalan style ponchos from the designer, Pacaya International very similar to the one she wore.

Also I am wondering now if she had Thalassemia, which is very "popular" among Mediterranean people, especially Greek people and it is hereditary. It could explain the issues with her bones. Bone deformities: Thalassemia can make the bone marrow expand, which causes bones to widen. This can result in abnormal bone structure, especially in the face and skull. Bone marrow expansion also makes bones thin and brittle, increasing the risk of broken bones (like her ankle for example).

Between 1970 to 1979 there were over 71,400 Greeks that emigrated to the United States, and between 1965 to 1975, the majority went to New York City and surrounding cities. It's possible that Florida was not the original place she went to when she came to the US. She could have traveled to New York first and then made her way to Florida.

In the Greek Orthodox religion, when you get engaged, you wear the ring on the left hand and during the wedding, the wedding band and engagement right gets switched to the right hand. It was also not uncommon to have multiple kids from 15 years old. My aunt before moving to Australia when she was 18 had 2 kids, my dad was only 12 then when he last saw his sister.

As far as the corn angle, Greece was known to be big on agricultural farming. A lot of people had their own livestock, olive trees; depending on where you were from, you were harvesting multiple crops. Where my husband's family is from in Serres (Northern Greece/Macedonia) they are huge farmers for corn, wheat, barley, cotton, and tobacco which are harvested. Where my family is from in Sparta, we have a lot of olive and orange trees, so for her to have been on a corn diet, it's not so far fetched.

And the last comment I have to make is that I know someone who looks identical to the T of the composite. Little Miss P could be her grandmother or a relative of hers and she happens to be my niece's school friend from Greece. I am going to Greece in a few weeks so I am basically going to try and see other information I can find out. This girl may have no clue that one of her relatives has been missing all this time.

Mary Cook has been mentioned on there extensively.

Her NAMUS page specifically states "She had told her mother she was making a new dress of green material"

Mary is also Native, which may explain her appearance and history. It was thought that Beth Doe was from somewhere in Europe, some really specific spot, but she turned out to be of Hispanic decent.

 

[annoulzz]

I'm not sure. At first I thought she looked like Alexis Duggan but I read on here she was not her.

 

[annoulzz]

Mary Cook has been mentioned on there extensively.

Her NAMUS page specifically states "She had told her mother she was making a new dress of green material"

Mary is also Native, which may explain her appearance and history. It was thought that Beth Doe was from somewhere in Europe, some really specific spot, but she turned out to be of Hispanic decent.

Have they ruled her out yet? I just have a gut feeling that Little Miss P is Greek.

 

[pol100gk]

I just have a gut feeling that Little Miss P is Greek

I know, the last composite looks very classically Greek. My family has roots in Kavala (hello Serres) and I see this as a more typically southern Greek face. Very striking, especially in relation to the Lavrion link. But DNA would tell us more.

I wish Little Miss P could be submitted for geneology testing. She needs to go home, wherever home is and whatever her circumstances are.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

I know, the last composite looks very classically Greek. My family has roots in Kavala (hello Serres) and I see this as a more typically southern Greek face. Very striking, especially in relation to the Lavrion link. But DNA would tell us more.

I wish Little Miss P could be submitted for geneology testing. She needs to go home, wherever home is and whatever her circumstances are.

Hopefully DNA Doe Project or Othram can help in this case.

 

[Friday Fan]

She had at least two previous children and wore what appeared to be a wedding ring on her left hand.

The composite is based on her skeletal remains and hair. We really don't know what she looked like because she was in fairly advanced decomposition. She had dark hair and likely brown eyes.

 

[lonewanderer]

She had at least two previous children and wore what appeared to be a wedding ring on her left hand.

The composite is based on her skeletal remains and hair. We really don't know what she looked like because she was in fairly advanced decomposition. She had dark hair and likely brown eyes.

Mary Cook had two boys, one of which claims to have seen her rolled into a blanket or carpet by their father then placed in a trunk of a car.

 

[Friday Fan]

After Sharon Gallegos, we can't be 100% certain Alexis Dugan is not Little Miss P.

I believe for some reason that I don't understand, Sharon did not match with her sister's DNA. Like Little Miss P, it was CODIS DNA with limited markers.
CODIS is primarily designed for 1 to 1 comparisons. Sharon was the first time, that I heard of a sibling not matching, so maybe it was a fluke....

 

[annoulzz]

I know, the last composite looks very classically Greek. My family has roots in Kavala (hello Serres) and I see this as a more typically southern Greek face. Very striking, especially in relation to the Lavrion link. But DNA would tell us more.

