NJ NJ - Jersey City, West St, UnsFem 27-37, UP16990, clothes, anklets, tatts 'SE & Jerry', '35', Sep'87

[Romulus]

NamUs UP 16990

https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/16990

Unidentified Body/Remains (Unsure Female)
Found September 15, 1987 in Hudson County, NJ
Body Condition: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Probable year of death: to

Vital Statistics
Estimated age: 27-37 (Adult)
Approximate Height: 64 estimate
Approximate Weight: 120 estimate
Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry; Light blond hair
Eye Color: Unknown
Scars and marks: The number "35" tattooed on inner lower leg (unknown which leg).
Left inner ankle has a tattoo with the letters "S E" below which is "&" and below that is the name "Jerry"

Clothing & Accessories
Clothing: Black sweater (or sweatshirt) with gold-colored waist with cuffs and collar and zipper in front; Pair of blue jeans, labeled "Chic", size 6-7
Jewerly: Four (4) rubber anklets on left ankle
Footwear: nothing
Accessories: nothing

Identifiers
Fingerprints: Fingerprint information is not available
Dentals: Dental information / charting is available and entered
DNA: Sample submitted-tests not complete

Case History: Found at the foot of West Street in Jersey City, New Jersey.

 

[sunnynz]

NamUs UP 16990

https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/16990

Unidentified Body/Remains (Unsure Female)
Found September 15, 1987 in Hudson County, NJ
Body Condition: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Probable year of death: to

Vital Statistics
Estimated age: 27-37 (Adult)
Approximate Height: 64 estimate
Approximate Weight: 120 estimate
Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry; Light blond hair
Eye Color: Unknown
Scars and marks: The number "35" tattooed on inner lower leg (unknown which leg).
Left inner ankle has a tattoo with the letters "S E" below which is "&" and below that is the name "Jerry"

Clothing & Accessories
Clothing: Black sweater (or sweatshirt) with gold-colored waist with cuffs and collar and zipper in front; Pair of blue jeans, labeled "Chic", size 6-7
Jewerly: Four (4) rubber anklets on left ankle
Footwear: nothing
Accessories: nothing

Identifiers
Fingerprints: Fingerprint information is not available
Dentals: Dental information / charting is available and entered
DNA: Sample submitted-tests not complete

Case History: Found at the foot of West Street in Jersey City, New Jersey.

So, to me it seems very possible that her initials were SE? Or perhaps 'SE' and Jerry were her children.

Searching MP's around this time with this hair/height/weight I came across Susan E Zaharias but the lka date for her is slightly out and there's no mention of her having any tattoos - there's also some belief from what I can see that she may have started a new life and still be alive. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/z/zaharias_christopher.html

But it feels like the tattoo is a really good starting point for sleuthing possible MPs - her initials plus a husband/boyfriend called Jerry? Or any Jerrys from that region whose girlfriend/wife went AWOL around that time?

The '35' tattoo is also pretty interesting - a celebration of her 35th birthday would fit right in the estimated age range.

I had a look at West Street on google streetview and it looks like a small dead end street with some fairly low end housing but this is obviously many years after the fact - anyone know this area of Jersey City?

 

[LucyOso]

Sarah Estes


https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/29602/47

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/e/estes_sarah.html

 

[aabbs]

Seems like a great match.
Though just because of the hair I found this one as a possibility, solely on the fact that even though the description says her hair color is "brown," it looks like more of a "strawberry/red" to me, and I'm not just saying that because the picture is tinted red, her complexion is similar to those with red hair as well. To say the least, it is no darker than Estes's. She also fits described age, height, and weight. All IMO

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3465dfin.html

Only thing that gives me pause for both of these is hair color. On DN website it says specifically "light blonde hair," neither of which these two have.
It would also be interesting to find the report on the dental record considering Sharon Emery's front two teeth of very pronounced.

 

[sunnynz]

Sarah Estes


https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/29602/47

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/e/estes_sarah.html

I think she's way to heavy to be Jane Doe but the weight on a decomposing body could easily be out. Her hair does look quite red in some pics and the circumstances of her disappearance certainly allow for her to have ended up in NJ. Although the sighting in 1988 gives me pause.

 

[sunnynz]

Seems like a great match.
Though just because of the hair I found this one as a possibility, solely on the fact that even though the description says her hair color is "brown," it looks like more of a "strawberry/red" to me, and I'm not just saying that because the picture is tinted red, her complexion is similar to those with red hair as well. To say the least, it is no darker than Estes's. She also fits described age, height, and weight. All IMO

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3465dfin.html

Only thing that gives me pause for both of these is hair color. On DN website it says specifically "light blonde hair," neither of which these two have.
It would also be interesting to find the report on the dental record considering Sharon Emery's front two teeth of very pronounced.

Sharon certainly fits the physical attributes, you'd just need to account for geography and what she was doing for the six years in between so it seems a possible but unlikely match to me.

