CA CA - Colusa Co., WhtFemale HC409, 20-26, surgical repair to femur, Oct'82

[CCJD]

Do you know what happened with the testing, as in chain of custody? Are the samples still at UNT? Is that institution's ownership of the material why the UID isn't in NamUs?

Thank you SO much for providing the real answers!

RSBM

I know the DNA was entered into CODIS but the actual samples, I really don't know if they were retained at UNT. Her remains were returned to Colusa.

From the same article linked above:
The as-yet-unidentified woman’s skeleton will be returned from the Texas lab that did the DNA testing. She will be reburied in California.

“Maybe now with her DNA, they can find out who she is,” Lapeyrouse said. “For her family, I hope that happens.

UNT Center for Human Identification is part and parcel of NamUs:

The University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) is an accredited forensic laboratory which is globally recognized as a leader in forensic identification.

Located on the growing campus of the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas, UNTCHI services include forensic genetic and anthropological examinations for criminal casework and missing persons identification, local CODIS operations, and development and management of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) for the US Department of Justice.
UNT Center for Human Identification

 

[canteloupe]

@CCJD see that was my understanding, too...you just caught me looking up the org chart when I saw your reply.

It's a mystery why she's not in there, then!

 

[canteloupe]

Has anyone suggested Michelle Hochman (DOB 1967)? She was killed alongside her mother, step-father, and younger half-brother in October 1982 in Northridge by her step-father's business associate. A former friend and neighbor wrote about the murders for LA Magazine. The bodies were never found and, despite a good amount of evidence, the prime suspect was acquitted of murder charges.

The height is off, but I'm not sure about the accuracy of reporting on the family's physical details. Her mother, Elaine Salomon, doesn't have her own Doe Network or NamUs profile and her Charley Project profile doesn't list height/weight. The essay cited above lists the step-father, Sol, as over 6'0" and hefty. Sol Salomon also does not have his own Doe Network or NamUs profile, and his Charley Project profile does not have height/weight.

I can't find much really about Michelle's physical description, and since the family had previously lived in Israel, it's unclear if all of her medical records would have been available stateside. From the few photos available online, I think her height could well have been a bit shorter than the 5'8" estimate listed on her NamUs profile.

Of all 1982/1983 MPs, however, she seems the best fit for someone with a Hebrew necklace, as Jewish identity was clearly a defining feature for this family.

Another point of interest is that investigators seemed pretty keen on the idea that the remains were disposed of in abandoned mines across the Antelope Valley, but one of the suspects that turned state's witness kept directing search efforts to areas where he thought shallow graves were dug.

Michelle's Doe Network profile
Michelle's Charley Project profile

*Michelle's surname is spelled incorrectly on both Charley Project and Doe Network headings, though it appears correctly in the Doe Network profile body text.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Has anyone suggested Michelle Hochman (DOB 1967)? She was killed alongside her mother, step-father, and younger half-brother in October 1982 in Northridge by her step-father's business associate. A former friend and neighbor wrote about the murders for LA Magazine. The bodies were never found and, despite a good amount of evidence, the prime suspect was acquitted of murder charges.

The height is off, but I'm not sure about the accuracy of reporting on the family's physical details. Her mother, Elaine Salomon, doesn't have her own Doe Network or NamUs profile and her Charley Project profile doesn't list height/weight. The essay cited above lists the step-father, Sol, as over 6'0" and hefty. Sol Salomon also does not have his own Doe Network or NamUs profile, and his Charley Project profile does not have height/weight.

I can't find much really about Michelle's physical description, and since the family had previously lived in Israel, it's unclear if all of her medical records would have been available stateside. From the few photos available online, I think her height could well have been a bit shorter than the 5'8" estimate listed on her NamUs profile.

Of all 1982/1983 MPs, however, she seems the best fit for someone with a Hebrew necklace, as Jewish identity was clearly a defining feature for this family.

Another point of interest is that investigators seemed pretty keen on the idea that the remains were disposed of in abandoned mines across the Antelope Valley, but one of the suspects that turned state's witness kept directing search efforts to areas where he thought shallow graves were dug.

Michelle's Doe Network profile
Michelle's Charley Project profile

*Michelle's surname is spelled incorrectly on both Charley Project and Doe Network headings, though it appears correctly in the Doe Network profile body text.

The main thing for me that points to a non match are the dates. Michelle is listed as going missing (Oct 12) after this Doe was discovered (Oct 7). And the victim was thought to have been there months, she was skeletal.

 

[canteloupe]

The main thing for me that points to a non match are the dates. Michelle is listed as going missing (Oct 12) after this Doe was discovered (Oct 7). And the victim was thought to have been there months, she was skeletal.

D'oh! You're absolutely right. For some reason, I had it in my head that this UID was Oct. 1983. Time for another pot of coffee.

 

[MadMcGoo]

D'oh! You're absolutely right. For some reason, I had it in my head that this UID was Oct. 1983. Time for another pot of coffee.

I do it all the time!

 

[carbuff]

Yeah me too. I think my best one was misreading 1996 as 1969...

 

[theshadow45]

Possibly Kristina Allen Kristina Sue Allen – The Charley Project? She has been missing from Los Angeles (approximately 450 miles from Colusa County) since 1976. She is listed as having a pin in her leg (not specified which leg) and her skull at the time of her disappearance.

 

[theshadow45]

Thread for Kristina Allen: CA - CA - Kristina Allen, 24, Los Angeles, 2 Feb 1976. It looks like someone else thought this Jane Doe and Kristina could be a potential match as well and submitted it to Doe Network awhile back. However there’s no mention of the outcome of the comparison and her thread hasn’t been updated or had any new posts since 2020.

 

[theshadow45]

Colusa Jane Doe has been unidentified for 41 years today.

 

[heartanium]

Link to her grave at the Colusa Community Cemetery. She's buried as "Unknown Female, Oct 7 1982"

 

[heartanium]

Can't find much else

8 Oct 1982, The Sacramento Bee, pg 8

Oct 08, 1982, page 8 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from The Sacramento Bee dated Oct 08, 1982, page 8.

www.newspapers.com

 

[phantomstrider]

Can't find much else

8 Oct 1982, The Sacramento Bee, pg 8

Oct 08, 1982, page 8 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from The Sacramento Bee dated Oct 08, 1982, page 8.

www.newspapers.com

She’s sadly still not in namus.

 

[theshadow45]

Colusa Jane Doe has been unidentified for 42 years today.