Identified! TX - Huntsville, 'Walker County Jane Doe', WhtFem 14-16, 91UFTX, Nov'80 Sherry Ann Jarvis

[Dr.Strangelove]

I don't know for certain that she didn't make it to Ellis, but I don't think so. She was seen by at witness at 6:30 pm on 10/31/80. Really doubt they would have let anyone visit an inmate that late in the evening unless it was under very special circumstances. The police were notified about her body the next morning - Wikipedia says 9:20 am and time of death was listed as 6 hrs earlier. So I don't think she would have had time to actually get to Ellis to see anyone.

I agree that she didn't see anyone but wouldn't 6 hours put her death around 3 am? Unless my math is really wrong

 

[paul1980]

Like i said, "Ruthie Doe"/WCJD doesn't seem to have been all that intelligent and also not caring about any dangers ("Do your parents know where you are, honey?" "Who cares!")

 

[tlorik]

sorry - computer acting up - double entry

Yes, I agree, that was on my mind as well, that she probably had no idea that she just couldn't show up and be let in. If she were visiting an inmate, she would have been in for a big disappointment if she had made it there.
I can't remember, do we know for sure she didn't make it there, only to be turned away at the gate?

I don't know for certain that she didn't make it to Ellis, but I don't think so. She was seen by at witness at 6:30 pm on 10/31/80. Really doubt they would have let anyone visit an inmate that late in the evening unless it was under very special circumstances. The police were notified about her body the next morning - Wikipedia says 9:20 am and time of death was listed as 6 hrs earlier. So I don't think she would have had time to actually get to Ellis to see anyone.

 

[tlorik]

I agree that she didn't see anyone but wouldn't 6 hours put her death around 3 am? Unless my math is really wrong

No that would be right. I don't remember ever seeing a time for when the waitress at the Hitchin Post thought she talked to her. So if it took her say 30 minutes to get across town, that would mean roughly 8 hrs from the time she was last seen until she was murdered.

 

[paul1980]

so what was she doing for several hours... she was killed quite a distance away and the killer doubled back in his truck?

 

[tlorik]

If she left the Hitchin post and went east she would have at least been headed in the direction of Ellis and off of I45. But her body was found back on 45 north of the Hitchin post. I'm afraid she never got very far from the Hitchin post. It was and still is a truck stop and I believe there was more than one trucker/serial killer working at that time. Easy enough to dispose of her body on his way out of town.

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[cvaldez1975]

I think she met her killer shortly aftr being at the hitchin post and was tortured for a long while then killed .

I agree that she didn't see anyone but wouldn't 6 hours put her death around 3 am? Unless my math is really wrong

 

[paul1980]

yeah. Ruthie Doe/WCJD was held prisoner for a while before being killed, i feel.

 

[tlorik]

I think she met her killer shortly aftr being at the hitchin post and was tortured for a long while then killed .

I think you are probably right.

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[mia g]

I'm still here .. but does anyone know an easier way to stay on websleuths when one only has a phone for Internet ?? I miss being able to check in on her on a daily basis !!

 

[mia g]

It would take quit a while to walk from the first place she was seen to the hitchin post .. IF Ashe took the most direct route (which BTW was complete opposite from direction she shoulda gone to get to Ellis) I believe when I drove it it was like 12 miles.. If she got turned around on side roads (Sam Houston State is between first gas station and I45) it would have taken her even longer .. ( especially walking in heels or barefooted ) Also I notice discussion of the culverts at end of service road where Hotchin Post is.. she was actually found past that .. the killer would have had to get back on I45 and driven a lil ways .. I actually routed it several years ago and somewhere there are pictures posted of the area she was found .. ( I did this on July 2010 to give an idea where to look for pictures and information I got from going to sheriffs office and speaking. With the detective on the case at the time, the official rule out list from Walker County is also noted , though I'd hope there be more by now) also a few things that have never left my mind from talk with let Perkins ( now retired .. he actually called to tell me when he was leaving and had told me that the new detective was aware I'd probably check in , unfortunately life has interfered with my passion to find who our girl is and I haven't gotten to do much in years ..)
I remember he never really thought Lucas did it because Lucas was trying to take credit for 100s he couldn't have possible done but adamnelty denied involvement in our Jane Doe.. Lt Perkins is also who told us that Lucas had had so much dental work done impressions were useless he purposely had it done to hide his bite pattern.. ... He mentioned he thought he saw an "oriental " look to our girl around the eyes ( but admitted the swelling could be muipulating the perception) the necklace was "misplaced "( grrrrr) I tried to convince him to let me see the pictures of the scene ( just to get a better idea of the area, this is before i drove the route ) my daughter was literally propped up on one of the boxes of evidence from the case.. ( that was aggravating to be that close ) .. also a task force was assigned .. but meeting kept being canceled, never heard if they ever got to meet , but they were suppose to have DNA redone?? Again this was all 7 years ago.. heart breaking it feels we are no closer !!
We (my daughter and I)did go visit her a few months ago..

 

[mia g]

It is closed and building is gone .. the Gulf Coast that is

 

[mia g]

Wow! It's closed now? I visited couple weeks ago and it was still open. But It was very old from the inside and smelled old too. So I guess they didn't have many costumers anymore

Lol .. and it's smelled that way for 40plus years .. My mom worked there when I was lilttle .. at times I was in a play pen there .. I remember that smell.. when I went in there in 2010 I was like wow.. nothing had changed !!! Smoke and coffee smell!!

