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

[FromGermany1]

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.

My first thought, hasn't to be right: key for a diary?

 

[carbuff]

My first thought, hasn't to be right: key for a diary?

Yes, I think a diary would be a very likely possibility.

 

[Susikatze]

Yes, I think a diary would be a very likely possibility.

Yes or since it is attached to a jewelry closure, it is possibly from a lock-key jewelry set. The lock and key were split up between sisters, friends, mom and daughter, lovers etc. and one wore the key and the other the lock as a charm.

 

[Susikatze]

@othram can you have a look? This is someones mom and probably also someones aunt and sister.

 

[Caring1]

There are now 4 exclusions. Laurie Smith has been added.

 

[SDMABEL]

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=2141dfaz

Patsy ? - missing and involved with the church . Possibly linked to the in graved necklace ? Had a child so matches possibly given birth .

Some time between her disappearance and this does discovery . But if she was away in a cult / church type set up might explain this ?

Edited to add - younger than the does estimated age however .

 

[Melt71]

@SDMABEL good searching and I don't worry too much about age differences as we have seen some wild variations on estimates versus actual ages when people are identified. Also feel free to post in Patsy's own thread AZ - AZ - Patsy Ravens, 31, Phoenix, 4 Sept 1977

 

[heartanium]

"Body found in desert northwest of Tucson," Arizona Daily Star, November 6, 1984, pg 11.

"Woman's body was burned, police say," Tucson Citizen, November 7, 1984, pg 41.

"Body burned before dropoff, detective says," Arizona Daily Star, November 8, 1984, pg 28.

• The body was very badly burned to the point parts were burned off
• Initial reports put the woman at between puberty (8-13) and 50, 5 ft 4 to 5 ft 8, and 115 to 165 lbs

"Burned body found in desert still not identified," Arizona Daily Star, February 20, 1985, pg 30.

• An autopsy was unable to determine if she was burned to death or burned after death
• She had been burned by flammable liquid that was poured over her
• This newspaper states that she was white, 40+ years old, 5 ft 6 to 5 ft 10ft, 115 to 165.
• She had a dental plate/partial bridge with four teeth
• She had given birth at some point.

Teibel, David L. "Murder of woman matches '84 crime," Tucson Citizen, December 10, 1985, pg 25, 33
This article states that detectives thought that the murder of this Jane Doe was similar to that of 28 year old Debra Lynne Slowikowski of Tucson. She was last seen November 29, 1985 after getting off from work, and she was reported missing on December 2. She worked as a pharmacist at Tucson General Hospital. Her body was found along Pinal Air Park Road west of Interstate 10 (pretty close to where this body was reported to be). She was killed by a blow to the head and her killer tried to set her body on fire with gasoline.

The body further goes on to say this Jane Doe was found at the bottom of an old cattle watering tank and that she had been beaten.

"Man innocent in death of UA student," Arizona Daily Star, March 21, 1987, 28, pg 28.
Richard David Phipps was accused of picking up Slowikowski at the Fine Line Bar at 101 W. Drachman St. the night she went missing and killing her. Phipps was acquitted on March 20, 1987. This was his second trial, the first one ended in a hung jury in 1985.

Salkowski, Joe "Man gets at least 10 years for stabbing driver at stoplight," Arizona Daily Star, pg 3.
In this article Richard Phipps was found guilty of stabbing 21 year old Michelle Lynn Vario while she was stopped at a stoplight. He was sentenced to 10+ years in prison.

 

[snooptroop88]

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=2141dfaz

Patsy ? - missing and involved with the church . Possibly linked to the in graved necklace ? Had a child so matches possibly given birth .

Some time between her disappearance and this does discovery . But if she was away in a cult / church type set up might explain this ?

Edited to add - younger than the does estimated age however .

