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NamUs #UP1337 / Doe Network 658UFFL
Demographics
Sex: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 60
Estimated Age Range (Years): 30-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1974
Estimated PMI: 10 Days
Height: 5'2" (62 inches), Estimated
Weight: 160 lbs, Estimated
Cause of Death: Homicide by stab wounds to chest and abdomen
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: November 24, 1974
NamUs Case Created: April 7, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Altamonte, Florida
County: Seminole County
Circumstances of Recovery: A 15-year-old boy riding his minibike behind the nearly-completed Interstate Mall at the intersection of Interstate 4 and Highway 436 in Altamonte Springs around 3 p.m. on November 24, 1974 found the badly decomposed body of a woman. The body was found in 4-foot tall weeds on a slight embankment at the rear of the mall, approximately 50 feet southeast of an unnamed paved road.
Police said that the woman had likely been sexually assaulted, as her pants were found pulled down and the turtleneck shirt she was wearing hiked up around her neck. An autopsy revealed the woman had been killed by two stab wounds, one to the chest and another to the abdomen.
She may be a victim of convicted serial killer Gerald Stano, who confessed to picking up the victim while she hitchhiked outside Orlando in October 1974 and dumping her body at a construction site. Stano says he took the woman's purse and shoes but doesn't know where he discarded them. They have never been found.
She may have had ties to California or Arizona as her wedding ring set, valued at $300-$400 ($1,800 to $2,400 in 2022 dollars), had been sold between 1969 to 1972 to jewelry stores in those states. The rings, which were manufactured by Swirsky and Co. in Los Angeles, could not be traced.
Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Physical Description
Hair Color: Brown
Head Hair Description: Light brown, also described as "reddish brown"
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: Narrow, prominent nose; overweight; tiny scars detected on her pelvic bones indicate she may have given birth twice.
Clothing and Accessories
- There was a pair of royal blue knit slacks with an elastic waist band measuring 38," and a length of 36"(ankle to waist). Also present was a light-colored, crew neck sleeveless knit shirt, with a 10" zipper in the back (On the Body)
- There was a white bra with a label reading 'Equisite Form' size 41B. (On the Body)
- Size 8 yellow-gold engagement and wedding ring set. The wedding band had one three-carat diamond in the center surrounded by two one-carat diamonds. The engagement ring had three one-carat diamonds. (Near the Body)
News Coverage
Gary Taylor, "Body Found Behind Area Mall," Orlando Sentinel, 25 November 1974, 15A.
A partially clothed, badly decomposed woman's body was found Sunday in Altamonte Springs, just behind Interstate Mall, Seminole County Sheriff John Polk said.
Indications are that the woman may have been the victim of a sex crime, Polk said, but would not divulge the evidence investigators have found.
The body was found about 3 p.m. by a 15-year-old boy riding a minibike behind the mall, said Polk, who did not release the name of the boy.
Polk estimated the woman had been dead for "10 days to two weeks" but would not say if officers have any idea how old she was.
The body was on a slight embankment, about 50 feet southeast of a paved road behind the mall near the intersection of Interstate 4 and State Road 436. The road has no name, Altamonte Springs Police Chief Justus East said, and it hasn't been determined who owns the property.
Polk speculated the woman was killed where the body was found but wouldn't say on what his opinion was based, other than it was "an educated guess."
[...]
Authorities also hope the autopsy will reveal how the woman was killed. There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, Polk said.
[...]
Detectives and a crime scene technician will return today, and the area was roped off and officers guarded the area overnight.
"We are going to sift through the scene with a fine-tooth comb, similar to the way we did with the Altamonte Springs dump murders," Polk said.
Elaine Boggs and Gary Taylor, "Autopsy Today In Death Behind Mall," Orlando Sentinel, 26 November 1974, 1B.
Sheriff's Detective Lt. George Abbgy said the gold wedding band contained three diamonds, a three-carat diamond in the center with one carat stones on each side. The other ring, also gold, contained three one-carat diamonds.
"Both rings had manufacturers' inscriptions, but no other identifying marks," Abbgy said. "We are going to check various jewelry stores in an attempt to trace the buyer."
Officers spent approximately seven hours at the scene Monday sifting through dirt and using metal detectors, but Abbgy said the rings, bones and hair samples were all they found.
Elaine Boggs, "Smithsonian To Inspect Remains Of Slain Woman," Orlando Sentinel, 28 November 1974, 2B.
An autopsy performed Tuesday by Garay revealed that the woman was approximately 5-feet-3, and weighed 140 to 150 pounds.
Altamonte Springs Police Chief Justus East said the woman was wearing blue slacks and a light colored pullover-type blouse.
The clothing the woman was wearing were Fashion Wear with a Singapore manufacturer's tag, East said.
[...]
Garay was unable to pinpoint the time of death, but said the woman had been dead for one to two weeks.
Investigators Monday also found a gold wedding band and matching engagement ring at the scene which they hope will help in identifying the victim.
