NY NY - NY, UnsFem 18-25, UP15099, dismembered skeleton in boiler, no skull, Jul'89

DNA Solves
DNA Solves
DNA Solves
I found a number of missing women who could be a match for this UID. The ones I believe to be the most probable are marked with red asterisks.

*** Sylvia Alice Lwowski - #MP7574
Missing From: Staten Island, NY (approx. a 1-hour drive or 1.5-hour bus/subway ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 22
DLC: September 6, 1975
Height: 5'3" (63 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Lwowski was last seen in Staten Island, New York on September 6, 1975. She went out to the movies with her fiance, Charles Joseph Cirronella, that evening. He said they got into an argument and Lwowski threw her glasses against the car's dashboard and left the vehicle on Richmond Avenue near the K-Mart Plaza. She has never been heard from again.

Prior to her disappearance, Lwowski attended Wagner College. She majored in biology and was a member of a sorority and a band. Both of her parents are now deceased, but her brother is still alive and looking for her. Few details are available in her case. (per Charley Project)

*** Cesilia Pena - #MP6506
Missing From: New York, NY (last seen at the 148th St. subway station which is less than a 10-minute walk from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 14
DLC: October 6, 1976
Height: 4'9" (57 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino
Circumstances: Cesilia was a student at St. Alphonsus Commercial High School in the New York City borough of lower Manhattan in 1976. Her family resided in the borough of the Bronx. Cesilia used the subway as her means of transportation to and from school.

When returning home on her normal route, Cesilia took the Number 2 Train at the 149th Street station in Manhattan. She would travel five stops down the line to her exit at the Simpson Street station in the Bronx. Cesilia took the Number 5 bus from that subway stop to her family's home every school day.

Cesilia was last seen by her friends at the 149th Street station between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. on October 6, 1976. She never arrived at her residence that day and has not been heard from again. (additional details available on Cesilia's Charley Project page)

Barbara Peterson - #MP93286
Missing From: Dallas, TX
Missing Age: 18
DLC: July 16, 1977
Height: 5'6" - 5'7" (66 - 67 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American
Circumstances: Peterson was last seen in Dallas, Texas on July 16, 1977. She has never been heard from again. Few details are available in her case.

Paula Agnes Lynch - #MP20436
Missing From: Sandusky, OH
Missing Age: 21
DLC: January 1, 1978
Height: 5'8" (68 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Lynch left her Sandusky, Ohio home in the late 1970s to see the world. Her mother last heard from her in 1978; she was in Marathon, Florida at the time.

Lynch's brother got a letter from her in 1979, sent from an unknown location. She never contacted her family again and her current whereabouts are unknown. Sandusky police are investigating. (per Charley Project)

*** Rebecca Suazo - #MP22124
Missing From: Central Islip, NY
Missing Age: 28
DLC: September 9, 1978
Height: 5'4" (64 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American
Circumstances: Subject left home on 9/9/1978 to visit family member in Brooklyn, NY. She never arrived.

*** Jacqueline Iris Lerman - #MP78433
Missing From: Rockaway Beach, NY (approx. a 30- to 90-minute drive or 1.5 hour bus/subway ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 24
DLC: March 25, 1979
Height: 5'3" (63 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Jacqueline Lerman was last seen leaving her parents home in Rockaway Beach, NY at 4am on March 25, 1979. There were subsequent reports of her being sighted in New Jersey.

Kathleen Roseanne Paulsen - #MP75794
Missing From: Yakima, WA
Missing Age: 22
DLC: July 1979
Height: 5'10" (70 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: She lived a transient lifestyle and was last heard from in July 1979. She was reported missing by her family in 2004.

Tami Lee Sussi - #MP56442
Missing From: Los Angeles, CA
Missing Age: 17
DLC: December 30, 1979
Height: 5'0" (60 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Tami was last seen in Los Angeles (Pacoima area) on 12/30/1979. One possible destination was Medford, Oregon however her family never saw or heard from her again. No additional details available.

