PA PA - Uniontown, WhtFem 30-45, UP16509, in big rig accident, cigs, keychain, clothes, jewelry, May'86

[Magnum P.E.]

I spent some time going over microfilm in the Uniontown Public Library today. I could find no mention of a carnival in the area at that time, but there are numerous fireman's fairs in May that have no mention in the paper. Generally only the Fayette County Fair is mentioned in the newspaper and it is always in late July. This accident happened in early May.

I DID, however, glean some information from one newspaper account; Dr Reilly, the medical examiner, said that she died of a fractured skull and crushing type injury to the chest. I am going to assume that considerable effort went into making her showable in the pm pix.

Whoever she was, at least she did not suffer long.

I did mail info on the Uniontown UID to the Kentucky State Police Lt. in charge of the case. It is probably not her but dentals will tell the tale, and they can do that comparison fairly quickly once LE on both ends talk to each other.

 

[Woodland]

Thank-you Magnum P.E. for the COD info - it helps form a picture.

So, if the driver knew she was in the vehicle, had he taken her somewhere and was bringing her back? Or had agreed to meet her and pick her up and take her somewhere. I'm now leaning towards he had known her for a period of time as he was somewhat off his route.

 

[Magnum P.E.]

Thank-you Magnum P.E. for the COD info - it helps form a picture.

So, if the driver knew she was in the vehicle, had he taken her somewhere and was bringing her back? Or had agreed to meet her and pick her up and take her somewhere. I'm now leaning towards he had known her for a period of time as he was somewhat off his route.

Hiya Woodland,
Could have been that, could have been as simple as a stranger asking where he was going and getting in at a fuel stop when he said "Kentucky". The people who could have answered those questions are both gone so we really have no way to know. I don't know if it would help find her identity if we did know. We do know that the driver's family did not recognize her pix.

Nerosleuth has sent me a list of newspapers and contact info along the truck's route, and if I get a negative on Sandra Flynn Fisher from KY State Police the next step is that I will send a package (cover letter and public info on the Uniontown UID) to them, state by state, and hope someone runs it.

This type of methodical grunge work is not exciting and is not going to be made into a movie any time soon, but it is how we can approach some very old cases. It is not difficult but it takes some effort (thanks Nero!).

 

[Magnum P.E.]

I found out something interesting that is probably not be directly relevant to this case but that we on this board should all be aware of.
Note that the UID had brown eyes, Sandra Flynn Fisher had blue eyes. In trying to reconcile this I found out that certain treatments for glaucoma can in fact change eye color.

 

[ctaylor]

Came across this new article which gives small summaries on all 27 cold cases in Fayette County and this case is mentioned. No new developments but it did say this...

The body of an unidentified woman was found underneath a tractor-trailer that overturned in Georges Township on May 2, 1986. More than 27 years later, “Jane Doe” has still not been identified, although Marshall said new tips are leading police to possibly identifying the woman.

Article here - http://www.heraldstandard.com/new_today/heating-up-cold-cases-investigations-continue-in-deaths/article_dbe157a3-ba0a-58f5-b5fb-9a64fb74153c.html

 

[Magnum P.E.]

Came across this new article which gives small summaries on all 27 cold cases in Fayette County and this case is mentioned. No new developments but it did say this...



Article here - http://www.heraldstandard.com/new_today/heating-up-cold-cases-investigations-continue-in-deaths/article_dbe157a3-ba0a-58f5-b5fb-9a64fb74153c.html

Well, those who read this forum know what one of those tips was. I sent the same package to LE in KY and PA. I left it at that and have not heard anything. I hope we solve a mystery and also find closure for a family. There are no happy endings here, and when we do this work we know that going in.

 

[Paradise]

I'm intrigued to find out the story on this girl since there's so many unknowns associated with this case. She obviously can't be from the Uniontown area, it's a small town where everyone knows everyone and families weren't as transient in the 80's as they are today.

I travelled a lot in the western part of PA for my last job. It's very rural and there are lots of adult stores. My co-worker and I came up with the idea that there were so many adult stores because there was nothing else to do there...lol. I always felt that there was a weird vibe to the rural areas we travelled through

 

[Magnum P.E.]

I'm intrigued to find out the story on this girl since there's so many unknowns associated with this case. She obviously can't be from the Uniontown area, it's a small town where everyone knows everyone and families weren't as transient in the 80's as they are today.

I travelled a lot in the western part of PA for my last job. It's very rural and there are lots of adult stores. My co-worker and I came up with the idea that there were so many adult stores because there was nothing else to do there...lol. I always felt that there was a weird vibe to the rural areas we travelled through

There are no adult stores in Fayette County, some are in the Pittsburgh area and on the interstates. Certainly none in the area of the accident. The weird vibe probably comes from it being culturally part of Appalachia. If you are from an urban setting you would not be at home there. If you are not into white water rafting or bicycling there is not much to do.
There is no way she was from Uniontown. Someone would have said something in all this time. I did turn in Sandra Flynn Fisher but heard nothing. There are some problems with that ID ( age and eye color) but there is a facial resemblance and the truck was bound for KY.

 

[Paradise]

There are no adult stores in Fayette County, some are in the Pittsburgh area and on the interstates. Certainly none in the area of the accident. The weird vibe probably comes from it being culturally part of Appalachia. If you are from an urban setting you would not be at home there. If you are not into white water rafting or bicycling there is not much to do.
There is no way she was from Uniontown. Someone would have said something in all this time. I did turn in Sandra Flynn Fisher but heard nothing. There are some problems with that ID ( age and eye color) but there is a facial resemblance and the truck was bound for KY.