"Identification Still Pending In Mall Death," Orlando Sentinel, 5 December 1974, 2B.
Results of an autopsy performed by Dr. Thomas Hegert, Orange County medical examiner, and Dr. G. V. Garay, Seminole County medical examiner, revealed the woman had been stabbed twice, once in the chest and once in the abdomen.
[...]
The rings, size 8, were award band rings manufactured by Swirsky and Co. in Los Angeles, Calif. The wedding band contained three diamond chips. The other ring, also gold, contained a diamond chip in the center with smaller diamond chips on each side.
Anne Groer, "Expert Tells Clues On Woman At Mall," Orlando Sentinel, 18 December 1974, 13A.
Smithsonian Institution anthropologist Dr. Lawrence Angel reported a body found last month behind the Interstate Mall in Altamonte Springs was that of a short, white, middle-aged stocky and slightly arthritic woman.
She also had a peculiar "migrating tooth" and some wear on her incisors that could indicate she did a lot of sewing, he added.
[...]
Although the "bones I have got show no indication of foul play," Angel said, Hegert had not sent certain bones to him that "show cut marks." Hegert would not discuss this.
[...]
She had arthritis of the feet and knees, "which could have been from overweight or because she was someone who worked hard," Angel said.
[...]
Another clue to her identity was found in her mouth. This was a "migrating tooth," one that had moved from its original position because a permanent tooth has been pulled out before all her baby teeth were lost, he said.
"We don't know why that happened. It is something that any dentist who worked on her, if any did, would recognize," Angel said.
Lisanne Renner and Leslie Kemp, "Stano admits to '74 Altamonte murder," Orlando Sentinel, 30 October 1983, C4.
Mass murderer Gerald Stano has told police that he picked up a hitchhiker on Interstate 4 near Altamonte Springs in 1974, stabbed her and left her body in a field behind a shopping mall.
[...]
During a three-hour, taped interview with Altamonte Springs Police Detective Cliff Chellew Friday morning, Stano "made certain admissions that make him a prime suspect," said Altamonte Springs Police Lt. Edward Overman.
Stano, interviewed at the Daytona Beach Police Department, told Chellew he gave the woman a lift as she hitchhiked along Interstate 4 near Altamonte Springs.
Stano told police he argued with the woman, and then stabbed her and left her in an overgrown field, said Daytona Beach Police Sgt. Paul Crow, who has received all Stano's admissions.
[...]
Her purse and shoes were missing, her pants were pulled down and her turtleneck sweater was pulled around her neck -- all Stano trademarks, Crow said.
Demographics
Sex: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 60
Estimated Age Range (Years): 30-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1974
Estimated PMI: 10 Days
Height: 5'2" (62 inches), Estimated
Weight: 160 lbs, Estimated
Cause of Death: Homicide by stab wounds to chest and abdomen
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: November 24, 1974
NamUs Case Created: April 7, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Altamonte, Florida
County: Seminole County
Circumstances of Recovery: A 15-year-old boy riding his minibike behind the nearly-completed Interstate Mall at the intersection of Interstate 4 and Highway 436 in Altamonte Springs around 3 p.m. on November 24, 1974 found the badly decomposed body of a woman. The body was found in 4-foot tall weeds on a slight embankment at the rear of the mall, approximately 50 feet southeast of an unnamed paved road.
Police said that the woman had likely been sexually assaulted, as her pants were found pulled down and the turtleneck shirt she was wearing hiked up around her neck. An autopsy revealed the woman had been killed by two stab wounds, one to the chest and another to the abdomen.
She may be a victim of convicted serial killer Gerald Stano, who confessed to picking up the victim while she hitchhiked outside Orlando in October 1974 and dumping her body at a construction site. Stano says he took the woman's purse and shoes but doesn't know where he discarded them. They have never been found.
She may have had ties to California or Arizona as her wedding ring set, valued at $300-$400 ($1,800 to $2,400 in 2022 dollars), had been sold between 1969 to 1972 to jewelry stores in those states. The rings, which were manufactured by Swirsky and Co. in Los Angeles, could not be traced.
Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Physical Description
Hair Color: Brown
Head Hair Description: Light brown, also described as "reddish brown"
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: Narrow, prominent nose; overweight; tiny scars detected on her pelvic bones indicate she may have given birth twice.
Clothing and Accessories
- There was a pair of royal blue knit slacks with an elastic waist band measuring 38," and a length of 36"(ankle to waist). Also present was a light-colored, crew neck sleeveless knit shirt, with a 10" zipper in the back (On the Body)
- There was a white bra with a label reading 'Equisite Form' size 41B. (On the Body)
- Size 8 yellow-gold engagement and wedding ring set. The wedding band had one three-carat diamond in the center surrounded by two one-carat diamonds. The engagement ring had three one-carat diamonds. (Near the Body)
News Coverage
Gary Taylor, "Body Found Behind Area Mall," Orlando Sentinel, 25 November 1974, 15A.
