AZ AZ - Pima Co, WhtFem UP11668, 50-85, found in filled cistern in desert, distinctive jewerly, Nov'84

[Romulus]

Unidentified Person Case

Decedent found burned within a trash-filled cistern in desert. She was wearing distinctive jewelry, including a medallion with the inscription " B-STER "

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

The medallion seems to be made by Beaucraft ("B-STER"). I'm not clear how intact it is today, but it would have held a mustard seed on the other side at one point.

Vintage Beaucraft Jewelry and Charms | Jewelry Design News
Vintage silver AMULET OF FAITH MUSTARD SEED PRAYER BEAU charm BEAUCRAFT | #1794616147

She was 64-68" tall, with medium brown hair, and estimated to be 50+ years old. She had blunt force trauma injuries, but it is uncertain if she was dead when she was burned. She may have given birth in the past.

Doe Network: 371UFAZ

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

371UFAZ

Victim's jewelry.

Date of Discovery: November 5, 1984
Location of Discovery: Marana, Pima County, Arizona
Estimated Date of Death: Days prior
State of Remains: Burned
Cause of Death: Homicide

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 50-85 years old
Race: Unknown
Sex: Female
Height: 5'4" to 5'8"
Weight: Unknown.
Hair Color: Medium brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: She may have given birth in the past.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Unknown.
DNA: Unknown.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown.
Jewelry: Yellow metal jewelry. Some had small medallions (one reading "B-STER") and keys. A ring on right hand had a wide band with an open-cut design.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown.

Circumstances of Discovery
The victim was located by a hunter about 28 miles west of Interstate 10 and about one mile north of Avra Valley Road in Pima County, Arizona on November 5, 1985. The hunter found the burned and decomposed body in a cistern in the area, which is frequently visited by hunters and horseback riders.

The woman had blunt force trauma wounds, and it was unclear at the time if she was killed and then burned, or burned to death. There are few leads apart from the jewelry found on her.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Pima County Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Bruce Anderson
Agency Phone Number: 520-724-8600
Agency E-Mail: bruce.anderson(at)pima.gov
Agency Case Number: ML84-1035

Agency Name: Pima County Sheriff's Department
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 520-351-4810
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 84-11-05-703

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 11668

Information Source(s)
NamUs
Arizona Daily Star



------------------------------------



Unidentified Person Case

Female, White / Caucasian
Date Found: November 5, 1984
Location Found: Avra Valley / Marana, Arizona
Estimated Age Range: 50-85 Years

Street Address: 23,800 N 10,400 W desertAvra Valley / Marana, Arizona
County: Pima County
GPS Coordinates: --

Circumstances of Recovery: Decedent found burned within a trash-filled cistern in desert. She was wearing distinctive jewelry, including a medallion with the inscription " B-STER "


Details of Recovery

Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred/burned


Physical Description

Hair Color: Unknown or Completely Bald
Head Hair Description: medium brown
Body Hair Description: --
Facial Hair Description: --
Left Eye Color: Unknown or Missing
Right Eye Color: Unknown or Missing
Eye Description: --


Distinctive Physical Features

No Known Information


Clothing and Accessories

Jewelry
Three necklaces likely gold in color; some with small medallions and keys. Finger ring on right hand with wide band with an open-cut design.

 

[MadMcGoo]

I was looking at this jewelry for the first time and the charm that is described as a "key" looks like a crudely made electric guitar to me. That's the first thing that came to mind anyway. I saw the estimated age (50-85) and didn't think that quite fit, but then I saw the missing person exclusions. The three girls are 15, 19, and 21 years old. Am I missing something? Are they covering all the bases or is this UID possibly younger than what's listed on all the sites? I couldn't find a charm that looked like this one or an electric guitar, but here is kind of what I'm talking about. Probably not one, but thought I'd mention it.

• The Doe Network 371UFAZ
• NamUs UP11668

3 Missing Person Exclusions
MP6293 Cynthia Leslie 07/31/1974 Maricopa AZ
MP9037 Kristina Perkins 09/10/1975 Maricopa AZ
MP26896 Phyllis Brewer 06/13/1981 Mahoning OH

 

[victoriarobinson642]

The medallion looks like an amulet of faith with a verse from Matthew 17:20. It seems like they commonly come with a mustard seed used as a good luck charm. I found a fairly similar one on google at Amulet of Faith Mustard Seed Charm 1960s Vintage 14K Gold Bible Matthew 17:20 | #1857697306
As for B-STER, it seems like that comes from BEAU STERLING.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

After some quick googling, I found what I assume to be the same one (on eBay, of all places).

So odd how nobody recognized this jewelry.

 

[MadMcGoo]

The medallion looks like an amulet of faith with a verse from Matthew 17:20. It seems like they commonly come with a mustard seed used as a good luck charm. I found a fairly similar one on google at Amulet of Faith Mustard Seed Charm 1960s Vintage 14K Gold Bible Matthew 17:20 | #1857697306
As for B-STER, it seems like that comes from BEAU STERLING.

There are some very distinctive pieces of jewelry here! I recognized the mustard seed reference, but that's very interesting about the BEAU STERLING...I hadn't heard of that!

ETA: I can't view the image you posted (probably user error LOL)

 

[victoriarobinson642]

The image has been giving me so much trouble! Here's the eBay listing if anyone wants to see it.
Vintage Sterling Silver AMULET OF FAITH MUSTARD SEED ROUND Charm BY BEAU | eBay

 

[MadMcGoo]

The image has been giving me so much trouble! Here's the eBay listing if anyone wants to see it.
Vintage Sterling Silver AMULET OF FAITH MUSTARD SEED ROUND Charm BY BEAU | eBay

nice find! it is the same!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Refreshing the thread....

