Identified! CA - San Diego Co., WhtFem UP55863, 15-30, legs in apartment complex dumpster, Oct'03 -Laurie Potter

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Female
White / Caucasian
Date Found: October 5, 2003
Location Found: El Cajon, California
Estimated Age Range: 15-30 Years

Case Information

Case Numbers
NCMEC Number: --
ME/C Case Number: 03-02004

Demographics
Sex: Female
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Possible First Name: --
Possible Middle Name: --
Possible Last Name: --
Possible Nickname: --

Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 30
Estimated Age Range (Years): 15-30
Estimated Year of Death: 2003
Estimated PMI: --

Height: 5' 0"-5' 3"(60-63 inches) , Estimated
Weight: Cannot Estimate

Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Found: October 5, 2003
NamUs Case Created: March 6, 2019
ME/C QA Reviewed: --

Location Found Map
General Location: 2450 Hilton Head Court
El Cajon, California 92019
County: San Diego County

Circumstances of Recovery: The remains of two female legs appearing to be that of a young Caucasian female were found in a large apartment complex dumpster in the Rancho San Diego area of San Diego. A Maintenance worker located the legs wrapped in a green military style duffle bag while compacting trash in the dumpster.

Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains: Head not recovered
Torso not recovered

Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial remains with soft tissues

Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown or Completely Bald
Head Hair Description: --
Body Hair Description: --
Facial Hair Description: --
Left Eye Color: Unknown or Missing
Right Eye Color: Unknown or Missing
Eye Description: --

Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Finger and toe nails
Chipped pink polish is noted.

Clothing and Accessories
No Information Entered

 

[Shin Masamura]

Christina Battin

• Missing Since 06/08/2003
• Missing From Thousand Palms, California (2 Hours away)
  
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Date of Birth 09/27/1988 (30)
  
• Age 14 years old
• Height and Weight 5'4 - 5'6, 100 - 110 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Christina may have dyed her hair red or brown. Her nickname is Chris and some agencies give her name as "Christine."

Christina disappeared from her home in Thousand Palms, California on June 8, 2003. She was reportedly witness to a crime before her disappearance, and she vanished before police could question her. Although Christina may have left of her own accord, there are rumors that she met with foul play. Few details are available in her case.
Christina Ann Battin – The Charley Project

 

[RestingWitchFace]

Ughhh. I lived in that apartment complex when the legs were found. I think about it all the time and can't believe they haven't been identified still after 15 years. This missing person actually seems like a viable possibility since she's really the only one listed (that I've noticed) that pretty closely fits the description, and Thousand Palms where she disappeared from is extremely close to a military base (Considering the military duffel bag). Also, Rancho San Diego is right at the end of HWY 94 and that apartment complex is off the main road there. It also happens to be not far from the Dehesa area where Westerfield chose to drive Danielle Van Dam's body to dump up in the brush for whatever reason. I wonder if purpetrators are just kind of panicked and dead-ending here off the freeway and deciding this is gonna have to be the place. I also wonder if this has been thoroughly explored by investigators. You would think so...

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

Ughhh. I lived in that apartment complex when the legs were found. I think about it all the time and can't believe they haven't been identified still after 15 years. This missing person actually seems like a viable possibility since she's really the only one listed (that I've noticed) that pretty closely fits the description, and Thousand Palms where she disappeared from is extremely close to a military base (Considering the military duffel bag). Also, Rancho San Diego is right at the end of HWY 94 and that apartment complex is off the main road there. It also happens to be not far from the Dehesa area where Westerfield chose to drive Danielle Van Dam's body to dump up in the brush for whatever reason. I wonder if purpetrators are just kind of panicked and dead-ending here off the freeway and deciding this is gonna have to be the place. I also wonder if this has been thoroughly explored by investigators. You would think so...

Oh, dear! How truly terrible and absolutely horrifying to have lived so close to such a grisly crime scene, but also great having you here with such a knowledge of the area!

 

[RestingWitchFace]

I marked the locations on this map. The Twentynine Palms community has the world's largest Marine Corps training base. It's only about an hour from Thousand Palms where Christina Battin disappeared from. After that, it's about a 2 hour drive to Rancho San Diego. Definitely possible. I checked the NAMUS database and numerous people have been ruled out, but she's not on that list, and vice versa. Just submitted the info to the regional program specialist just in case it hasn't already been submitted or looked at. It seems pretty obvious, but I would think she would have been on the rule-out list already if that's the case. Guess we'll see if she gets ruled out.

 

[carbuff]

This Doe's Namus page is returning a 'not found' error.

 

[RookieInvestigator]

I read about this recently. Reminded me of the legs found at a Recycling Plant in Chicago in 2000. Did the killer move from Chicago to Cali?

 

[azure]

This Doe's Namus page is returning a 'not found' error.

On the one hand, this is such a heinous crime that I hope we get an update.

On the other, I feel so much for the family who has to receive this news, and I understand if they don't go public.

Also, Christina Battin's NAMUS profile is still up.

 

[carbuff]

I read about this recently. Reminded me of the legs found at a Recycling Plant in Chicago in 2000. Did the killer move from Chicago to Cali?

That's an interesting thought. Are there other legs-only cases around the country? And what happened to the rest of the bodies?

 

[RookieInvestigator]

That's an interesting thought. Are there other legs-only cases around the country? And what happened to the rest of the bodies?

Yes, I believe I read about at least one other case. I will have to look around. I wish I had taken notes, but I'm starting to now.

 

[taramarie]

Sounds like her identity and the identity of the person who killed her will be released via a press conference later today!

Rancho San Diego cold case: Arrest made, victim identified in 2003 East County cold case

 

[carbuff]

Wow.

 

[j_in_c]

Has anyone seen any information from the press conference that was supposed to have taken place?

 

[victoriarobinson642]

On Thursday, the department said its Homicide Unit used investigative genetic genealogy to solve the case, noting it’s the first time such technology has been used locally to identify a victim and make a subsequent arrest.

 

[carbuff]

Sounds like her identity and the identity of the person who killed her will be released via a press conference later today!

Rancho San Diego cold case: Arrest made, victim identified in 2003 East County cold case

UPDATE: In a news conference Friday, officials identified the victim as Laurie Diane Potter and announced the arrest of her husband, Jack.

 

[carbuff]

"According to authorities, Laurie Potter was never reported missing and those her family was unaware about her whereabouts, they believed she was still alive."

Rancho Cucamonga Man Charged In 2003 Killing Of Woman Found In San Diego Dumpster

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Rest in peace, Laurie Potter.

 

[coffeeandacig]

Wonderful news that she's been identified! May her killer be punished fully! RIP Laurie Potter.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

DBM


Wrong thread.

 

[Essbee]

Age 54. (Is that age then, or now?) The husband seems to be 68 now. In 2003, he would have been about 50.
It is odd that the estimated age of the victim was <30, based on the legs/feet. Most middle aged people have pretty rough feet unless they get regular pedicures, so I am surprised that this estimate was so off.