FL FL - Jean Stewart, 16, Miami Lakes, 25 March 1980

[2sisters]

I am so sorry to hear this. I was hoping for a better outcome to her story. My prayers are with you. All these years not knowing must have been so hard, I am glad that you at least have an answer and I hope you will also get justice for Jean.

 

[reb]

i am sorry also for your loss.. and sorry that you had to go through all you did for all these years. this should not have happened.

 

[monkalup]

for all your kind words and prayers. We need to work to make sure that these kinds of delays and cases being overlooked for years and years does not happen anymore. That will be my focus when all is said and done. This must stop. How many more people out there waiting years needlessly? sigh

 

[Usher737]

So sorry for you loss. It never should have taken this long for a positive id.

Here is a good article that shows the timeline of events.

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07347/841307-85.stm

 

[absinthe]

Jean Marie should have been identified in 1981. I am outraged. This shows why volunteer work such as ours is so important.

Prayers to you and your family, Lauran!

 

[Angel4Alpha]

Jean Marie Stewart missing since 3/25/80 has been located and identified after 27 years.

After 27 years, girl's cold case becomes a homicide

 

[2sisters]

Did anyone at the gas station see or hear anything? It is odd that she just vanished without a scream or anything.

 

[Kymistry35]

Although this is not the outcome I would have wished, I am glad that you can bring her home Lauran. I am sorry that you had to wait and wonder all of these years. Prayers and hugs to you.

 

[monkalup]

There is a thread for Jean Marie Stewart under Missing but not forgotten that contains this info as well. Perhaps someone could merge the threads...

 

[Gina_M]

Jean Marie should have been identified in 1981. I am outraged. This shows why volunteer work such as ours is so important.

Prayers to you and your family, Lauran!

I agree - it should not have taken this long. How ridiculous! They need to improve their system and make sure this doesn't happen again.

Lauran, I'm so glad this chapter is finally closed for you, and hope you can get justice for Jean!

 

[gardenmom]

I'm both sad and happy at the same time, if that makes sense. I'm sad that someone took her life away, but happy she has been identified. I'm sorry for the confirmation that you have to face in her death.

 

[monkalup]

Thank you all for your kind words. I am heartbroken but determined. We need to work to ensure that this kind of delay in identification stops. Mandatory reporting, centralized database AND mandatory reopening of cold cases to ensure those cases are entered as well and DNA where possible could go a long way to ensure this does not happen again.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Bumping this thread up.

Jean was identified a little over eight years ago, thanks to the determination of Lauran Halleck. I can't find any updates on the homicide investigation post identification though.

The case is included in the book The Skeleton Crew: How Amateur Sleuths Are Solving America’s Coldest Cases and it mentions the person of interest a little. Though I could only read a small portion of it through google books so I'm not sure what the conclusion is.

https://books.google.com/books?id=DIaQAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Skeleton+Crew:+How+Amateur+Sleuths+Are+Solving+America%E2%80%99s+Coldest+Cases&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZxrWCmu7LAhXJ9x4KHQO7ASUQuwUIKTAB#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[PayrollNerd]

Was this a WS volunteer, DNA Doe volunteer? Just curious. I hope the DNA leads them to her killer.

Victim's funeral is closure for family

Snips:
Prompting the service is the fact that in November, authorities positively identified skeletal remains found in Hialeah, Fla., in April 1981 as Jean.

"We're getting closure on this, and they started the investigation. We're just thankful that this is coming to an end," Jean's brother, Eric Stewart, said yesterday.

Police in Hialeah confirmed they have opened a homicide investigation, which is active, according to Sgt. Ralph Nazario.

"We're at that juncture still where we're not at liberty to disclose anything about the case. We want to protect the integrity of the case. We're moving along. We're investigating it as an open homicide, and that's where we're at," Sgt. Nazario said.

Pittsburgh police got involved in the case and sent Jean's dental records to Florida authorities.

However, it wasn't until last year that a volunteer with a Web-based network which tries to find missing persons and identify remains helped put a name to the skeleton found in Hialeah, next to Miami Lakes, just 13 months after Jean vanished.

A positive match was made with dental records. Authorities have not been able to explain why the match took 27 years.

 

[madamx]

This thread should be moved to found deceased .