Identified! CT - Stonington (Ledyard), WhtFem UP8909, 18-30, JNHS 1917 Class Ring, Lady Clairol hair roller set, May'74 - Linda Sue Childers

[Swamp Fox Trot]

There is not anyone in that group with the initials ILN (i.e., the initials engraved on the side of the ring).

Maybe somebody could do some genealogy on the suggested match?

 

[LucyOso]

I’ve tried to research this ring, too. It should still be identifiable, whether it is a clue to the identity of this person or not. All I’ve come up with is crumbs to muddy up the water, but hope it helps lead to some more definite clues. The sketch of the letters on the ring was done by “Balfor Jewelers.” I didn’t find a BJ on a quick search, but Balfour Inc is the largest, oldest maker of class and military rings. http://www.balfour.com/about/history/

So Balfour didn’t make high school rings in 1917. Were they the only makers of class rings then? I don’t know. Balfour rings are usually clearly marked with their Balfour insignia on the inside of the shank. At least, all the ones I’ve seen dating back to the 40s or so. So IF this is indeed the same Balfour that studied the initials, I’m inclined to think it is not a class ring. They are the experts. ( Herff Jones is the other major US class ring maker and they were not founded until 1920.) Also, if the S is for School, I don’t think it would be the dominate center letter.

But it could be a military ring. 1917 was the year America joined World War I. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwarioverview/a/wwi1917.htm Could this be a military mother’s ring? I wonder if the center vertical line is not part of an crude attempt to put a cross in the middle of 3 initials. With the possibility of a cross overlaying the initials, it could just be HSN with a fancy cursive hook on the H. And if S is the surname, then it would be HNS.

The inside initials: ILN - Google search for old English cursive font (no quotes) I did not see a font exactly like this one, but I did see that there is very little difference between an I and a J in almost all the search results. It looks like the Balfor Jeweler sketch includes the first inside initial, possibly due to the similarity of those 2 letters. ( And I hope it’s not just an I Love Nxxxx. engraving.)

Thank you Kate! Great research. Going off this idea...I started searching for jewelry styles early 20th century and monograms...mainly 4 letter. Anyway, 4 letters are rare, with the exception of military. Most military rings had crests, eagles, etc...during this time, since 1880s-1900. This ring looks like a custom piece made for someone...However, I did find some examples...

http://hglanham.tripod.com/metalinsignia/collardisk1.html military artifacts...not rings...

http://books.google.com/books?id=tr...Q#v=onepage&q=military monograms 1917&f=false enlisted men monograms 1917. Could it be USNH-United States New Hampshire?

http://www.familygiftsandembroidery.com/pages/MonogramFormats.htm Here is an example of monograms. If it was the intials of a person it was not typical to have 4 letters. It could be a promise ring with intials of two people...quick engagment before heading off to war?

Maybe someone with military history knowledge can chime in....

 

[fred&edna]

I continue to look, read, and search but I can't seem to decide if it signifies a school (maybe catholic school), an honor society, or has a military connection. I did find a vintage (1930) pin on ebay for sale NJHS (Nobility, Justice, Honor, Success) obviously a creed or motto. Monogram style is not the same, and obviously the year is also different.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270482845207+#ht_500wt_1156

Also, in looking at the copies of the phone records, is/was the phone owned by "C M Fox"? And, where were these other items (briefcase, Clairol rollers, etc) found?

** If the initials on the interior are J L N... the J and the N would correspond to the N J on the monogram

 

[rem]

Brainstorming about the ring:
JHS is a Christogram and priests and bishops wear rings. Not sure what the N would be in this case?

Continuing on a religious theme, could the S stand for seminary?

The NS could be for "normal School" I found one news article that mentions someone taught at Johns Hopkins Normal School in the 30's. It was written in the 50's and I didn't bother purchasing it. Any other possible Normal Schools? I believe they trained teachers.

Someone else mentioned that 1917 could be the year the school was founded. My college ring has the schools full founding year on the front and just the 2 digit of my class year.

