OH OH - Jane Gault, 17, Barberton, 14 March 1982

[mysteriew]

I spoke to the other brother R.B earlier, he remembers the same as his brother about her hands being bound in front of her in a praying position. He also remembers she was wearing a t-shirt, jeans and coboyboots. No coat. I have also learned today that she was seen as late as January 16th 1982 by several people. I learned that friends of hers came forward and identified the clothes she was wearing as the last they seen her in. I will elaborate greatly on all of this later. I had plans for tonight, but will definately post more later. Oh, I also learned that a jacket was found in canal and identified as hers and as being given to her by someone who's name I am not familiar with. I'll call him J.T. Autopsy reports finding cause of death undetermined. Notes there was no water in lungs. Lungs were expanded. Slight petichial hemmhoraging in sinus. Possible evidence of brain herniation of some sort, ( I'll explain later) and pinkish fluid draining from her (?).

pinkish fluid- was that from her ears or nose?

 

[Richard]

Isn't there a couple of attorneys on this board? They should be able to advise the next step to take to get this reopened.

The attorney she chooses will have to be one licensed to practice in her state of Ohio. Murder and Rules of evidence required to prosecute a case may be quite similar, but various procedures regarding the re-opening of investigations or inquests vary from one state to another. The lawyer chosen should be one who has dealt with similar cases in the past.

 

[upallnite]

One thing that I found odd is in the end of this autopsy report it states different aspects of this autopsy that were strange. It's titled Provisional Anatomical Diagnosis. I didn't understand 2 points on this. Number 2 is : brain swelling with a suggestion of flattening of the gyri, narrowing of the sulci and a suggestion of uncal herniation. Also number6 just says: "washerwoman's feet". I don't understand these two points or what they mean. Anyone know? Ever heard this before in other cases? Also says number 4: teeth marks in the distal aspect of the tongue, anterior surface(postmortem, no evidence of contusion in underlying mucosa or muscle of tongue.

 

[upallnite]

pinkish fluid- was that from her ears or nose?

It says a pinkish, bloody fluid is noted coming from the nose and oral cavity.

 

[upallnite]

This is all I am going to post on here about the autopsy report, it is too graphic and I don't think I should post this stuff on here. When I talked to the second brother R.B today, he said that the water was only a foot deep where she was. I don't know if this is important or not. He said he stepped in the water to help T.B to get her to shore. He wasn't sure if she was a man or a woman until he took a hold of her shirt to help pull her to shore and he seen a bra strap. He said the water is very shallow there. Also my uncle stated to police that he last seen her at rollerrink he owned at the time on Jan. 16th, so.... He is deceased. Also another uncle of mine worked at Waterworks in Barberton and was talking about the issue of Jane and a co-worker said he had found a jacket in the canal, had it cleaned and had taken it home. He turned it over to police. It says in the report that J.T identified it as the jacket he had given Jane, I don't know who that is.

 

[Lady Sleuth]

One thing that I found odd is in the end of this autopsy report it states different aspects of this autopsy that were strange. It's titled Provisional Anatomical Diagnosis. I didn't understand 2 points on this. Number 2 is : brain swelling with a suggestion of flattening of the gyri, narrowing of the sulci and a suggestion of uncal herniation. Also number6 just says: "washerwoman's feet". I don't understand these two points or what they mean. Anyone know? Ever heard this before in other cases? Also says number 4: teeth marks in the distal aspect of the tongue, anterior surface(postmortem, no evidence of contusion in underlying mucosa or muscle of tongue.

upallnite,
I happened to see this thread this morning and saw this query as to what "washerwoman's feet" are. That is the wrinkled appearance that feet (and hands) develop after being in water for a prolonged amount of time. My children used to love to play in the bathtub with their tub toys at bathtime and after a bit of time they would get that wrinkled look to the hands and feet....we called it "looking like a prune".

Lady Sleuth
jmho

 

[upallnite]

upallnite,
I happened to see this thread this morning and saw this query as to what "washerwoman's feet" are. That is the wrinkled appearance that feet (and hands) develop after being in water for a prolonged amount of time. My children used to love to play in the bathtub with their tub toys at bathtime and after a bit of time they would get that wrinkled look to the hands and feet....we called it "looking like a prune".

Lady Sleuth
jmho

Thank you, I had thought this is what it meant but I wasn't sure.

 

[shadowangel]

A herniation of the brain occurs when pressure inside the skull increases and displaces the brain tissues. It is usually caused by brain swelling as the result of a head injury. An uncal herniation is the most common, causing coma and respiratoy arrest. When looking at the surface of the brain, the organ appears to be constructed of bulges seperated by grooves. (Think back to high school biology). The "bulges" are the gyri, the "grooves" are the sulci. What this is saying, basically, is that the brain swelled and the bulges expanded and flattened and the grooves narrowed.

 

[upallnite]

So anyways it says that they couldn't make anything from this swelling because of the severe decomposition of the body. hmmmmm. I wonder if this actually was some kind of head trauma.

 

[shadowangel]

Just from what you've listed, I think there is enough to make a forensic pathologist go "hmmmmm......." Besides, there's 23 years of new technology that could probably make something of all the "undetermineds".

 

[mysteriew]

It says a pinkish, bloody fluid is noted coming from the nose and oral cavity.