A partially clothed, badly decomposed woman's body was found Sunday in Altamonte Springs, just behind Interstate Mall, Seminole County Sheriff John Polk said.
Indications are that the woman may have been the victim of a sex crime, Polk said, but would not divulge the evidence investigators have found.
The body was found about 3 p.m. by a 15-year-old boy riding a minibike behind the mall, said Polk, who did not release the name of the boy.
Polk estimated the woman had been dead for "10 days to two weeks" but would not say if officers have any idea how old she was.
The body was on a slight embankment, about 50 feet southeast of a paved road behind the mall near the intersection of Interstate 4 and State Road 436. The road has no name, Altamonte Springs Police Chief Justus East said, and it hasn't been determined who owns the property.
Polk speculated the woman was killed where the body was found but wouldn't say on what his opinion was based, other than it was "an educated guess."
[...]
Authorities also hope the autopsy will reveal how the woman was killed. There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, Polk said.
[...]
Detectives and a crime scene technician will return today, and the area was roped off and officers guarded the area overnight.
"We are going to sift through the scene with a fine-tooth comb, similar to the way we did with the Altamonte Springs dump murders," Polk said.
Elaine Boggs and Gary Taylor, "Autopsy Today In Death Behind Mall," Orlando Sentinel, 26 November 1974, 1B.
Sheriff's Detective Lt. George Abbgy said the gold wedding band contained three diamonds, a three-carat diamond in the center with one carat stones on each side. The other ring, also gold, contained three one-carat diamonds.
"Both rings had manufacturers' inscriptions, but no other identifying marks," Abbgy said. "We are going to check various jewelry stores in an attempt to trace the buyer."
Officers spent approximately seven hours at the scene Monday sifting through dirt and using metal detectors, but Abbgy said the rings, bones and hair samples were all they found.
Elaine Boggs, "Smithsonian To Inspect Remains Of Slain Woman," Orlando Sentinel, 28 November 1974, 2B.
An autopsy performed Tuesday by Garay revealed that the woman was approximately 5-feet-3, and weighed 140 to 150 pounds.
Altamonte Springs Police Chief Justus East said the woman was wearing blue slacks and a light colored pullover-type blouse.
The clothing the woman was wearing were Fashion Wear with a Singapore manufacturer's tag, East said.
[...]
Garay was unable to pinpoint the time of death, but said the woman had been dead for one to two weeks.
Investigators Monday also found a gold wedding band and matching engagement ring at the scene which they hope will help in identifying the victim.
"Identification Still Pending In Mall Death," Orlando Sentinel, 5 December 1974, 2B.
Results of an autopsy performed by Dr. Thomas Hegert, Orange County medical examiner, and Dr. G. V. Garay, Seminole County medical examiner, revealed the woman had been stabbed twice, once in the chest and once in the abdomen.
[...]
The rings, size 8, were award band rings manufactured by Swirsky and Co. in Los Angeles, Calif. The wedding band contained three diamond chips. The other ring, also gold, contained a diamond chip in the center with smaller diamond chips on each side.
Anne Groer, "Expert Tells Clues On Woman At Mall," Orlando Sentinel, 18 December 1974, 13A.
Smithsonian Institution anthropologist Dr. Lawrence Angel reported a body found last month behind the Interstate Mall in Altamonte Springs was that of a short, white, middle-aged stocky and slightly arthritic woman.
She also had a peculiar "migrating tooth" and some wear on her incisors that could indicate she did a lot of sewing, he added.
[...]
Although the "bones I have got show no indication of foul play," Angel said, Hegert had not sent certain bones to him that "show cut marks." Hegert would not discuss this.
[...]
She had arthritis of the feet and knees, "which could have been from overweight or because she was someone who worked hard," Angel said.
[...]
Another clue to her identity was found in her mouth. This was a "migrating tooth," one that had moved from its original position because a permanent tooth has been pulled out before all her baby teeth were lost, he said.
"We don't know why that happened. It is something that any dentist who worked on her, if any did, would recognize," Angel said.
Lisanne Renner and Leslie Kemp, "Stano admits to '74 Altamonte murder," Orlando Sentinel, 30 October 1983, C4.
Mass murderer Gerald Stano has told police that he picked up a hitchhiker on Interstate 4 near Altamonte Springs in 1974, stabbed her and left her body in a field behind a shopping mall.
[...]
During a three-hour, taped interview with Altamonte Springs Police Detective Cliff Chellew Friday morning, Stano "made certain admissions that make him a prime suspect," said Altamonte Springs Police Lt. Edward Overman.
Stano, interviewed at the Daytona Beach Police Department, told Chellew he gave the woman a lift as she hitchhiked along Interstate 4 near Altamonte Springs.
Stano told police he argued with the woman, and then stabbed her and left her in an overgrown field, said Daytona Beach Police Sgt. Paul Crow, who has received all Stano's admissions.
[...]
Her purse and shoes were missing, her pants were pulled down and her turtleneck sweater was pulled around her neck -- all Stano trademarks, Crow said.
