PA PA - Marie Coleman, 49-50, Philadelphia, 10 Jan 1959, NamUs MP 70359

[CCJD]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Missing Person / NamUs #MP70359
Marie Coleman, Female, Uncertain
Status Missing
Date of Last Contact January 10, 1959
Missing From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Missing Age49 - 50 Years
Current Age 110 - 112 Years

Case Information

Demographics
Missing Age49 - 50 Years
Current Age110 - 112 Years
First Name Marie
Middle Name--
Last Name Coleman
Nickname/Alias--

Sex Female
Height 5' 9" (69 Inches)
Weight 185 lbs
Race / Ethnicity Uncertain

Circumstances
Date of Last Contac tJanuary 10, 1959
NamUs Case Created June 7, 2020

Last Known Location
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123
County Philadelphia County

Circumstances of Disappearance Thomas E Burns was convicted of murdering his common-in-law wife, Marie Coleman on January 10, 1959. He allegedly boasted that he had cut up her body and disposed of it. This was the first murder case in PA to be tried without a body. Her remains have never been found.

Physical Description
Hair Color Unknown
Head Hair Description --
Body Hair Description --
Facial Hair Description --
Left Eye Color Unknown
Right Eye Color Unknown
Eye Description --
Distinctive Physical Features
No Information Entered

Clothing and Accessories
No Information Entered
Additional Case Info

Contacts
Investigating Agencies

Pennsylvania State Police

Address 2201 Belmont Avenue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131
County Philadelphia County
Main Phone (215) 452-5216

Agency Case Number PA20-904903
Date Reported--
No Investigator Entered
Case Contributors
Teddi Hesser, Law Enforcement

 

[sonz82]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

• 

MISSING
Missing Person / NamUs #MP70359Marie Coleman, Female, Uncertain
Date of Last ContactJanuary 10, 1959
Missing FromPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania




Case Information



Demographics
Missing Age49 - 50 Years
Current Age110 - 112 Years
First NameMarie
Middle Name--
Last NameColeman
Nickname/Alias--

SexFemale
Height5' 9" (69 Inches)
Weight185 lbs
Race / EthnicityUncertain

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact January 10, 1959
NamUs Case Created June 8, 2020
Last Known Location Map
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123
County Philadelphia County
Missing From Tribal Land No
Primary Residence on Tribal Land--
Circumstances of Disappearance Thomas E Burns was convicted of murdering his common-in-law wife, Marie Coleman on January 10, 1959. He allegedly boasted that he had cut up her body and disposed of it. This was the first murder case in PA to be tried without a body. Her remains have never been found.
Physical Description
Hair ColorUnknown
Head Hair Description--
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye ColorUnknown
Right Eye ColorUnknown
Eye Description--
Distinctive Physical Features
No Information Entered

Clothing and Accessories
No Information Entered
Additional Case Info

Transportation
No Information Entered

 

[CCJD]

31 Dec 1969, - at Newspapers.com

 

[PayrollNerd]

Well isn't that odd - no race, hair color, eye color, etc. I wonder when the NamUs file was created, maybe recently?

 

[PayrollNerd]

Well this is interesting. I bet the legal team worked very hard to win this case.

Commonwealth v. Burns

409 Pa. 619 (1963)

Commonwealth v. Burns, Appellant.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Argued April 30, 1962.

January 21, 1963.

*620 Before BELL, C.J., MUSMANNO, JONES, COHEN, EAGEN and O'BRIEN, JJ.

*621 Abraham J. Brem Levy, for appellant.

Richard A. Sprague, Assistant District Attorney, with him Burton Satzberg and Arlen Specter, Assistant District Attorneys, Paul M. Chalfin, First Assistant District Attorney, and James C. Crumlish, Jr., District Attorney, for Commonwealth, appellee.

OPINION BY MR. JUSTICE O'BRIEN, January 21, 1963:

See link, very detailed info.

 

[CCJD]

Well isn't that odd - no race, hair color, eye color, etc. I wonder when the NamUs file was created, maybe recently?

