MS MS - Wiggins, 'Ms. Wiggins', WhtFem 32-46, UP11583, likely muscular & physically active, Oct'80

[JusticeWillBeServed]

NamUs Listing 11583

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Doe Network Information
1065UFMS

Unidentified Female

Date of Discovery: October 5, 1980
Location of Discovery: Wiggins, Stone County, Mississippi
Estimated Date of Death: April through October 1980
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton
Cause of Death: Homicide

Estimated Age: 34-46 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'1" to 5'6"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Medium to dark brown, shoulder length.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Healed nasal fracture with nasal bridge deviation to the right. Healed fracture of the lateral end of right clavicle. Slight porotic hyperostosis suggests at least one episode of chronic iron deficiency anemia. May have given birth to a child many years prior to death or not at all. Probably right-handed. Muscle attachments are well developed, especially in the upper extremities. Physique was likely muscular and compact. She was physically active through either occupation or athletics.
Dentals: Available. Extensive dental work. Four platinum dental bridges. several root canals. Seven fillings.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.


Hunters found the victim's skeletal remains in two green trash bags in a wooded area off Highway 26 in Wiggins. Her hands and feet were bound.

She is affectionately known as Ms. Wiggins.

Rule-Outs so far:
Delores Griffin-1942-Illinois
Mary Levitz- 1933-Mississippi
Mary Ann Perez-1943-Louisiana
Mary Thompson-1947-Texas
Cherry Weaver-1941-Florida

Recent article about this UID:
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/03/14/6123235_dna-fails-to-advance-probe-of.html?rh=1

Ms. Wiggins

Harrison County investigators have worked with authorities in Stone County, including sheriff's Lt. Ray Boggs, and in- and out-of-state forensic experts and others to gather leads in the case.

They have determined the woman was white, 36 to 46 years old and 5-feet-1 to 5-feet-7. She had a healed fracture of her right clavicle and had medium to dark hair.

Experts estimate she died between April and September 1980.

She had undergone extensive dental work, with four bridges, several fillings and root canals, though her dental records did not match any of the people listed so far in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, database.

<MOD NOTE: Several original links throughout the thread were broken and have been edited to include the current link (when available) and images as of October 10, 2022>

 

[AllLivesMatter]

Looking at the location the body was dumped, I wonder if she was missing from a neighboring state, AL, or, more likely, LA, and that is why she was never connected to a missing person at the time. Middle-aged and seemingly employed, somebody had to be missing her. My gut says she's more local than that, however. Most missing persons (according to estimates that I've seen) are not in NamUs. Hopefully someone will come forward soon.

Edited to add: I was so happy to read that skeletal description, sounds like a real expert did the analysis. The care that is going into this case is top notch.

 

[hayaletcatcher]

Rule out list as of September 2016
Colleen Burgess 1948 Colorado
Peggy DeCoteau 1938 Montana
Delores Griffin 1942 Illinois
Barbara Jackson 1948 Alaska
Mary Levitz 1933 Mississippi
Mary Ann Perez 1943 Louisiana
Mary Thompson 1947 Texas
Cherry Weaver 1941 Florida
Jennifer Wyant 1958 Tennessee

 

[creepedout]

She looks like -

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

very little information available there.

This description is similar -

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

but the image is very poor quality.

 

[Renzolla]

She looks kinda like Sandra Mattot.

Sandra Louise Matott – The Charley Project

Date last seen July 10, 1979
Age last seen 37 years old
Sex Female
Race White

 

[Moosebegoose]

I don&#8217;t know how off age estimates are, but here are a few from neighbouring states.
Mary Jimmie Shinn
Missing since July 20, 1978 from Magnolia, Columbia County, Arkansas
Classification: Endangered Missing
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3071dfar.html

Linda Sue Davis
Missing since January 7, 1976 from Claremore, Oklahoma
Classification: Endangered Missing
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2688dfok.html

 

[folieadeuxnola]

