TX TX - Falls Co, Hisp/Poss Asian AdmxFem 20-45, UP3514, wrapped in quilt, heart charm nklce, Apr'00

[Melt71]

Refreshing this case, noting a few things that stand out to me:
- someone went to effort to hide the remains, she was found in a stock tank, not dumped by the roadside.
- no hair was found. Namus says ethnicity/race is unknown. Doe Network says Hispanic with Asian admixture. In any event I think the recon should not be taken literally, particularly the hair styling.
- Jewellery and clothing lean towards Asian, but not necessarily Chinese, as clothing with such labelling is widely available throughout Asia and, I'm guessing in the west too
- The 1984 t-shirt indicates a potential PMI of up to, say, 17 years (1983 if the t-shirt was purchased before the '84 Olympics).
- the number of clothing items and bedding make me think she had been staying somewhere, or living with someone who wanted to erase her presence. If all her clothes were gone, the killer could say she had left of her own accord.

www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/3514/details?nav

ME/C Case Number - JP1267-00 00-04-0109
Demographics
Sex - Female
Race / Ethnicity - Uncertain

Estimated Age Group- Adult
Estimated Age Range (Years) 18-99
Estimated Year of Death 0 - 2000
Height 4' 9"-5' 3"(57-63 inches) , Estimated
Weight Cannot Estimate
Circumstances
TypeUnidentified Deceased
Date Body Found April 10, 2000
NamUs Case Created October 15, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed December 31, 2011
Location Found Map
Location Fals County Texas
CountyFalls County

Circumstances of Recovery Skeletal remains found in stock tank on CR 451, approximately 4-5 miles from I-35 in Falls County. Found with numerous clothing articles, including long-sleeved, light-colored shirt with ruffles around neck; yellow shirt, 2 light-colored polyester scarves; light brown sweater with "USA-1984"; short-sleeved, pink "Jody" brand blouse; black-gray striped skirt (and matching shirt) with Chinese symbols on tag and the number "9"; size 4 "Maidenform" underwear; several floral sheet sets.
Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains One or both hands not recovered, remains not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only

 

[PayrollNerd]

The missing hands remind me of someone older who did not realize a person could be easily identified by something other than fingerprints. At least now, with DNA.

The necklace was not taken as a trophy - seems like a slip up by the perp, or someone who knew her and knew it had no value.

Interesting that the clothing / laundry was left in the area. It is possible we have 2 crimes here. The first perp murders the victim, disposes of her and the vehicle. Another perp finds the vehicle, disposes of the items inside. Could the 2nd perp be so foolish as to leave her items near her body? Do we have 2 perps working together? Father/son. Traffickers. Pimp/partner. Husband and new girlfriend?

 

[Melt71]

Texas clearing house has only 2 Asian women listed in the timeframe, none reported to be wearing similar clothing or jewellery. Wendy was possibly traveling (she had mental health issues and I assume some links to TX since she is on their missing site but was reported missing in IL).

Kimberlee Ann Mallard, missing from El Paso 1986
Her Charley Project page was just updated yesterday with more photos and additional medical information
Kimberlee Ann Mallard – The Charley Project
www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/tx-kimberlee-mallard-22-el-paso-2-oct-1996.115226/#post-15514223
www.dps.texas.gov/mpch/MissingPerson/mpDetails/M6-5-200210-33-14AM

Wendy M Kimura, missing from Fox River Grove, Illinois since 1999 www.dps.texas.gov/mpch/MissingPerson/mpDetails/M3-13-20074-24-15PM
Wendy M. Kimura – The Charley Project
www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/il-wendy-kimura-28-cary-20-may-1999.212515/
Unlikely IMO as presumably the PMI would need to be longer than 1 year, though I'm not familiar with how quickly remains deteriorate in TX.

 

[Melt71]

The missing hands remind me of someone older who did not realize a person could be easily identified by something other than fingerprints. At least now, with DNA.

The necklace was not taken as a trophy - seems like a slip up by the perp, or someone who knew her and knew it had no value.

I thought perhaps the remains had been there so long that scavengers had removed the hands. There is no mention of whether the tank was full of water, so not sure how accessible to animals the remains would have been.

Good point about the jewellery not being taken; perhaps a killer that just wanted her gone and didn't want to remember - a different MO to some serial killers, for example.

It intrigues me that, as mentioned in earlier posts, Yun Cha Dainiak doesn't appear on the Texas Clearing House site. She matches on several of the potential key points - location, dates, height, age and was a forced abduction in 1987 www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/17232
www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/tx-yun-cha-dainiak-23-harker-heights-24-jan-1987.331834/

@MadMcGoo pretty please can you see any R/O?

 

[PayrollNerd]

I thought perhaps the remains had been there so long that scavengers had removed the hands. There is no mention of whether the tank was full of water, so not sure how accessible to animals the remains would have been.

Good point about the jewellery not being taken; perhaps a killer that just wanted her gone and didn't want to remember - a different MO to some serial killers, for example.

It intrigues me that, as mentioned in earlier posts, Yun Cha Dainiak doesn't appear on the Texas Clearing House site. She matches on several of the potential key points - location, dates, height, age and was a forced abduction in 1987 www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/17232
www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/tx-yun-cha-dainiak-23-harker-heights-24-jan-1987.331834/

@MadMcGoo pretty please can you see any R/O?