This is also indicative of a head injury.
But if she was submerged for a long period of time- wouldn't that have been washed away?
As to the witnesses- did they say how much ice there was when they found her? And I wonder if they went to the canal very often, or if this was their first trip?

 

[shadowangel]

I was able to find the following, related to the pinkish liquid:

(Drowning)
Externally a fine white froth or foam is seen exuding from the mouth and nostrils. The froth is sometimes tinged with blood producing a pinkish colour. If the foam is wiped away then pressure on the chest wall will cause more to exude from the nostrils and mouth. It is persistent and resists submersion for several days (up to a week in winter). The foam is also found in the trachea and main bronchi. The foam is a mixture of water, air, mucus and possibly surfactant whipped up by respiratory efforts. Thus it is a vital phenomenon and indicates that the victim was alive at the time of submersion. A similar foam is found with severe pulmonary oedema from any cause such as drug overdose, congestive cardiac failure and head injuries.

I found this in relation to the sudden death resulting from immersion in very cold water:

There is likely some element of laryngeal spasm in all drowning deaths. However in these cases there is no evidence of aspiration of liquid and there are the typical signs of an asphyxial death including facial cynanosis and petechial haemorrhages. The mechanism is thought to be sudden chilling of the neck and chest followed by immediate inhalation of water resulting in reflex spasm of the larynx, early unconsciousness and a rapid asphyxia. The possibility of an asphyxial death prior to entry into the water must be excluded (e.g. homicidal strangulation).
.

 

[mysteriew]

What are your thoughts as to the relationship of this info and the findings on the autopsy report?

 

[Shadow205]

I was able to find the following, related to the pinkish liquid:

(Drowning)
Externally a fine white froth or foam is seen exuding from the mouth and nostrils. The froth is sometimes tinged with blood producing a pinkish colour. If the foam is wiped away then pressure on the chest wall will cause more to exude from the nostrils and mouth. It is persistent and resists submersion for several days (up to a week in winter). The foam is also found in the trachea and main bronchi. The foam is a mixture of water, air, mucus and possibly surfactant whipped up by respiratory efforts. Thus it is a vital phenomenon and indicates that the victim was alive at the time of submersion. A similar foam is found with severe pulmonary oedema from any cause such as drug overdose, congestive cardiac failure and head injuries.

I found this in relation to the sudden death resulting from immersion in very cold water:

There is likely some element of laryngeal spasm in all drowning deaths. However in these cases there is no evidence of aspiration of liquid and there are the typical signs of an asphyxial death including facial cynanosis and petechial haemorrhages. The mechanism is thought to be sudden chilling of the neck and chest followed by immediate inhalation of water resulting in reflex spasm of the larynx, early unconsciousness and a rapid asphyxia.

The possibility of an asphyxial death prior to entry into the water must be excluded (e.g. homicidal strangulation).
.

Based on what I have read, I lean toward asphyxial death prior to her going into the water.

 

[mysteriew]

Based on what I have read, I lean toward asphyxial death prior to her going into the water.

But then how does the pinkish liquid from her oral and nasal cavities come into it?

 

[concernedperson]

But then how does the pinkish liquid from her oral and nasal cavities come into it?

That is what is confusing to me. More than likely she had a blunt force trauma to the head at the time of submersion where ultimately she drowned. That is all that makes sense ....pinkish liquid and swollen head.

 

[upallnite]

This is also indicative of a head injury.
But if she was submerged for a long period of time- wouldn't that have been washed away?
As to the witnesses- did they say how much ice there was when they found her? And I wonder if they went to the canal very often, or if this was their first trip?

The brothers told me where she was found was about a foot of water and a foot of mud. On the autopsy they note that she is covered in mud and debris. Thomas said he always ran his dog down there, he said it was the first day that year warm enough to thaw the ice down there to make it feasible to run on the towpath.

 

[shadowangel]

Regardless of anything else, I think drowning can be ruled out as the cause of death. Is there any indication of exterior damage to the head (abrasions/contusions, especially to the face or forehead)?

Upallnite had PM'd me that though no water was found in Jane's lungs, she was noted to be acutely congested. I found this:
[In a drowning death] "the lungs are characteristically over-inflated and heavy with fluid. However, this is not invariable and, when present, is not distinguishable from "fluid on the lungs" (pulmonary oedema seen in heart failure, drug overdose and head injury)".

 

[concernedperson]

Regardless of anything else, I think drowning can be ruled out as the cause of death. Is there any indication of exterior damage to the head (abrasions/contusions, especially to the face or forehead)?

What if she had blunt force trauma to the head and someone held her head underwater? A strong punch can cause a fractured skull, I know I had one. No cuts but a lot of swelling after the fact.

 

[upallnite]

Regardless of anything else, I think drowning can be ruled out as the cause of death. Is there any indication of exterior damage to the head (abrasions/contusions, especially to the face or forehead)?

Upallnite had PM'd me that though no water was found in Jane's lungs, she was noted to be acutely congested. I found this:
[In a drowning death] "the lungs are characteristically over-inflated and heavy with fluid. However, this is not invariable and, when present, is not distinguishable from "fluid on the lungs" (pulmonary oedema seen in heart failure, drug overdose and head injury)".

It said the hair was easily pulled away from the scalp, so it was really deteriorated and basically they couldn't tell.