 

[Melt71]

How the heck did she get to that location? If the cistern is a mile north of the road I wonder if she was carried in (on horseback maybe?). Or was she killed in-situ? Which also seems bizarre as it would be odd to be hiking, hunting or riding horses in that jewelry, wouldn’t it?

 

[MadMcGoo]

How the heck did she get to that location? If the cistern is a mile north of the road I wonder if she was carried in (on horseback maybe?). Or was she killed in-situ? Which also seems bizarre as it would be odd to be hiking, hunting or riding horses in that jewelry, wouldn’t it?

Ummm, I do wonder how she got out there. I’m not sure about the jewelry though. I mean, this day and age it’s not at all uncommon for women to be clad in all sorts of jewelry when doing those things...but I’m not sure about 1984. It could have been very different.

 

[AliceInPain]

... I saw the estimated age (50-85) and didn't think that quite fit, but then I saw the missing person exclusions. The three girls are 15, 19, and 21 years old. Am I missing something? Are they covering all the bases or is this UID possibly younger than what's listed on all the sites?

bbm sbm

Before I looked at her age I got the impression she was younger, with the type and amount of jewellery and no greys in her hair mentioned.

I wonder what made them decide she was older?
Poor dentals, weak bones etc can happen to younger people too.
It can't have been a wrinkly facial appearance as it says she was burned and not recognizable.

 

[dogperson]

I think the filigree ring is by Sarah Coventry. I had one when I was a teenager and if I recall correctly it was made just like this. (This would have been in the early to mid 1980s but I think the ring may have been manufactured in the late 1970s. I found my ring for $1 at a garage sale.) Mine was marked sterling silver inside but I think the same ring was also made with yellow gold plating like in the photo of the UID's ring. I don't know whether the yellow plated ring was also marked sterling. I wish I still had my ring so I could compare it to the photo.

If it is by Sarah Coventry then it won't help with establishing the UID's identity since that jewelry brand was so widely available, but I just thought I'd mention it because even though it was an adjustable ring it seemed to be made for women with small hands. I'm tall like the UID but am small boned and in my opinion this ring (if it's the same as the one I had) would probably only fit comfortably on a finger that wears a size 4 or 5 or 6 ring. I think if you wore a size 7 or above you'd have to open the ring so wide in the back that it would catch the skin of your finger in it and pinch it. So in looking for matches we might want to look for a woman of average to above average height with a small boned build. She may have been tall but also very slender too.

 

[Romulus]

Bump!

 

[carbuff]

I was looking at this jewelry for the first time and the charm that is described as a "key" looks like a crudely made electric guitar to me. That's the first thing that came to mind anyway. I saw the estimated age (50-85) and didn't think that quite fit, but then I saw the missing person exclusions. The three girls are 15, 19, and 21 years old. Am I missing something? Are they covering all the bases or is this UID possibly younger than what's listed on all the sites? I couldn't find a charm that looked like this one or an electric guitar, but here is kind of what I'm talking about. Probably not one, but thought I'd mention it.

• 
  
  
  • The Doe Network 371UFAZ
  • NamUs UP11668

3 Missing Person Exclusions
MP6293 Cynthia Leslie 07/31/1974 Maricopa AZ
MP9037 Kristina Perkins 09/10/1975 Maricopa AZ
MP26896 Phyllis Brewer 06/13/1981 Mahoning OH

Half an hour diving into Google images informs me it's probably a double-bit skeleton key, or a charm made to look like a double-bit skeleton key: Google Image Result for https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0883/0264/products/6552-PB.jpg?v=1460051274

They're used for desk drawers and small cabinet doors, and other small locks like jewelry caskets.

It looks like it's probably made out of brass. It could be antique and/or homemade, or just a cheap charm. ETA: looking more carefully at the size, it's tiny. The scale isn't marked on the ruler, but compared to the other jewelry, it can't be much more than half an inch. I attached an image zoomed in.

That design on the head is unusual. The only thing I've found like it was on a Chinese key that was otherwise dissimilar. I'll keep looking.

 

[BrownBear]

3 Missing Person Exclusions
MP6293 Cynthia Leslie 07/31/1974 Maricopa AZ
MP9037 Kristina Perkins 09/10/1975 Maricopa AZ
MP26896 Phyllis Brewer 06/13/1981 Mahoning OH

No new exclusions. Her NamUs was last modified in March of 2022 but I'm unsure of what was changed.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Unidentified Person Case

Decedent found burned within a trash-filled cistern in desert. She was wearing distinctive jewelry, including a medallion with the inscription " B-STER "

Inscription = baby sister possibly

 

[worldwatcher]

I never seen these kind of jewelry before, the medallion,but find it very fascinating..so maybe she was religious,or it was given?

Never heard about Order of the Mustard Seed,but here is a little info about it:
History | Order of the Mustard Seed

ETA :
There is a Mustard Seed Story to be found on weebly,written by Jeff Rewis
(am not sure,if the url is allowed to post here,but it gives a good oversight about the meaning/ symbol of the Mustard Seed)

Adding this:
“In the 1980s, I was involved with the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, which sought to call the church and the church's scholars back to a firm defense of the inspiration and infallibility of Holy Writ. There was a New Testament professor at one of the largest seminaries in America who had abandoned the doctrine and was teaching his students that no one could believe in the inerrancy of sacred Scripture because there is a clear mistake in Mark 4:30-32. He would tell his students, "Jesus said that the mustard seed was the smallest of all seeds, but botanists have discovered seeds that are more minute than the mustard seed." This man had rejected the inerrancy of Scripture based on that issue…”

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/mustard-seeds-the-greatness-god​

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Age range is now 50-85