I guess that's it, I'm originally from Reading and lived in Denver (Lancaster County) for a few years before moving to Baltimore. There really wasn't a whole lot to do in western PA. I think Sandra Flynn Fisher does look similar to the UID, but as you pointed out, there are some discrepancies.

 

[Magnum P.E.]

I guess that's it, I'm originally from Reading and lived in Denver (Lancaster County) for a few years before moving to Baltimore. There really wasn't a whole lot to do in western PA. I think Sandra Flynn Fisher does look similar to the UID, but as you pointed out, there are some discrepancies.

Well, in one case, someone recently put hair color in the system as black, when source documents say brown. In another case remains were listed as female when they were male, leading to them being unidentified for decades - I think the gender was correctly identified but entered into the system incorrectly. Mistakes do happen, people are in a hurry due to workload. The age difference between this UID and SFF is problematic but it is difficult to estimate the age of adults. SFF is the best possibility we know of at this time.

 

[Paradise]

Well, in one case, someone recently put hair color in the system as black, when source documents say brown. In another case remains were listed as female when they were male, leading to them being unidentified for decades - I think the gender was correctly identified but entered into the system incorrectly. Mistakes do happen, people are in a hurry due to workload. The age difference between this UID and SFF is problematic but it is difficult to estimate the age of adults. SFF is the best possibility we know of at this time.

I remember hearing about the UID who was entered as female and they were actually male. Mistakes happen. I guess that's why it's good to submit anyone you think could be a possible match and not hold back. Also, that's so true about estimating the age of adults. Many people look much younger than they really are (me included)!

 

[apearn]

I ran across Nancy Clavell (missing in Maryland since 1984 at age 20) looking for something else and I'm wondering if this may be her. Nancy's circumstances don't really match up but (I suppose) weirder things have happened.

3486DFMD - Nancy Jean Clavell

The age is right - height is within 2 inches - weight is off but Nancy looks heavier than 130 and in two years could have gained weight - eye color is off (but that does change postmortem with time and temperature so I'm ignoring that).

 

[necco]

Tossing this out because it's Pennsylvania. No purse, only cash and keys, no one reported her missing (possibly)… I wonder if she could be Amish/Old Order Mennonite/Brethren on rumspringa or in the bann (shunned). She was in English clothes, but they were pretty modest.

I always wonder how many UIDs in states with big Anabaptist populations could be Amish/Old Order Mennonite/Brethren. I also wonder out west about FDLS lost boys turning up as UIDs.

 

[necco]

Question: When they had a DNA profile for someone for ID purposes, can it be used to look for genetic anomalies that are common in some ethnic populations?

 

[CarlK90245]

Question: When they had a DNA profile for someone for ID purposes, can it be used to look for genetic anomalies that are common in some ethnic populations?

They probably could, but they normally don't.

 

[necco]

They probably could, but they normally don't.

Thanks for the quick answer. Given the Founder effect and lack of genetic diversity in some groups, such as the Amish, it could be a pretty useful thing. Not definitive, obviously, but if certain autosomal recessive genes were noted, it could be a huge clue that an UID is ex-Amish/Mennonite/etc.

There is a genetic research center specifically for the Amish and Mennonite population. I wonder if their scientists would consider becoming involved in such things. I wish I had the courage to contact them. https://clinicforspecialchildren.org

 

[cvaldez1975]

I agree strongly with you on that. She looks hauntingly like my own mother who also had dark brown hair and eyes.

I think finding out how far off his route the driver was (as stated on Pennsylvania missing) is first priority and would be most helpful in pinpointing where this woman was picked up or heading to. Very curious as to why he would leave his normal and expected route and go to Fayette county PA.

I can't access a map at this moment but Sparrows Point MD to Richmond KY was his route. But he ends up crashing 15 miles South of Uniontown PA, on Route 119 in Springhill township. I think we could be confident that she joined the driver before he diverged from the expected route. And that he probably wouldn't have been willing to take her to a location that would have delayed him by much.

She has house keys but no ID, that suggests she wasn't far from wherever the keys fit and didn't expect to be gone long enough or far enough away to need proof of name/residence. However, I'm of her generation and didn't need or have official id until I was 19 and got a driver's license.

No purse also suggest she has nearby ties. Not taking a purse suggests not wanting to be bothered with it's bulk. Take my keys, my cigarettes and head out the door; be back soon. Earn the $ found or bring it with me. A runaway would bring her purse.

No car keys, so how does she get to where the driver picks her up? Where is he taking her when he crashes? Truck stop and rest area prostitutes wouldn't normally leave those places and truckers have no need to leave their routes to find one. Runaway, hitchhiker, working girl, stow away?

I see prostitute as unlikely (at least with this particular trucker - the large amount of cash could mean she had been working earlier) due to the above paragraph reasons and due to them being off route and in a moving truck. Runaway unlikely due to her age and no purse and having the house keys on her. Could the trucker have been taking her home or to wherever she was going with that cash?

As for her hair dye - to me it looks to be growing out and the darker color closest to her head is natural. If she's listed anywhere it could be with dark blond, red or brown hair description depending on who filed the report.

she looks pacific islander to me. something about the mouth and jawline.

 

[Irish_Eyes]

I think her face may not really be as full as it looks here. There may be some swelling. After Cali I find myself thinking more about postmortem effects even on good photos like this one.

 

[cvaldez1975]

I think her face may not really be as full as it looks here. There may be some swelling. After Cali I find myself thinking more about postmortem effects even on good photos like this one.

makes sense... such an odd case.

 

[Cubby]

I wonder if this gal is still unidentifued. I don't find a case file for her in NamUs.