Scavengers first went through my mind too. However, there should be bones left behind, while small, I would think they'd be there, somewhere. I could be wrong too.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Just one MP exclusion (listed twice):
MP229 Christina Burnett-Pitts 1998 Butler MO

 

[MadMcGoo]

You bring up a good point @Melt71 . I’ve only read this thread and her Doe Network profile so I don’t know every specific about the case. Stock tanks of all sizes where I’m from are kept full all year. Unless this was an abandoned farm/ranch/dairy (whichever the case) and there were no livestock around, there should have been water in it. Even during freezing weather measures are taken to prevent the entire tank from becoming a block of ice.

That would be something of significance in my opinion, the details of the stock tank.

JMO

 

[PayrollNerd]

Does a stock tank have a lid? I’m visualizing a septic tank made of concrete. Maybe it is like a fish stock tank? What would that be made of? Concrete? Dirt with a heavy liner? Who would have known about the location of this stock tank?

It said she had multiple sheet sets but do we know if that included her blanket or bedspread? A quilted blanket sounds like a bedspread from a motel. Is there a description of the fabric, like the print or design? It could have been a cotton polyester fabric possibly with nylon thread. That would explain it holding up from the time of her disappearance in the mid 1980s to her discovery in 2000. If her clothing was initially wrapped up with her, scavengers could have spread the clothing around the area.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Oh gosh...stock tanks come in all kinds. I’m used to the big galvanized ones - we used to go swimming in them (ewwww, if only I knew then ). That’s basically what they are, above ground metal pools.

(for size reference)
This was about a decade before she was discovered but those type are still common. They’ve got all kinds of “fancy” ones now...they look more like Rubbermaid totes.

Most of the ones I’ve seen are either round or capsule shaped and sit on the ground.

I’ve never seen one with a lid. Not to say they don’t exist but it kind of defeats the purpose. That’s why I think it’s a significant detail. What “stock” was this one meant for? Was it tended to regularly? Did it water just a few sheep or dozens of horses?

These are just observations based on my experience with them, it’s been a few years since I’ve been around them regularly.

 

[PezCandy]

I never really knew what the heck a stock tank was I guess, for some reason I imagine one being like that thing Elisa Lam was found in, what was that called? I get the names of those things confused.

 

[Melt71]

Yep @MadMcGoo thats what I was imagining though in Australia they are more often cast concrete than galvanised tin. I too have memories of swimming in them as a child.....the green slime around the edges ewwwww.

 

[MadMcGoo]

We had a tank of salamanders! Ugh!

Elisa was found in a water tank... not sure the technical name, if there is one... it’s just a water supply tank for the hotel. I know it’s basically a smaller version of a water tower (like the photo)

 

[CaseyLPC]

The area where I grew up we called pretty much any pond in the pasture a stock tank. It didn't have to be one of those large metal water troughs. They may have been talking about a small pond in someone's pasture.

 

[PayrollNerd]

The area where I grew up we called pretty much any pond in the pasture a stock tank. It didn't have to be one of those large metal water troughs. They may have been talking about a small pond in someone's pasture.

Here in Florida I see a lot of reference to stock ponds which are plastic lined holes in the ground for fish breeding. It sounds like there are many different definitions. Maybe it's the way the initial reporter stated it. Whatever their definition of a stock tank was. Interesting for sure but I do agree it's an important clue. Who knew it was there? Is it easily accessible?

 

[MadMcGoo]

Yeah, it really could be many things. I know what you mean about stock ponds and even just a man made or natural pond out in a pasture. I don’t think tank and pond are interchangeable in this case. But again, that’s where more detail about the tank would help tremendously.

If the coordinates on NamUs are correct (I doubt it but it will work for demonstration purposes) the area is rural. It was about 5 miles from I-35, one the largest thoroughfares in the state, but it was right off of Hwy 77. It would convenient for anyone wanting to get off of the busy I-35 and find a remote are to dump a body.

Highway 77, from Waco, connects to several other towns (Rosebud, Cameron, Rockdale, La Grange, Schulenburg, Victoria, to name a few)..and continues south to and along the Gulf coast all the way to Harlingen and Brownsville; at the border of Mexico. If I had to take a wild guess, whomever may have dumped her could have just as likely traveled 77 as they could 35.

I haven’t read a lot about this case, but that theory might support her being Hispanic and not Asian.

JMOO

(not sure how to share links to Maps, but I’ll try...)

31°09'49.1"N 97°00'24.6"W
https://goo.gl/maps/CvvHi4PAUmHbjEMJ8

 

[MadMcGoo]

@carbuff would you help me out with a map here? I don’t think I did it correctly... I just used what was in NamUs. Please and thank you!

 

[carbuff]

Here's a closeup of the field those coordinates point to: Google Maps

There are several of the pond-type stock tanks in the immediate vicinity.

I don't see CR 451 anywhere near here, though.

 

[carbuff]

This shows Route 77 from Waco to the coast (Corpus Christi was a convenient spot to map). Jane Doe's location is at the dot labeled "Falls County". Google Maps

Vietnamese refugees fleeing the war settled along the coast in the 1970s and there's also a Filipino population. I don't remember exactly what towns they're in.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Thank you carbuff! Yah, you can see some of the natural ponds all over that area.

I forgot about the year she was found. That was around the time I managed apartments in the DFW area and now I remember there being a large Asian population (I can’t recall if it was Filipino or not though). About 1/3 of our residents were Asian (and this was the properties closer to Ft.Worth). For some reason I’m thinking they were Korean. FWIW

 

[carbuff]

One of the things that astonishes me when we go to visit the grand-carbuff in San Antonio is how incredibly diverse Texas is. I used to think of it as all redneck good old boys.