NAMUS Exclusions as of 08/13/18

MP42455
Ingrid Anderson
05/20/1971
Contra Costa CA

MP13006
Janis Bullock
01/01/1976
Hinds MS

MP11
Jennifer Wyant
06/28/1980
Davidson TN

MP24430
Barbara Jackson
09/01/1979
Fairbanks North Star AK

MP8297
Colleen Burgess
08/31/1974
Arapahoe CO

MP14829
Peggy Decoteau
07/04/1979
Mineral MT

MP14115
Mary Ann Perez
03/25/1976
St. Bernard LA

MP12791
Mary Levitz
11/18/1995
Warren MS

MP9418
Mary Thompson
08/24/1980
Angelina TX

MP21402
Cherry Weaver
02/23/1976
Okaloosa FL

MP17213
Delores Griffin
10/24/1975
Will IL

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

Perhaps this is both too obviously wrong and right, but Marguarite Mayden? She disappeared from Biloxi, MS, on April 30, 1980, a bit over five months before versus the estimate PMI of six months. It's 45 min from Marguarite's home to where this UID was found, and foul play was suspected in her disappearance--her home was found in disarray, with traces of blood. Marguarite is listed, incorrectly I believe, as 53" in NamUs, but as 5'3" (63") at other sources, compared to this UID's 61". She was also 61 (I think actually 60, per Charley) at the time of her disappearance, so quite a bit older than this UID was believed to be, and blonde (although I can find no color photos of Marguarite online). Her brows and hair do appear dark in the only photo, though. I can also find no information about whether or not Marguarite had a fractured clavicle/nose or fancy dental work, although there is no denial of any of those things, either. I do find that she has a strong chin, like the reconstructions, and I think bridges would be more common for someone in their sixties. Marguarite was also an avid golfer, playing competitively since the 1960s, which would fit with the musculature described on this UID.

Charley Project
Doe Network
NamUs

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

It's hard to check these things after the latest NamUs update, but I believe Marguarite only has dentals, not DNA, so she wouldn't be an automatic ruleout.

 

[theshadow45]

"Ms. Wiggins" has been unidentified for 39 years today.

 

[Liv27]

My sister-in-law is from Wiggins and I live 40 minutes away. It’s a very small town so someone is bound to know something.

 

[Coffee56]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

When she was found, much was made of her expensive platinum and gold dental work and that a March 1980 newspaper from Las Vegas was found near her body--she was described by authorities, a bit creatively, as the well-kept wife of a wealthy man, a Vegas entertainer, or working in PR. None of those may be true, but it does make it unlikely that she was a transient or from an impoverished background.

At the time, she was described as being 60.75-65.75 inches tall,with short/shoulder-length dark hair, and about 32-45 years old. She was found with bound hands, partially covered in a plastic bag, and was believed to have died 5-20 weeks before, with 10 weeks being their best estimate (although it does raise the question of why a then-six month old newspaper would be there). She had a healed/fractured right collar bone, a healed broken nose, and a stress injury to the spine. There was no evidence that she had had a vaginal delivery.

She was found off of MS 26, east of Wiggins, near the Stone County Hospital, which even today seems to be in a heavily wooded area. MS 26 runs east/west, with several intersections with north/south highways running down to Hattiesburg, Biloxi, and the Gulf Coast and up to Arkansas. It's currently about and hour and a half to Mobile or New Orleans from where she was found.

 

[MadMcGoo]

16 Missing Person Exclusions
MP42455 Ingrid Anderson 05/20/1971 Contra Costa CA
MP13006 Janis Bullock 05/28/1977 Pearl River MS
MP8297 Colleen Burgess 08/31/1974 Arapahoe CO
MP14829 Peggy Decoteau 07/04/1979 Mineral MT
MP17213 Delores Griffin 10/24/1975 Will IL
MP24430 Barbara Jackson 09/01/1979 Fairbanks North Star AK
MP12791 Mary Levitz 11/18/1995 Warren MS
MP51376 Marie Morgan 05/10/1980 Clark NV
MP51376 Marie Morgan 05/10/1980 Clark NV
MP14115 Mary Ann Perez 03/25/1976 St. Bernard LA
MP6635 Suzanne Schultz 12/01/1978 Hillsborough FL
MP9418 Mary Thompson 08/24/1980 Angelina TX
MP13785 Adelaida Vargas 01/31/1980 Miami-Dade FL
MP8814 Beatrice Villela 09/28/1980 Bexar TX
MP21402 Cherry Weaver 02/23/1976 Okaloosa FL
MP11 Jennifer Wyant 06/28/1980 Davidson TN

 

[theshadow45]

"Ms. Wiggins" has been unidentified for 40 years today.

 

[TheBlackParade]

Is anybody currently working this case??

 

[MsKnief]

Lana T Coronado fits a bit.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[HopeRains]

It's hard to check these things after the latest NamUs update, but I believe Marguarite only has dentals, not DNA, so she wouldn't be an automatic ruleout.

I don't see her listed in the official ruleouts in Namus, but did come across this article which I believe indicates Ms. Mayden was checked against the Jane Doe and ruled out by the authorities.

From Newspapers.com The Sun 13 Nov 80, pg 2. The reference is in the article second column.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

An interesting case. It's plausible that the cause of anemia is related to athletic activity. "Runner's anemia" is a recognized condition, most likely related to an increased blood volume due to extensive exercise. In 1980, although women were competing in the Boston Marathon by then, relatively few were running long distances. The observation that activity was most evident from muscle attachments in the upper extremities might suggest instead it was from swimming. Still it's hard to think anemia from any exercise would be severe enough to be seen in the skull (porotic hyperostosis).

I also find anemia from nutrition hard to reconcile with the extensive dental work. Maybe it was due to anorexia? But it seems unlikely the anemia resulted from a diet due to extreme poverty.

 

[carbuff]

Anemia is pretty common in women of menstruating age who don't eat meat or eggs. Which most of us weren't in the 70s and 80s because cholesterol scare.