I entered her into NamUs and I've looked high and low for hair color, eye color and a photo of her but have come up empty. I'm fairly certain she was white. What's odd is that NamUs verifies missing persons status with LE prior to publishing to the public so you'd think someone in LE would be able to fill in some of the blanks.

 

[CCJD]

pdf doc from 31 Dec 1969, - at Newspapers.com

 

[PayrollNerd]

I entered her into NamUs and I've looked high and low for hair color, eye color and a photo of her but have come up empty. I'm fairly certain she was white. What's odd is that NamUs verifies missing persons status with LE prior to publishing to the public so you'd think someone in LE would be able to fill in some of the blanks.

I will dig around and see what I can find. I had no idea who set up NamUs accounts but glad to know she has one now, and a thread on here too. Thank you for your work!

 

[PayrollNerd]

She is Case 48 in this book. The husband claims

1. he cut her up and put her in the trash
2. he fought with her, hit her with her a hammer, cut her up and put her in the trash
3. he buried her in the cellar

It would not surprise me if some or all of this was true. He could have buried her thinking that would be the end of it. Then after he moved out, gone back and removed her remains and put her in the trash.

No-Body Homicide Cases

 

[PayrollNerd]

pdf doc from 31 Dec 1969, - at Newspapers.com

The son, Thomas C Burns passed away in 2011 per familysearch . org.

This clipping refers to Marie Coleman as Mrs. Marie Coleman. Is Coleman her married name, I wonder? She was 50 and T E Burns was 35 so a pretty big age difference for back then, especially the female being older. That means the son, T C Burns was born when his father was still a teen.

 

[CCJD]

The son, Thomas C Burns passed away in 2011 per familysearch . org.

This clipping refers to Marie Coleman as Mrs. Marie Coleman. Is Coleman her married name, I wonder? She was 50 and T E Burns was 35 so a pretty big age difference for back then, especially the female being older. That means the son, T C Burns was born when his father was still a teen.

I've always assumed that Marie had been married but I've yet to find anything in the old news archives that refers to her as either a widow or divorcee.

From your above link re: Commonwealth v Burns:
... Burns and Marie Coleman were the sole occupants of a house in Philadelphia, using the second floor and third floor as their living quarters. Both were employed and Burns was married, but separated from his wife and children. Marie Coleman had many relatives in the Philadelphia area, including sisters, nieces, a brother and a married daughter, living in Detroit, Michigan, and she had friends with whom she associated in the area where she lived.

The May-December relationship between Marie and Thomas - who really knows if it was romance or companionship? The term "common-law" I guess is more palatable than "shacking up". But it does sound like Thomas may have been the groom in a shotgun wedding. Teen pregnancies did happen, even back in the 40s.

What puzzles me is that a missing persons report was filed for Marie but I've yet to find anything in the old newspapers. Yes, still looking for the elusive photo of her but I've been looking for several years. Still nothing.

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

This case made me think of Philadelphia "Basement Head" Jane Doe from 1963. I can't see if she's a ruleout, though.

Her WS thread:
PA - PA - Philadelphia Co, WhtFem UP16994, 50-70, in basement of vacant property, Feb'63

 

[CCJD]

This case made me think of Philadelphia "Basement Head" Jane Doe from 1963. I can't see if she's a ruleout, though.

Her WS thread:
PA - PA - Philadelphia Co, WhtFem UP16994, 50-70, in basement of vacant property, Feb'63

There are no ruleouts listed for UP 16994. I actually thought of the same possible match but there are no dentals, DNA or fingerprints (no fingers) for her. I have no idea what the disposition of the head is/was. I'm thinking she was likely buried with another unknown at the old Dunks Ferry potter's field.

Unknown if there are dentals for Marie but from '59, I'd tend to doubt it. I'd also doubt there are fingerprints and the only way I can see of possibly getting DNA is if surviving family members were to come forward. So at this time, I don't see any way of definitively ruling her out.

 

[salamanderqueeftp]

bump