Susan Redding - #MP20630
Missing From: Decatur, GA
Missing Age: 20
DLC: Mid-1980s
Height: 5'4" (64 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American
Circumstances: Susan left Washington and returned to Georgia in 1975. She was last seen by family at her mother's home and there is no information to indicate she went back to Washington State. She was last heard from when she called her mother and grandmother’s homes in the mid-1980s, prior to her father's death in 1987.

Karan Ann Brown - #MP88250
Missing From: Olympia, WA
Missing Age: 26
DLC: 1980s
Height: 4'8" - 5'4" (56 - 64 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Last known to be in the Olympia and Tacoma areas and may have resided as a transient/homeless individual in the 1980s. Was known to hitchhike the interstates from WA, CA, OK, NC, TX, and VA.

*** Barbara Ann Bruno - #MP11582
Missing From: Rochester, NY
Missing Age: 18
DLC: 1980
Height: 5'1" - 5'3" (61 - 63 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Barbara was last seen in 1980 by her family in Rochester. Rumors had her moving to New York City and also California and has not been heard from since.

Sherry Lynn Quinn - #MP68516
Missing From: Woodbridge, VA
Missing Age: 17
DLC: September 5, 1980
Height: 5'3" (63 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Sherry was last seen in Woodbridge, Virginia on September 5, 1980. She has never been heard from again. She may have left the state after her disappearance. Few details are available in her case.

*** Merryl Wendy Horowitz - #MP14252
Missing From: Valley Stream, NY (approx. a 30- to 60-minute drive or 1-hour train/subway ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 26
DLC: November 1, 1980
Height: 5'5" - 5'7" (65 - 67 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: She walked out after a fight with her mother. She was not allowed to take her 1 year old son. He is now 32 and wants to know what happened to her and we haven't been able to find anything on her since she left. The family thinks she is dead.

*** Judith Erin O'Donnell - #MP8051
Missing From: New York, NY
Missing Age: 19
DLC: November 30, 1980
Height: 5'10" (70 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: O'Donnell was last seen in Baltimore, Maryland on November 30, 1980. She was a resident of the Greenwich Village area in New York City, New York at the time, and her family lived in Oswego in upstate New York. They were all visiting Baltimore for Thanksgiving. O'Donnell's family dropped her off at the bus station for her ride to New York City, then traveled to Oswego by car. She was supposed to visit them for Christmas, but she never did. She has never been heard from again.

O'Donnell had initially traveled to New York City to become an actress or a singer, but she became involved in drugs and prostitution after her arrival and was occasionally homeless. She had hitchhiked occasionally since she was a teenager, and may have been sexually assaulted by someone who picked her up. Her family stated she had always kept in touch with them, however, and they don't believe she left of her own accord when she disappeared in 1980. Her case remains unsolved. (per Charley Project)

*** Carlease Elizabeth Simms - #MP14161
Missing From: East Orange, NJ (approx. a 35-minute drive or 1-hour train/subway ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 31
DLC: January 1, 1981
Height: 5'3" - 5'4" (63 - 64 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American
Circumstances: Carlease Simms was was last seen and heard at her home on 01/01/1981. Some one knocked on the door of the apartment in East Orange NJ. An argument took place. She left with this person. Carlease Simms was not seen since.

Carol Elaine Donn - #MP6022
Missing From: West Palm Beach, FL
Missing Age: 17
DLC: January 2, 1981
Height: 5'6" (66 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Carol was last seen in West Palm Beach, Florida on October 20, 1980. She disappeared from her residence on Saranac Avenue while her mother was at work, leaving behind all her belongings including her clothing and purse.

Carol has a history of running away from home and once traveled as far as New York, but she would usually return within several weeks. After her October 1980 disappearance, she was never heard from again. Few details are available in her case. (per Charley Project)

Paula A. Daniels - #MP26951
Missing From: Los Angeles, CA
Missing Age: 19
DLC: September 9, 1981
Height: 5'4" (64 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American
Circumstances: Was last seen at the 1500 Block of West 60th Street in Los Angeles, California. No additional details available.

*** Janice Fullam - #MP4535
Missing From: Hauppauge, NY
Missing Age: 17
DLC: October 30, 1981
Height: 5'7" (67 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Janice was last seen leaving a friend's home in Smithtown, Long Island, New York at 10:45 p.m. on October 30, 1981. She stopped at her friend's and invited the friend to accompany her. The friend decided not to an Janice left the friend's home on Nesconset Highway alone.