This is the third case I've come across with kind of more unusual jewelry, and I've wondered in two of the cases (including this one) if there wasn't some cult tie-in, and that led me back to the an earlier case I'd seen. There's this case we're discussing now with Pima Jane Doe. Here's the second case:

The Pyre Case/Gilpin County Jane Doe, CO, 1952

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

5' 1"-5' 5"(61-65 inches) , Estimated
Can't estimate weight or age, died in 1952
Remains were found in an unused gravel pit in the woods by a man who was on a hunting trip. The body was found under a log and was charred due to being set on fire. The body was found approximately 100 yards from Highway 119 and about 25 feet from Clear Creek.
Accessories==Fragment of sequinned cloth from a turquoise colored blouse; Small electric razor; Metal rivets of blue jeans; Sole of one shoe; Purse; Three empty lipstick container; Man's ring with no setting; Denver tramway token; Three safety pins; Two pieces of a broken handbag mirror

Jewelry==Rhinestone necklace; Earrings

(earring, and I believe her earrings were already matched; this was another earring that was also found there if I'm reading things correctly)

Third case, this was actually the first of the three I'd seen:

Neptune Jane Doe, Neptune NJ 1980
2-30 yo, 5'7", 135

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Jewelry
Two chains around neck - one is a gold metal choker chain with 1/2 inch letter T.Ring: white metal with a white stone on the left 4th finger.Bracelet: brown tortoise shell.

The interesting news: All these charms/pieces of jewelry being discussed seem to tie in with Alchemy symbols, which is interesting. The bad news: My coffee cup could also probably be tied in with "some" Alchemy symbol.

However, with that said, I still find some of the parallels amongst the cases interesting and wonder if there isn't some kind of cult/underground organization tie-in for at least one of these cases.

 

[snooptroop88]

Am seeing online that the key symbol is associated in Christianity with St. Peter, but may also be associated with something called Santeria, which combines the Yoruba religion with Catholicism to widely varying degrees. One source I'm seeing says that Santerism would incorporate elements of Christianity (looks like particularly Catholic saints), but it can be aligned with the occult and perhaps even Satanism. I'm seeing locations like Cuba, Mexico, south Florida, New Jersey, NY, Louisiana and Haiti when I search for locations relating to Santeria.

I also see that there's some recent case in Miami with a man who set the house on fire because his mother threw out his Santeria materials.

That's interesting.

Man sets fire at mom’s Miami-Dade house over trashed Santeria ceremonial items, judge says

A 58-year-old Santeria practitioner stands accused of being so mad at his mother for trashing ceremonial items that he set a fire in their Miami-Dade County home, a judge said.

www.local10.com

And in regard to the other cases (Neptune NJ Jane Doe and Gilpin Co Jane Doe, CO), I just found this, these are Orisha Shango tools, which are Santeria:

Look at the one fourth from left, and also the furthest left. And here's the jewelry from the other Jane Does:

 

[HopeRains]

I'm pretty sure the pic below - the clasp with the "T" is the maker of the jewelry, Trifari.

 

[Melt71]

I'm pretty sure the pic below - the clasp with the "T" is the maker of the jewelry, Trifari.

View attachment 621594

Agree @HopeRains the image below is from a Pinterest post on vintage Trifari jewelry (www.pinterest.com/pin/645492559066261145/).

 

[snooptroop88]

Trifari uses funky little clasps sometimes, but not "a lot" like this one. With that said, sure you're right & this is Trifari because here's another Trifari (maybe even the same one) that's almost exactly the same as the one the Doe had:

But this is not' the "official" Trifari clasp. I found a couple like this, but have been looking through many, some Trifari clasps aren't at all distinctive, and some have a completely different look and design.

With this one above, the clasp is probably the most distinctive feature of the chain.

The clasps on these Trifari pieces in some cases are apparently actually part of the design, and they're wildly different. So my question would kinda be the same, what drew her to that particular design?

 

[snooptroop88]

Other Trifari clasps:

 

[MelmothTheLost]

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.

Not so much weak bones, but women in the past often suffered weakened teeth during pregnancy when much of the dietary calcium went to the developing foetus. These days we know about this risk and proactively increase calcium intake but there are presumably still women who either don't know about this or can't afford to increase calcium-rich foods or buy supplements.

 

[The4TierBridge]

Now an IGG case with Moxxy Forensics in need of crowdfunding;

CASEWORK | Moxxy Forensics

www.moxxyforensics.com