d.o.a. cop said:
Jane Doe (CA 1979) had blue eyes (no doubting that). This was documented by two different parties, the scene investigator and again by the pathologist who conducted the examination. Her right eye was burned, but the left was completely intact
I communicated the folllowing with Mrs. Cole as well, and I think it's a good nugget to keep in your memory banks.
The smallest things that are typically overlooked can be the biggest things in an investigation like this. Something as small as an ear lobe (lobule) can just about rule in or out a potential match.
How?
Well, is it pierced, is the lobule fused or detatched - which is a known herditary trait - do the brothers, sisters or parents have the same characteristi? - There's a guy in Canada (Don't quote me on location) that has been conducting a study for decades on human "ear-prints." His conclusion was that ear-print is just as much a one-of-kind as a fingerprint. He's even introduced these findings in court for ear-prints left behind by burgalars who placed their ear / face up to glass to peer into their mark.
So that said, if jane or john doe has an obvious fused or free lobule and your missing person is the opposite - it's a pretty fair rule out.
Eye color is difficult - as there are factors that can effect what you see at a post-mortem examination; decomposition, excessive heat, fire, dependant lividity can really make it difficult as well because the eye becomes so conjested and tardeau spots start to appear.
Jane Doe (CA 1979) was known to be alive the night before - can't reveal why - but I can say that the side of her face that was intact was preserved enough that a false eye-color was not an issue.
Another thing I've noted over the years while dealing with Cold Case Files (I've solved four and during my tour have had only one active Doe case go unidentified - Jane Doe / Castro Valley, CA) is that much older cases seem to have a lot of "Approximation" in the height and weight department. I don't believe that the facility where Jane Doe (CA 1979) had her autopsy in 1979 had a scale big enough to measure a human on a gurney. That said - don't let height and weight send you off a trail too soon. Forensic Science is amazing, but science & the theories behind it are only as good as the humans who derived and dreamed them up - and we, humans, are all capable of being wrong. Case in point: Hawkins & his Black Hole theory were written in stone for the longest time - but now it's pretty much been debunked.
This all food for thought. I could babble for days and shut this site down with the boring factor - but I'll save you the pain.
You are all very dedicated volunteers - bravo to all of you!