She was en route to a local bar at Nesconset Highway and Hauppauge Road, where she planned to meet her brother Jimmy. Although Janice was underage, she had false identification to get into the bar. Janice and Jimmy were going to go to a nightclub in New York City. Janice never arrived to meet him and has not been heard from again. (additional details available on Janice's Charley Project page)

Christine Teresa Huyer - #MP3127
Missing From: Orlando, FL
Missing Age: 22
DLC: July 3, 1982
Height: 5'1" (61 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Huyer was last seen in Orlando, Florida on July 3, 1982. She has never been heard from again. A missing persons report wasn't filed until March 23, 1984. Few details are available in Huyer's case.

Winnie Janette Kersey - #MP22793
Missing From: Jacksonville, FL
Missing Age: 27
DLC: December 3, 1982
Height: 5'9" (69 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Winnie Kersey was last seen in Jacksonville, Florida on December 3, 1982. No additional details available.

Beverli Elaine Darnell - #MP2889
Missing From: Miami, FL
Missing Age: 21
DLC: January 1, 1983
Height: 5'6" - 5'7" (66 - 67 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Darnell was last seen in Miami, Florida sometime during 1983. She was raised in Maryland and had a history of dropping out of sight, sometimes for months at a time, without warning.

While living in Florida, Darnell kept in touch with her mother through periodic collect calls. Her contact with her mother was irregular and sometimes months would pass without her mother hearing from her. Her mother didn't have a phone number or address for her.

In early 1983, Darnell called her mother from Los Angeles, California and asked for money or a ticket to get home, but her mother refused to help her, believing she would just spend the money on drugs.

About two weeks later, Darnell called her mother again and said she was back in Florida. She went to visit her mother in Maryland for a few days, then returned to Florida. She called her mother for the last time around May 1983. (per Charley Project)

*** Eileen Jay - #MP89799
Missing From: Norwalk, CT
Missing Age: 27
DLC: February 7, 1983
Height: 5'2" (62 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Jay left her Norwalk, Connecticut home on February 7, 1983. She had lost her job and was depressed about it, and decided to go to New York City. She packed a bag and went to stay with a friend who lived on West End Avenue near 100th Street in New York City.

According Jay's friend, she stayed for five days, and during that time they did not argue and Jay did not mention plans to leave. When her friend returned home from work on February 13, however, Jay was gone. She has never been heard from again. Norwalk police are investigating Jay's disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.

*** Dila Palushaj - #MP33365
Missing From: Bronx, NY
Missing Age: 33
DLC: July 28, 1983
Height: 5'4" - 5'6" (64 - 66 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Palushaj was last seen in the New York City borough of the Bronx on July 28, 1983. She has never been heard from again. Few details are available in her case.

Monique McClelland - #MP15590
Missing From: Levittown, PA (approx. a 1.5-hour drive or 3-hour train ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 17
DLC: Early 1980s
Height: 5'4" (64 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Monique was last seen at her family's home in Levittown, Pennsylvania sometime in the early 1980s. August 21, 1983 is given as the approximate date of her disappearance. She has never been heard from again. Very little information is available regarding her disappearance. Bensalem, Pennsylvania police are investigating.

Jane Ann Porembski - #MP72703
Missing From: Westbury, NY (approx. a 45- to 60-minute drive or a 1.5-hour train/subway ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 31
DLC: January 19, 1984
Height: 5'2" (62 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Jane was supposed to leave for work Friday morning, and catch a bus to work. She never showed up to work, or to pick up her paycheck. She was due to go to Selden that night by train, she always called from Ronkonkoma train station to be picked up, but this night she didn't. Her overnight bag with some clothes was missing, enough for a weekend including a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt she wore every weekend in Selden.