 

[mia g]

Hi everyone; new to the forum and Websleuths/reddit/etc. in general. Attorney from the Midwest fascinated by missing persons/unidentified persons cases. Walker City Jane Doe's story has struck a chord with me, and so I have updated myself via this amazingly thorough forum hoping we all can produce a substantial lead to help put a name to this child. A few thoughts based on what I have read from all of you in the forum thus far:
(1) The Kitty Connection: Has anyone been able to uncover anything more about this or do we assume this is a dead-end/hopeless lead? From my untrained eye, Kitty appears too old/mature to be our girl, but you never know what sort of connections are shared by runaways in the same regions. In my experience, transient youth have far more connections to other transient youth in their area than the general public assumes.
(2) Connections to Aransas Pass/Corpus Christi/etc: I noticed a comment from some time back suggesting, due to our girl's noticeable Hispanic features, that she may have come from a Catholic family. Has anyone dug into Diocesan records (i.e. baptismal notices, records?) As a woman raised in a Catholic family, I know that parishioners are usually very helpful in stories such as these, and someone may know something.
(3) Cathy/Kathy: In my personal opinion, I'm surprised so many do not believe that Cathy/Kathy is our girl. To me, the resemblance is striking, and coupled with the brother/sister who helped bring light to this lead, it seems more likely than not that she is WCJD. About their story: has anyone dug into their stepfather/mother? Perhaps they knew who Cathy/Kathy was traveling with? Also, how long was Cathy/Kathy at the hotel? Connecting Cathy/Kathy with the party that paid for/housed her in the hotel is crucial.
(4) William Lewis Reece/Robert Ben Rhoades: I did some digging on both, and I have some ideas on possible connections but would like to know if anyone else has dug deeper into this. Both were employed as truckers; it seems very plausible that WCJD was stalked/offered a ride by someone who saw her in the restaurant. Both have strangulation/rape/brutal assault as MOs. WLR is younger than Rhoades, and it appears he was in the Oklahoma National Guard at some point/after school, but I am unsure of the time frame. Rhoades seems to me a more likely suspect due to the timeline of his crimes/connections to Texas/life as a trucker.

I apologize for how lengthy this post is and if I have covered something that has been vetted thoroughly. I look forward to discussing with people.

It's also worth mentioning ( but could be coincidence ) Rhoades is also name of trucker that discovered her ..

 

[mia g]

Spent several hours yesterday digging around in the TDCJ website and available databases. Right now, without driving to Austin and going to the state library, I can't access an inmate roster at Ellis Unit for 1980. I did learn, according to Wikipedia and TDC website that from 1965-1999, Ellis housed Texas' Death Row - didn't know that before. It was also just about the toughest prisons in Texas at that time. So who was this 14-16 yr old trying to go see? Could have been an older brother, father or even grandfather. Maybe a boyfriend. According to articles, all the inmates at Ellis were shown her picture and no one said they recognized her. Is it possible someone didn't know they had a daughter, granddaughter, sister? Maybe they hadn't seen her since she was tiny. This has worried at me for years. I can't figure out who this child was making such an effort to go see in such a tough place. If you look at the map and based on the info, it looks like she probably hitchhiked to Huntsville and was dropped at the first location off the interstate. Hwy 75 is called Sam Houston Avenue from the south end of it at I-45 thru town until you get to 11th. From where the Gulf station would have been to the Hitchin Post is all the way across town, if she headed north on Sam Houston - per the person at the Gulf Station. Then from the Hitchin Post to Ellis is 20.1 miles per mapquest. It's 70 miles from Huntsville to Houston, the closest metro area south of Huntsville. If she was from the Port Aransas area as has been speculated regarding Kathy/Cathy, add several hours and a couple hundred miles to that trip. From what I've read, WCJD was carrying no bags or suitcases. So who was this child trying to see at Ellis, that she went to this much effort and risk in travelling alone, to have no one recognize her or admit to knowing her? This bugs me almost as much as not knowing who she was. I feel like if we could figure out who she was looking for, we'd be able to find out who she was.

It could of also been whoever dropped her off at Gulf Coast looking for Ellis?? Then at Hitxhin Post maybe she was trying to find whoever it was that left her at Gulf Coast Station, hence still searching for Ellis ??

 

[mia g]

Last comment ( I have more thoughts but will save them)

We don't know if blue car guy truly left her at the Gulf Coast?
And something important that just occurred to me .. a mile or so back towards town on Sam Houston Dr is where they released inmates at that time ! Wonder if one could get a release list of inmates due for release from Ellis , maybe she and/or guy in blue car were suppose to meet a parolee and couldn't find him?? I know I was reminded from a old timer when asking about this that this area where inmates were released was in that area ( I know exactly where it's at just not how to explain) but there was like check cashing places and pawn shots and a place for released inmates to get used clothes .. (right near the Sonic) also a bus stop there in 80s .. basically a one stop shop for inmates getting the hello outta dodge ..
We don't have anyway to know if blue car guy really abandoned her at Gulf Coast?? Good night .. I think I've figured out how to stay connected from my phone !!


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[paul1980]

she was last seen at 6:30PM and according to the autopsy, died at around 3AM. What happened in those seven hours?

 

[Finders]

My theory is this: Robert Ben Rhoades was parked at the hitching post and offered her a ride. She naïvely accepted and paid for it with her life. He kept some of her clothes as a souvenir or tossed them because of blood. He dumped her on the side of the road and continued his route.

 

[tlorik]

My theory is this: Robert Ben Rhoades was parked at the hitching post and offered her a ride. She naïvely accepted and paid for it with her life. He kept some of her clothes as a souvenir or tossed them because of blood. He dumped her on the side of the road and continued his route.

I think you are probably exactly right. And he was 6 hrs or so down the road by the time she was found. Does anyone know if he was ever asked about WCJD? If this has already been discussed, my apologies.

 

[Finders]

I wrote to him in prison asking him. Not sure if it got to him or if he will respond. He hasn't yet.