IN IN - Kimberly Blackburn, 25, Indianapolis, 29 May 1983

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CarlK90245

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I've been looking forever for a photo of Kimberly Blackburn, who has been in NamUs for three years with a no-photo casefile .

Meaghan of Charley Project mentioned the Indianapolis Police Dept website on her blog. I took a look, and there she is.

Kimberly Marie Blackburn
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5007/6

36ddb140-bab2-482e-b95b-7941f602eb80.jpg


So I am starting a thread here so others who are looking for her photo can find it.
 
She would seem to be a pretty good possible for Mary Rose Doe, except MRD doesn't have a rose tattoo on her hip, and Kimberly doesn't have a scar on her abdomen.

Kimberly has DNA available, but Mary Rose Doe does not (according to NamUs). Fingerprints are available on both UP and MP though.


http://doenetwork.org/cases/455ufoh.html
https://identifyus.org/cases/4787


455UFOH.jpg
36ddb140-bab2-482e-b95b-7941f602eb80.jpg
 
Few more scraps of information taken from an article in the Indianapolis Star (04/22/1984) -

- Kimberly had a history of arrests in relation to drug abuse, alcoholism, theft, disorderly conduct, trespassing and prostitution.

- According to her mother (who did not condemn her daughter's lifestyle and just wants her back), there were only two photographs of her daughter in existence, and they were taken by a man who was incarcerated in the Indiana State Penal Farm.
*Prior to the mid-1980's, the prison served inmates with only minor offenses. However, after this time, the prison was regraded as a mid-range correctional facility for felons.

- She was known to frequent a 'Bud's Truck Stop' in Indianapolis.

- Had multiple aliases, including Kim, Bad Beaver, Rosie and Rosana.

- There were rumours that she died of cancer in a hospital in Wisconsin, however this was never able to be confirmed. She was checked into several hospitals in the Indianapolis area for a number of illnesses (including advanced venereal disease), but never showed any indications of cancer.

- She often used citizen band radio to contact local drivers, and handed out business cards with her occupation listed as 'public relations'.

- She told her mother that "If you don't hear from me before or on Daddy's birthday, something's wrong". On her father's birthday that year, she was the only one of her six siblings who didn't call.

- She had previously disappeared for extended periods of time, but never for this long.

- The last time she was heard from was apparently actually 07/17/1983, when she called a friend from an Arkansas truck stop and told her she was heading back to Indiana.

- Her father and mother have passed away (she was listed as having preceded them in death), but her other five siblings including four brothers and a sister are still alive.
 
Wow, She was last heard from on the day my daughter was born- and my daughter is 34! I cannot imagine what her family has gone through.
 
I've been looking forever for a photo of Kimberly Blackburn, who has been in NamUs for three years with a no-photo casefile .

Meaghan of Charley Project mentioned the Indianapolis Police Dept website on her blog. I took a look, and there she is.

Kimberly Marie Blackburn
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

36ddb140-bab2-482e-b95b-7941f602eb80.jpg


So I am starting a thread here so others who are looking for her photo can find it.

Im in a cold case medium group and one of our members found something today we believe is Kim.

<MOD NOTE: GRAPHIC WARNING>


File:San Mateo Jane Doe body.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm glad to see that this case is starting to warm up again. I've just had a look at the cases side by side, and there are quite a few strong similarities. The only discrepancy I'm noting at present is the rose tattoo on the MP's hip, but then again she might have had this removed.
There's really no chance that a woman in her position would take the time and money to have a fairly innocuous hip tattoo removed. I'd sooner believe that the UID had one that was overlooked.
 
You make a good point. However, I have my doubts that a tattoo would have been overlooked if abdominal scarring had been additionally noted as a distinguishing feature on the UID. The state of remains also indicate that she was recognisable between the time of death and discovery, so I'm almost certain it had either been removed or that these are not the same people.
 