Helen Wagner - #MP22192
Missing From: Kearny, NJ (approx. a 30- to 60-minute drive or a 1.5-hour train/subway ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 26
DLC: February 28, 1984
Height: 5'6" (66 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: On the evening 0f 02/28/1984 at approximately 23:00 hours Helen Wagner reportedly left her residence to purchase cigarettes and never returned. [newspaper articles posted on Helen's Websleuths thread state she had relatives in New York City]

Teri Ann Walker - #MP88554
Missing From: San Francisco, CA
Missing Age: 24
DLC: June 15, 1984
Height: 5'3" (63 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Walker left residence in Eau Claire County, WI and then communicated to her family she was currently residing in San Francisco, CA. At some point the communication stopped and they have not heard from her since.

April L. Grisanti - #MP3272
Missing From: Norwalk, CT (approx. a 45- to 60-min drive or 1.5-hour bus/train/subway ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 20
DLC: February 1, 1985
Height: 5'4" (64 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Grisanti was in the process of breaking up with her boyfriend of 3 years. On the evening of 1/31/85 into 2/1/85 the two had been involved in a physical altercation and the police responded but Grisanti did not press charges. A second altercation occurred at 0015 hours on 2/1/85 where witnesses observed her boyfriend force Grisanti into his blue Cadillac as she fought with him and drive off. Grisanti was never heard from or seen again and her body has never been recovered. Her wallet with drivers license, credit cards, and birth certificate were found in Norwalk about 1 month later. (additional details available on April's Charley Project page)

Tavia Elizabeth Bailey - #MP5815
Missing From: Pensacola, FL
Missing Age: 15
DLC: December 31, 1985
Height: 5'3" (63 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Tavia was last seen in Pensacola, Florida on December 31, 1985. She lived with her mother on Sunbury Drive near Crescent Lake. She left to go to a New Year's Eve party and never returned.

She and a group of other teens went to their local Chuck E. Cheese restaurant that night. Tavia and one of the friends she was with were supposed to be picked up by the friend's mother, but the two girls got separated that night and Tavia's friend never saw her again. When the friend's mother came to pick her up, she found her daughter looking for Tavia.

She had run away several times before, once traveling as far as New York City, but she always kept in touch with her mother. After her December 1985 disappearance, she never called home again. Tavia typically dated African-American men at the time of her disappearance and may have been in the company of one after she went missing. (per Charley Project)

*** Deborah Ann Mckenna - #MP77404
Missing From: Elizabeth, NJ (approx. a 45-minute drive or 1-hour train/subway ride to 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 24
DLC: January 14, 1986
Height: 5'2" (62 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Last seen on or about January 14, 1986 within the city of Elizabeth, NJ. No additional details available.

Donna Marie Crudup - #MP26375
Missing From: Washington, DC
Missing Age: 24
DLC: July 1, 1986
Height: 5'5" - 5'7" (65 - 67 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American
Circumstances: Donna Crudup was last known to have checked herself out of a DC hospital having fluid on her lungs. The hospitalization is believed to have occurred in the fall of 1986 however it is unverified by records. Other official records can validate that Donna was known alive in June 1986 in Washington, DC, therefore the date of last known contact will be carried as July 01, 1986.

Diana Martinez - #MP30051
Missing From: North Bergen, NJ (approx. a 35-minute drive or 1-hour train/subway ride from 143 W. 142nd)
Missing Age: 14
DLC: March 20, 1987
Height: 5'1" (61 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino
Circumstances: On 3/20/1987 she left a note stating she was going to Miami, Florida and took clothing and $200.00 in US Currency. Family resided in Hialeah, FL.

*** Regina F. Brown - #MP2018
Missing From: Newtown, CT
Missing Age: 35
DLC: March 27, 1987
Height: 5'3" - 5'5" (63 - 65 inches)
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Circumstances: Regina was last seen at LaGuardia Airport in the New York City borough of Queens on March 26, 1987. She resided in on Whippoorwill Hill Road in Newtown, Connecticut at the time of her disappearance, and was employed as a flight attendant for American Airlines. Regina had previously sent two of her three children to live with her mother in Texas and she was last seen after placing her third child and the family's live-in babysitter on a plane to join the others.

On the way back to Newtown, Regina called her best friend and said that if her parents hadn't heard from her within four days, to be alarmed. She said that in that instance, her friend should wait another two days, then try to contact her. If her friend was still unable to reach her, that meant her estranged husband of five years had "done to me what he promised to do to me."

