NC Roaring River, female, found in shallow grave, October, 2024.

[AbandonedNC]

Death of person found off Rock Creek Church Road investigated

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office and State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the death of a person found Thursday afternoon off Rock Creek Church Road in the Roaring River community.

www.journalpatriot.com

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office and State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the death of a person found Thursday afternoon off Rock Creek Church Road in the Roaring River community.
No details were immediately available from the sheriff’s office, but emergency personnel said a man riding on a four-wheeler found the remains of a person, apparently a female, in a hole a few feet deep that possibly was a mostly filled-in well amid tall grass and weeds
The Wilkes Journal-Patriot was told that the remains were found on part of the old Tom Bell farm and a farther distance off Rock Creek Church Road than immediately along the road.
The newspaper was told that the person appeared to have been deceased for more than a year, but tattoos were still visible.
<modsnip: off topic/separate case>

 

[Snoopster]

I'm not familiar with the area so I had to look it up. This is about 50 miles west of Winston-Salem. W-S is the closest "major" city. So perhaps it is someone missing from that area.

 

[Teamir]

Northwest of Wilkesboro, NC?

 

[Snoopster]

ETA: I wonder if LE will share what the tattoos look like. That would be helpful.
And, if the tattoos were still discernible can they tell the skin color of the deceased?

 

[iamshadow21]

Death of person found off Rock Creek Church Road investigated

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office and State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the death of a person found Thursday afternoon off Rock Creek Church Road in the Roaring River community.

www.journalpatriot.com

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office and State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the death of a person found Thursday afternoon off Rock Creek Church Road in the Roaring River community.
No details were immediately available from the sheriff’s office, but emergency personnel said a man riding on a four-wheeler found the remains of a person, apparently a female, in a hole a few feet deep that possibly was a mostly filled-in well amid tall grass and weeds
The Wilkes Journal-Patriot was told that the remains were found on part of the old Tom Bell farm and a farther distance off Rock Creek Church Road than immediately along the road.
The newspaper was told that the person appeared to have been deceased for more than a year, but tattoos were still visible.
<modsnip>

After a year? I wonder if she was saponified. Most remains would be skeletal after that long.

WARNING postmortem photos at link.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Features-of-preservation-A-Clearly-still-visible-tattoo-on-the-back-of-the-right_fig3_324604982

Penn Museum has a great article about a saponified body that is part of their collection. It's a good introduction to what it is and why it happens in regular language. Also has postmortem photos, but they're more akin to ancient remains like Egyptian mummies or bog bodies, but YMMV.

Expedition Magazine | The Curious Case of Mrs. Ellenbogen

<p>Old and probably ugly, with a nut-cracker profile. That is how Joseph McFarland, M.D., referred to the Soap Lady, one […]</p>

www.penn.museum

MOO

 

[Teamir]

After a year? I wonder if she was saponified. Most remains would be skeletal after that long.

WARNING postmortem photos at link.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Features-of-preservation-A-Clearly-still-visible-tattoo-on-the-back-of-the-right_fig3_324604982

MOO

To clarify - the linked photos are not the unidentified, right?

 

[iamshadow21]

To clarify - the linked photos are not the unidentified, right?

No, if you scroll down, you'll see that they are from a mass grave from the war in Bosnia (1992-1995). I linked the article in question because it showed preserved tattoos on a saponified body years dead.

 

[AbandonedNC]

View attachment 537125
Northwest of Wilkesboro, NC?

Wilkesboro is a good candidate. There was a large homless camp there along highway 421 that was evicted earlier this year due to road work and I can't help but wonder if this might be related to that. Maybe someone no one knows is missing.

 

[AbandonedNC]

Summers: Death investigated as suspicious

The investigation resulting from a body found Oct. 10 off Rock Creek Church Road in the Roaring River community is ongoing and is being handled as a suspicious death, said

www.journalpatriot.com

The investigation resulting from a body found Oct. 10 off Rock Creek Church Road in the Roaring River community is ongoing and is being handled as a suspicious death, said Chief Deputy James Summers of the Wilkes Sheriff’s Office on Saturday.
Summers added that the deceased person was a middle aged, white female. He said investigators are awaiting positive identification through dental records.

Seems like they might have an idea who she is. Wording in the article is poor, but it sounds like the hole was not a shallow grave but an old well that was partially filled.