I know LE had a school ring maker look at the ring but perhaps an appraiser who deals in antigue/estate jewelry would be helpful? Or someone who is an expert in WWI military memorabilia?

 

[rem]

According to the note with the sketches on NamUs, her description came from an acquaintance. That would explain how they know her hair color, height, where she might have family, etc. This isn't a typical UID case-- people knew her in life they just didn't know her real identity. I wonder where DeFrietas' girlfriend is now?...

 

[Spice-Nine]

Nursing school tradition is typically a "pinning" ceremony with graduates receiving their nursing school's emblem reflected on the pin. It would be worth researching whether or not Johns Hopkins issued a pin versus a ring to it's graduate nurses.

 

[Skigirl]

I wonder about Sherry Jean Pickle as a potential match. Her hair color and face look pretty close. She disappeared from California, though, and there's no obvious connection to PA/TN

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/pickle_sherry.html

 

[Skigirl]

Here's one from New Jersey who it sounds like may have left home of her own accord

Jan Andre Cotta: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cotta_jan.html

 

[PFF]

not listed on Doe network

 

[Skigirl]

ETA: I just realized the murder date was several years prior to finding the body -- if that date is correct, it would rule out Jan Cotta

NamUs MP # 5978

Jan Cotta
Monmouth County, New Jersey
19 year old white female

Case Information
Status Missing
First name Jan
Middle name Andre
Last name Cotta
Nickname/Alias Jane, Andrea
NCMEC number 1005685
Date LKA June 26, 1973 00:00
Date entered 04/15/2010
Age LKA 19 to 19 years old
Age now 58 years old
Race White
Ethnicity
Sex Female
Height (inches) 64.0
Weight (pounds) 118.0

 

[Skigirl]

ETA: I just realized the murder date was several years prior to finding the body -- if that date is correct, it would rule out Sherry Pickle

NamUs MP # 6528

Sherry Pickle
San Diego County, California
15 year old white female

Case Information
Status Missing
First name Sherry
Middle name Jean
Last name Pickle
Nickname/Alias
NCMEC number 604028
Date LKA May 16, 1972 00:00
Date entered 04/15/2010
Age LKA 15 to 15 years old
Age now 56 years old
Race White
Ethnicity
Sex Female
Height (inches) 64.0
Weight (pounds) 110.0

 

[Skigirl]

Mary Ann Switalski went missing in 1963 at the age of 16, so she would have been in her 20s when this Jane Doe was found. She has strawberry blonde hair. She was from Illinois and apparently went to a carnival, never to return home. A couple days later, her parents received a letter from her saying she was going to make some money for the family. Reports conflict as to whether she joined a traveling group that was selling magazines.

Seems like a long-shot, and likely Mary died not long after she was last seen, but the age and hair color would work. I wish Namus still had dental charts viewable to the public because this Jane Doe has some distinctive dental features.

If it was Mary, I wonder what she was doing during all those intervening years.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/case_report_html/4642

Case Report - NamUs MP # 4642
Case Information
Status Missing
First name Mary Ann
Middle name R
Last name Switalski
Nickname/Alias
NCMEC number 1180028
Date LKA July 15, 1963 19:23
Date entered 01/09/2010
Age LKA 16 to 16 years old
Age now 66 years old
Race White
Ethnicity
Sex Female
Height (inches) 62.0
Weight (pounds) 102.0

 

[Jerri Blank]

Is the info on NamUs is wrong? Or are the woman found with Carmichael in the bog and this JD 2 different women?

The OP says the woman was found in Hartford, CT and NamUs says Hartford County. DeFreitas lived in Ledyard and that is where the bodies were found. Ledyard, CT is in New London County, several towns away from Hartford County and 50 miles from Hartford. Also JD was found wrapped in a blanket in the woods and the woman with GC was buried/submerged (?) in the swamp with him (or so it seemed from the article taramarie linked to).

I am new to WS (though I have been poking around for a few months), so maybe I am wrong! In any event I am intrigued by this case. With so much to go on, she has to be identifiable!

 

[Skigirl]

Is the info on NamUs is wrong? Or are the woman found with Carmichael in the bog and this JD 2 different women?