I wish Little Miss P could be submitted for geneology testing. She needs to go home, wherever home is and whatever her circumstances are.

My husband's family is from Serres.. lol The girl I know who matches the composite is from the Serres area.. it's quite possibly she is from Northern Greece. I also think she was around 20-21 years old at time of death.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Hopefully DNA Doe Project or Othram can help in this case.

 

[pol100gk]

Little Miss P had quite a distinctive dental chart so Mary Cook and Alexis Duggan were probably discounted because of that?

 

[Friday Fan]

This is my first post here. I am curious if anyone has contacted orthopedic experts for information on how common the Watson-Jones procedure was during 67-70, and what surgeons were performing the procedure during this time. I also recall seeing that the dental work she received reflected techniques common in the New York City area. Or has anyone looked at immigration records from the Lavros, Greece area.....

Sounds like it's a tendon/ligament reinforcement for ankle instability. Ankle instability can occur after a severe sprain fails to heal etc.

I think the procedure was common enough that doctors all across the country, would not have the time or effort to recollect performing one between 67-70.

A local surgeon (Florida) might remember. Unfortunately, they determined that she had this surgery after she was exhumed in 1986. Even if the surgeon was local, he could have passed away by that time. Additionally medical records were usually kept for only seven years.

I think it was a "call-out" to surgeons if they "remembered"...and the "if" is probably more "local"...


I don't get the impression it was rare procedure, but if you would go into a city and asked all the local ortho surgeons, "Did you perform this procedure on a young lady who fits this description between 1967-70?" They would likely remember if they were still alive.

I'm sure someone on websleuths knows something about the procedure.

https://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/jramc/139/3/115.full.pdf

http://www.podiatryinstitute.com/pdfs/Update_1994/1994_12.pdf

 

[Victoria Chambers]

I am not sure that the ankle procedure in Miss Panasoffkee case would be suitable for a person with brittle bones. Since it involves screwing pins in if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Richard]

470UFFL - Unidentified Female

Reconstructions of the victim

Date of Discovery: February 19, 1971
Location of Discovery: Lake Panasoffkee, Sumter County, Florida
Estimated Date of Death: 2 weeks to 30 days prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Cause of Death: Homicide by ligature strangulation

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 17-24 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'0" to 5'5"
Weight: 110-120 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown, long and straight.
Eye Color: Possibly brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Orthopedic surgery had been performed on her right ankle due to instability in the ankle. The procedure, known as a "Watson-Jones" technique, involved drilling two small holes in the ankle bone and winding a tendon through them. The surgery probably occurred between 1967 and 1970. She had given birth to at least one child, possibly more. Periostitis (inflammation of tissue around a bone) was found on her lower right leg in the process of healing. Harris lines were observed on her bones, indicating she experienced an illness and/or malnutrition that affected her growth earlier in life. Perimortem fractures were also observed on ribs one and three.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available. Extensive dental work, including several silver fillings and a porcelain crown on one of her top middle teeth.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: A shawl with a green and white print; plaid green pants; a solid green shirt
Jewelry: A white gold ladies Baylor wrist watch on her left hand, a yellow gold ring with a clear stone on her left ring finger and a small/thin gold necklace.

Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery

The victim's decomposed body was spotted in Lake Panasoffkee by two hitchhikers crossing the Panasoffkee bridge on February 19, 1971. Police were notified and it was quickly determined that the girl had been strangled by a man's size 36 belt, which was still around her throat. Authorities believe she was murdered else where and dumped off the bridge.

The victim came to the United States within ten months and two years prior to her death (previously believed to be one or three months before). It has been determined that she was of Greek descent and could have arrived in the U.S. directly from there just prior to her death. It is also possible that she could have come from or been directly related to Greek residents of Lavrion, Greece, based on dental testing.

The woman's remains were exhumed in 1986 for additional examination after she was buried in in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Wildwood, Florida and was later featured on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. She is known as "Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee."

Investigating Agency(s)

Agency Name: Sumter County Sheriff’s Office
Agency Contact Person: Detective Darren Norris
Agency Phone Number: 1-352-569-1600
Agency E-Mail: dnorris(at)sumtercountysheriff.org
Agency Case Number: 71-0291

Agency Name: District 5 Medical Examiner
Agency Phone Number: 1-352-326-5961
Agency E-Mail: dona.faber(at)marioncountyfl.org
Agency Case Number: A-10-71

NCIC Case Number: U276515052
NamUs Case Number: 6040
NCMEC Case Number: 1202391

Information Source(s)
NamUs
University of South Florida
NCMEC
Wikipedia
Hellbeasts - A Blog about Crime and Injustice
Daily Sun
Unsolved Mysteries
470UFFL