 

[aabbs]

Here is a news clipping from the Indianapolis Star from when Sharon Emery disappeared. After reading this, I really get the sense that someone was out to get her, possibly her roommate, and that she was killed that very same night in her apartment once she arrived home. If she was in fact killed (as it seems from the argument, attempted assault with a vehicle, and the bloody rug that disappeared) as supposed to kidnapped, or a runaway, than this is not the Jane Doe as there would be no way to fill in the six years in between. So as of now, she seems reasonable enough to rule out, though cannot say so 100%. All IMO

 

[LucyOso]

I think she's way to heavy to be Jane Doe but the weight on a decomposing body could easily be out. Her hair does look quite red in some pics and the circumstances of her disappearance certainly allow for her to have ended up in NJ. Although the sighting in 1988 gives me pause.

I don't see where she was sighted in 1988. Did I miss that? On Estes? i see where she was seen in January of 1987 and was on the run. I could see weight lose in 9 months until she was found if on the run...

 

[LucyOso]

Here is a news clipping from the Indianapolis Star from when Sharon Emery disappeared. After reading this, I really get the sense that someone was out to get her, possibly her roommate, and that she was killed that very same night in her apartment once she arrived home. If she was in fact killed (as it seems from the argument, attempted assault with a vehicle, and the bloody rug that disappeared) as supposed to kidnapped, or a runaway, than this is not the Jane Doe as there would be no way to fill in the six years in between. So as of now, she seems reasonable enough to rule out, though cannot say so 100%. All IMO

Yes...I saw her too. She is another good one.

 

[sunnynz]

I don't see where she was sighted in 1988. Did I miss that? On Estes? i see where she was seen in January of 1987 and was on the run. I could see weight lose in 9 months until she was found if on the run...

This is from the 'circumstances' tab on her Namus profile: "Left with Husband Mitchell Scott Estes who is on the run for murder in Lexington KY in 1986. Sarah was last seen by family members in Brooklyn New York late 1987 early 1988. Sarah and her husband Mitchell left Brooklyn via greyhound to unknown destination, Mitchell is still at large"

It's certainly not definitive - it sounds to me like the sighting is from someone who couldn't really remember what date they saw her, it seems vague IMO.

 

[aabbs]

Hm, good find sunnynz. September could be considered "late" in the year, but it seems as though her body was fairly old and decomposed, so it would be a tight window of time IMO. Though like you said the "family member" couldn't give a very good estimate (basically a six month window). Another thing is the indication of the triangle-shaped scar on her right arm from a clothes iron. If they were able to detect tattoos, would they be able to spot a large scar? That being said, her being seen so close to where the body was found is very promising. Brooklyn is not very far from Jersey city, and it's very accessible from NYC, and bringing a body from NYC to Jersey City to dispose of it would make some sense.

Another theory on Sharon Emery. The "35" tattoo could be in reference to Rt. 35 in Indiana where Sharon lived and was last seen https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SJFMwzA8zU-gpG0oDhaB5yuEupk&usp=sharing. In the news articles it stated that she was known to hang out with a biker gang. I'm pretty sure many biker gangs have favorite roads which they tend to ride (If I'm wrong about this please let me know) so maybe Rt. 35 was theirs. Would be interested to know more about the biker gangs in that area around that time.

 

[LilacStar79]

So, to me it seems very possible that her initials were SE? Or perhaps 'SE' and Jerry were her children.

Searching MP's around this time with this hair/height/weight I came across Susan E Zaharias but the lka date for her is slightly out and there's no mention of her having any tattoos - there's also some belief from what I can see that she may have started a new life and still be alive. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/z/zaharias_christopher.html

But it feels like the tattoo is a really good starting point for sleuthing possible MPs - her initials plus a husband/boyfriend called Jerry? Or any Jerrys from that region whose girlfriend/wife went AWOL around that time?

The '35' tattoo is also pretty interesting - a celebration of her 35th birthday would fit right in the estimated age range.

I had a look at West Street on google streetview and it looks like a small dead end street with some fairly low end housing but this is obviously many years after the fact - anyone know this area of Jersey City?

I work in Jersey City. Maybe I'll take a ride later after work and look for the street. There are some really rough areas around so I'll check exactly where it is before going.

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[LilacStar79]

West Street sits behind Journal Square which is a major commercial and transportation hub. It is close to the PATH train station and bus terminal. It was there in the 80s because my dad worked for PATH and he often took me by bus and train into NYC.

There are a fair number of homeless people thay I've always seen roaming around there and I imagine some possible prostitution as well. It was probably much seedier then too. Jersey City has been undergoing a sort of renaissance as of late and they are constantly building high rise expensive apartments in the vicinity.

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[sunnynz]

West Street sits behind Journal Square which is a major commercial and transportation hub. It is close to the PATH train station and bus terminal. It was there in the 80s because my dad worked for PATH and he often took me by bus and train into NYC.

There are a fair number of homeless people thay I've always seen roaming around there and I imagine some possible prostitution as well. It was probably much seedier then too. Jersey City has been undergoing a sort of renaissance as of late and they are constantly building high rise expensive apartments in the vicinity.

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Thanks so much for the local insight. If she were homeless or a sex worker there’s every chance she’s not in any missing persons database.

 

[Melt71]

Strawberry blonde, 5'4", 120lb, 27-37yo with tattoos www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/16990/details

 

[Melt71]

Now 9 ruleouts for this UID - none with the initials SE.