The OP says the woman was found in Hartford, CT and NamUs says Hartford County. DeFreitas lived in Ledyard and that is where the bodies were found. Ledyard, CT is in New London County, several towns away from Hartford County and 50 miles from Hartford. Also JD was found wrapped in a blanket in the woods and the woman with GC was buried/submerged (?) in the swamp with him (or so it seemed from the article taramarie linked to).

I am new to WS (though I have been poking around for a few months), so maybe I am wrong! In any event I am intrigued by this case. With so much to go on, she has to be identifiable!

You're right - I wondered about that, too -- Ledyard versus Hartford. I'll take a look back through the court record at one of the links above - that relatively contemporary account seems likely to be the most accurate. Maybe Hartford is listed because the Hartford police are handling the case and whoever made the Namus entry was confused?

 

[Pink Panther]

National Junior Honor Society

I realize that they weren't formally established until 1921 but their sites states that it was functioning for several years prior to it being formalized. This is their website:

http://www.nhs.us/

Also, they did have class rings. This text refers to the class ring committee:

http://www.rmalife.net/us-nhs-selection-process

 

[Skigirl]

Is the info on NamUs is wrong? Or are the woman found with Carmichael in the bog and this JD 2 different women?

The OP says the woman was found in Hartford, CT and NamUs says Hartford County. DeFreitas lived in Ledyard and that is where the bodies were found. Ledyard, CT is in New London County, several towns away from Hartford County and 50 miles from Hartford. Also JD was found wrapped in a blanket in the woods and the woman with GC was buried/submerged (?) in the swamp with him (or so it seemed from the article taramarie linked to).

I am new to WS (though I have been poking around for a few months), so maybe I am wrong! In any event I am intrigued by this case. With so much to go on, she has to be identifiable!

I think this is the source of the confusion. The bodies were both found in Ledyard (in a shallow grave, according to the court record) in May of 1974. In October of 1970, Gustavous Lee Carmichael escaped while on his way to federal court Hartford from prison in Massachusetts. The couple were supposedly killed in December 1970 near where their bodies were found. So the crime started in Hartford, but the bodies were found in Ledyard.

http://ct.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19800108_0042007.CT.htm/qx

 

[Jerri Blank]

Thanks Skigirl! I was pretty sure they were one in the the same, but I was confused about jurisdiction. I think Mary Ann is actually a promising. They have a lot of matches.

Maybe Gloria Jean Biard?
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2327dfga.html

something tells njhs isnt the honor society.... i wish i could say what it was though!

 

[CarlK90245]

Thanks Skigirl! I was pretty sure they were one in the the same, but I was confused about jurisdiction. I think Mary Ann is actually a promising. They have a lot of matches.

Maybe Gloria Jean Biard?
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2327dfga.html

something tells njhs isnt the honor society.... i wish i could say what it was though!

For the record, Gloria Baird went to the Glynn Academy in Brunswick GA. No tie-in on the ring FWIW.

 

[OC Lady]

I believe that the Ring Committee in the linked text refers to the school ring committee at Randolph Macon Academy, not National Junior Honor Society.

 

[Jerri Blank]

For the record, Gloria Baird went to the Glynn Academy in Brunswick GA. No tie-in on the ring FWIW.

I think my post was unclear, sorry! 2 separate thoughts:
1. JD could be Gloria
2. I don't think the ring is an honor society ring.

(I didnt see any connection with her and the ring either)

Even if it is an honor society ring, I have a feeling the ring is a dead end in relation to her identity. She probably found/"borrowed" it somewhere along the way. So unless it was reported missing to police at some point it wont tie back to anything.

If is one of her own belongings, then it was passed down through some family chain. Without knowing the grandparents and great grandparents of all these missing people, it will be hard to know which one. If they had a good potential id, it could be great for confirmation though!

there is also the possibility that carmichael gave it to her as some sort of gift, and fed her some line about what it meant. if so, knowing his background it would be safe to say he didn't obtain it through legal, traceable venues.