FL FL - Miami, BlkFem, 25-50 - remains found in vacant lot after brush fire, April 27, 1957

[Murkywaters]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

After a brush fire, skeletal remains were found in a vacant lot

 

[Murkywaters]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Demographics
Sex: Female
Race / Ethnicity: Black / African American
Possible First Name --
Possible Middle Name--
Possible Last Name--
Possible Nickname--
Estimated Age Group: Adult
Estimated Age Range: (Years) 25-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1956-1957
Estimated PMI--
Height: 5' 1"-5' 5"(61-65 inches) , Estimated
Weight: Cannot Estimate

Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Found: April 27, 1957
NamUs Case Created: July 8, 2019
ME/C QA Reviewed--
Location Found Map
General Location: W. Evergreen St & Homestead Ave Miami, Florida 33157
County: Miami-Dade County
GPS Coordinates--
Circumstances of Recovery: After a brush fire, skeletal remains were found in a vacant lot

Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains --
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton
Physical Description
Hair Color: Black
Head Hair Description: Hair is textured
Body Hair Description --
Facial Hair Description --
Left Eye Color: Unknown or Missing
Right Eye Color: Unknown or Missing
Eye Description --

Distinctive Physical Features: No Information Entered

Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Accessories: Metal ring- contains two flags and the word "Manilla"
Clothing: Bra buckles

 

[Coffee56]

World War II trench art?

WWII "TRENCH ART" SILVER RING - 1945 MANILA - SIZE 10 | eBay

 

[RookieInvestigator]

I think Manila is in the Philippines...I was wondering if the UID could be Haitian...

______________________

Flora Rebecca Ligon
Missing: Fall-Spring 1956 from Washington, DC

Classification: Missing
Date Of Birth: May 27, 1914
Age at Time of Disappearance: 42 yrs
Height and Weight: 5'6"-5"7"; 130 LBS
Distinguishing Characteristics: Black female. Brown hair; brown eyes.
Medical: History of alcohol abuse
Aliases: Flora Green(e), Flora White "Dan"

Circumstances of Disappearance

May have gone to Trenton, New Jersey, Clemson, South Carolina or Greenville, South Carolina areas.

**Could she have dyed her hair black

 

[Bit of hope]

The ring looks like a soldier's ring with the Philippines and USA flags on it and is most likely associated with The Battle of Manila (Filipino: Labanan sa Maynila) (3 February – 3 March 1945) was a major battle of the Philippine campaign of 1944-45, during the Second World War. It was fought by American forces from both the U.S. mainland and the Philippines against Japanese troops in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.

If the stats are right this woman was born between approx. 1906 - 1931 and would have been between approx. 14 - 39 years old in 1945. The ring look a man's ring to me and big for a woman's hand/fingers.

 

[RookieInvestigator]

In the greater Miami area there currently are a Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard and various other Active and Reserve branches of the military...Not sure all were located there in the 40s...

If it's a WW2 ring she must've had a connection to someone in the military...I don't think the military uses national databases to post missing persons connected to the military... They seem to handle things internally....If they do, I haven't come across any profiles for soldiers or their families in any database...

 

[Bit of hope]

In the greater Miami area there currently are a Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard and various other Active and Reserve branches of the military...Not sure all were located there in the 40s...

If it's a WW2 ring she must've had a connection to someone in the military...I don't think the military uses national databases to post missing persons connected to the military... They seem to handle things internally....If they do, I haven't come across any profiles for soldiers or their families in any database...

I searched on the missing veterans site, but they don't go any further then the sixties. Also looked in the Charley project files <60's. Couldn't find a match, almost all missing persons are Caucasian, 2 native American females, one African American (Flora Ligon, see above post) and one biracial woman (don't remember her name, but it didn't feel as a match) Also looked in Namus but no missing African American women listed missing before 1956. One pops up before 1964, but she isn't a match.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

I found a white woman who went missing an route from Texas to CA in March 1956. She was going to CA to get on a transport plane to join her husband who was in the Navy and stationed in Manila. I also have been having a hard time tracking down whether or not she was ever located, or what happened.

 

[RememberingRyan]

Namus indicates that this woman had textured hair, not just dark.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

I understand that. It also indicated that her body had been through a brush fire.
I have a lot of questions about this case. I'm going to dig around on newspapers.com and see if I can find contemporary articles.

 

[Bit of hope]

In the Namus file a couple of things are changed:

Race / Ethnicity; Uncertain (was Black American)
Age; 20 - 50 (was 25 - 50)
Height; 5' 0"- 5' 7"(60-67 inches), Estimated (was 5' 1"-5' 5"- 61-65 inches) estimated.

The same is: Black, textured hair. I wonder what kind of texture, what do they mean?

Textured hair is where strands create shape, like curves, spirals, zig zags or waves; hair is kinky, coily, curly or wavy.

The header has become incorrect now.

She might originally have belonged to the indigenous people from the Philippines. They are dark skinned with textured hair.

Pure Blooded Filipinos

 

[Bit of hope]

I was wondering about the ring again. Could it also be a symbol for the independence of the Philippines instead of something military?

History of the Philippines (1898–1946) - Wikipedia

Philippine Independence, July 4, 1946. The Flag of the United States of America is lowered while the Flag of the Philippines is raised.

 

[PatLaurel]

#UP58561

Circumstances of Recovery
After a brush fire, skeletal remains were found in a vacant lot

Accessories
Metal ring- contains two flags and the word "Manilla"
On the Body

Clothing
Bra buckles
On the Body


0 Missing Person Exclusions

 

[PayrollNerd]

Wow, 1957! I wonder if any of her family is still in the area?

 

[kforbes862]

Im guessing it was american and Philippine flags on the ring? That would point to a possible ethnicity or origin for the deceased. Interesting note, I have one with American and South African flags. It's my adopted country, I lived there from 2009 to 2017.

 

[PatLaurel]

Wow, 1957! I wonder if any of her family is still in the area?

Sadly, I can't find any news articles of the incident.
I'm curious if "Manilla" is a (NamUs) typo and the ring read "Manila" instead?

MOO JMO

 

[PayrollNerd]

Maybe it’s about jewelry or a family history? I searched on that word.

Manilla is a metal bracelet or armlet formerly used as a medium of exchange in West Africa, associated with the slave trade.

 

[PatLaurel]

I found this ring but it reads "Manila" instead of "Manilla" as listed in NamUs. It also has two flags.

 

[kforbes862]

Good info on Manila being a bracelet or armlet. I immediately thought of the city in the Philippines, but it could be associated with the other too.

 

[kforbes862]

Good find on that ring too. It appears to be Phillipines flags on it