She would seem to be a pretty good possible for Mary Rose Doe, except MRD doesn't have a rose tattoo on her hip, and Kimberly doesn't have a scar on her abdomen.

Kimberly has DNA available, but Mary Rose Doe does not (according to NamUs). Fingerprints are available on both UP and MP though.


The Doe Network: Case File 455UFOH
Unidentified Person Case


455UFOH.jpg
36ddb140-bab2-482e-b95b-7941f602eb80.jpg
Mary Rose Doe was identified a few years ago as Sharon Rae Bowen, who was reported missing out of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ohio police identify strangled woman found in 1983 as missing from Utah
 
From

Kimberly Marie Blackburn – The Charley Project

Kimberly Marie Blackburn
  • blackburn_kimberly.jpg
  • blackburn_kimberly2.jpg
Blackburn, circa 1983

  • Missing Since05/29/1983
  • Missing FromIndianapolis, Indiana
  • ClassificationEndangered Missing
  • Date of Birth08/23/1958 (60)
  • Age34 years old
  • Height and Weight5'5, 115 - 125 pounds
  • Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Black hair, brown eyes. Blackburn's nickname is Kim. She also uses the street names Bad Beaver, Rosana and Rosie. She has a small tattoo of a rose on her hip and another, unknown tattoo on her shoulder. Her right eye has a coloboma, also known as a keyhole pupil. Blackburn has scars on her shins and chemical burn scars on her buttocks.
Details of Disappearance
Blackburn was last seen in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 29, 1983. She left her parents' home and never returned. On July 17, she called a friend from a truck stop in Arkansas and said she was returning to Indiana. It's unclear whether she ever arrived there; she has never been heard from again.

Blackburn's life prior to her disappearance was very troubled. She had been arrested for drug- and alcohol-related offenses as well as theft, disorderly conduct, trespassing and prostitution, and had been treated for advanced venereal disease. Her last arrest was for prostitution, on April 4. She liked to frequent truck stops and would use CB (citizens band) radio to contact drivers. She handed out business cards giving her occupation as "public relations."

She had left home before for extended time periods, but she'd never been gone for this long. She told her mother, "If you don't hear from me before or on Daddy's birthday, something's wrong." On her father's birthday on October 23, 1983, all of Blackburn's five siblings called him, but she did not.

After Blackburn's disappearance, there were rumors that she had died of cancer in a Wisconsin hospital. The stories could not be confirmed and she had shown no indications of having cancer prior to her disappearance. Her parents have died in the years since her disappearance, but her siblings are still alive and hope for answers in her case.
 
I wonder about this Jane Doe. She has a Rose on the front pubic area, maybe far enough over to be considered the hip? Also has a tattoo on shoulder. Few inches in height though but that never worries me, its always out on solved cases too.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Unlikely; I doubt Kimberly was still alive in 1989. She probably died in 1983.
She was known to frequent a 'Bud's Truck Stop' in Indianapolis.
In other words, she was a lot lizard. There have been several serial killers who preyed on lot lizards. Kimberly could have been a victim of Robert Ben Rhoades or someone like him.
 
Current list of Unidentified Person exclusions for Kimberly per NamUs:
UP4491 10/01/1985 Smith TX
UP9938 01/11/1987 San Mateo CA
UP8419 01/16/2001 Isle of Wight VA
UP6629 02/03/1991 Frederick VA
UP12683 06/06/2014 Newport News VA
UP6661 02/03/1991 Stafford VA (
removed from NamUs)
UP6796 11/18/1985 Alleghany VA
UP6642 08/07/1986 Chesterfield VA
UP6665 05/14/2007 Petersburg VA
UP8493 12/06/1993 Fairfax VA
UP2202 01/24/1988 Bucks PA (X2)


The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
 
I just need to re-iterate something. Kimberly Blackburn was probably alive until after the 17th of July in the year, instead of the May indicated by other sources. She was also technically last heard from in Arkansas, which means that the focus here might be misdirected.
 

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