Regina left most of her personal belongings behind at her residence, including her airline identification badge, her makeup bag and a check for $1,000. Her best friend and estranged husband Willis Brown suggested the police look for her car in a certain part of the New York City borough of Manhattan, a neighborhood known for its drug activity.

On April 6, her bronze Honda Accord hatchback was found parked in front of an apartment building on 104th Street in Manhattan. The keys were in the ignition, there were two child seats in the backseat, and the windshield had several parking tickets. There was no sign of her at the scene and no indications of a struggle.

Regina had been in the process of a divorce from Willis, a senior American Airlines pilot. Willis into an apartment in Queens, New York, and Regina had a court order barring him from the house in Newtown. She did let him come over to visit their children, however. (additional details available on Regina's Charley Project page)
 
Here are my two cents:

Based on the location being in Harlem in the 80s, the victim is more likely to be African American. Harlem has been predominantly a black neighborhood since the 60s. From what I've read, boilers heat up to around 200 degrees at the highest, which is not enough to fully break down bone. It could break down bone over an extended period of time and the boiler would have to be one and operating to do so.

Harlem went through a population decline from the 60s-late 80s. Several buildings were abandoned or in such a state of disrepair that any residents would have essentially been squatting. Since there's a plumping repair slip that @madamx listed in the building for 1976, I'm going to assume the building was still occupied during that time, but since there aren't any notices listed between 1976-1988, I'm not sure if we can assume occupancy during that time frame.

This article also mentions how in the 60s and early 70s the city would respond to repair requests faster than they do today (so I think we can assume Doe was placed after 1965). This article also mentions that boilers require servicing in the summer to be ready for operation in the winter. The Rise and Fall of New York Public Housing: An Oral History (Published 2018)

This article talks about how oil-fired boilers require maintenance at least once a year. If it isn't serviced, eventually, the heat will go out. Fuel Oil Disadvantages - The Dirty Truth Revealed

Since we don't know if the building was occupied after 1976, I would search a missing persons time frame from 1973-1988. I'm making the assumption that a boiler could potentially go three years without being serviced and still operate. Based on the description of the bones, I'm also assuming that the boiler was in operation for at least some period of time after Doe was placed there.

Finally, the area where this building exists was known to be extremely rough in the 80s due to the crack epidemic, which hit Harlem particularly hard. There's a chance that our Jane Doe was never reported missing and/or LE may not have taken a missing persons report due to the stigma around Harlem during the 80s and 90s.
 

Sharaun Taree Cole​

  • Missing Since 02/25/1983
  • Age 12
  • Went missing a few blocks from Frederick E. Samuels apartments
  • Sharaun was last seen outside of her family's residence on Edgecomb Avenue in the New York City borough of Manhattan at 5:30 p.m. on February 25, 1983. She went out to play at a nearby park, never returned home and has never been heard from again.

    Sharaun's mother stated she wasn't having any problems at home at the time of her disappearance. Few details are available in her case."
    Sharaun Taree Cole – The Charley Project

While Sharaun is on the younger side, the timeline and location fit very well.
 

Sharaun Taree Cole​

  • Missing Since 02/25/1983
  • Age 12
  • Went missing a few blocks from Frederick E. Samuels apartments
  • Sharaun was last seen outside of her family's residence on Edgecomb Avenue in the New York City borough of Manhattan at 5:30 p.m. on February 25, 1983. She went out to play at a nearby park, never returned home and has never been heard from again.

    Sharaun's mother stated she wasn't having any problems at home at the time of her disappearance. Few details are available in her case."
    Sharaun Taree Cole – The Charley Project

While Sharaun is on the younger side, the timeline and location fit very well.
I agree with you on this. I have thought about Sharaun being the boiler bones since the beginning. I agree the location is so close and the timeframe is in range.
 
Last edited:
Found in a boiler - after madamx’s wonderful if scary description of NY boilers, I have some concerns for the integrity of the DNA. Did they ever retrieve the DNA sequences?

It’s a case where touch DNA might not help.
 

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