Identified! IN - Angola, WhtFem, 180UFIN, 30-50, Pachuco Cross tattoo, Sept 1999 - Tina Cabanaw

[docwho3]

Tom Redmond won a Lucky star watch
http://www.glencoin.com/PDF_Files/GlenCoin_News_9_9,_September_2004.pdf

info on shoulder tattoos
http://www.lsus.edu/la/journals/ideology/contents/vol25/tattoos.pdf

Gang signs listed on Gang Intelligence Unit website
Common tattoos: three dots "Mi Vida Loca," tear drops, pachuco cross, words with the #13 or #14 in them, pitch forks, crosses, 5- or 6-point stars, and 5- or 6-point crowns, two masks – one happy/one sad.

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Police/About+Us/Departments/Gang+Intelligence+Unit.htm
Note: I also found an article stating that in some places tattooists refused to place tattoos on hands except to cover up a tattoo because of the gang significance & because of the trouble it is to remove a tattoo from the hand.
While the tattoo in question does not always signify gang involvement, it is something to keep in mind.

Another popular tattoo among Hispanics is the pachuco cross. This cross is surrounded by three small rays or dashes and is placed on the hand crease between the thumb and forefinger. Rich in religious meaning, the cross symbolizes the death and resurrection while the three rays represent each of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

http://www.tattoojohnny.com/gang-tattoo-designs.asp

 

[Becba]

This site has a pachuco cross as a gang tattoo.

It is spelled with one c, doenetwork I think misspelled it as pacchuco.


http://www.shutitdown.net/gangtattoos/

 

[Dark Knight]

I now have a photo of the back of the Ebay watch - it looks identical. The seller did not know much about Lucky Star watches but had this to say:

" We have had about 3 or 4 of this brand and they all seem to be of good quality. All of them have a dome crystal that will focus light like a spotlight on the dial. Like I said, I really don't know anything about this brand except that they are nice watches with better than average quality and workmanship."

So, if that's true about the quality then what was she doing with such a watch?

You are right, that is the same watch. But the FBI link describes it as a "cheap" watch. Hmmmm. Good sleuthing finding this! Sorry I didn't see it sooner.

As mentioned before, Lucky Star is a casino in Oklahoma, and the truck stop serial killer is from OK and killed his victims in the same manner she was killed. I am still thinking there is a connection. Thoughts?

 

[justice2]

In Oklahoma, authorities said investigators plan to travel to Mississippi to question Williams, said Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Don't know if you already done this or not, but I'm pretty sure this is the gal in Oklahoma you need to contact. I know if says spokeswoman, but I'm pretty sure she is an agent. One of the killings happened in Gray County, Texas, in 2003 so it was on the news alot here. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was on the news alot, apparently heading up the investigation, and I distinctly remember the person being female. I didn't see this name on their website, but there is a place to contact a public information officer.

I think we should go back to shipping stuff by railroad. Truckstop just trash out our towns, tear up our roads, trucks and cars on the road don't mix, well I could go on.

 

[anthrobones]

http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/180ufin.htmlhttp://www.doenetwork.org/cases/180ufin.html

Unidentified White Female

• Located on September 6, 1999 in Angola, Steuben County, Indiana.
• Cause of death is undetemined, believed to be homicide.
• The estimated time of death is 30 - 90 days prior to discovery

Vital Statistics

• Estimated age: 40 - 50 years old
• Approximate Height and Weight: 5'4"
• Distinguishing Characteristics: She had shoulder length brownish/red hair that may have been curly. There were evidence of a healed nose fracture. She was of slight to medium build.
• Dentals: She had poor dental health with a 40 percent overbite.. Dental records are available.
• Tattoos: She had a tattoo of a "Pachucco Cross" or what may have been a palm tree on the upper left shoulder.
• Clothing: None located
• Jewelry: A southwest sterling silver ring, size 4 1/2 with a turquoise stone, hoop earrings and a cheap "Lucky Star" watch with a brown leather band were found with the victim

Left: Victim's Ring Center: Victim's Tattoo Right & Far Right: Victim's Watch

Case History
On September 6, 1999, police discovered the nude remains of an unidentified female in a field northeast of Angola, Indiana, approximately 2.5 miles east of Interstate 69. It appeared that the remians had been there for at least five weeks prior to being discovered. A bra was wrapped around her neck, indicating that the victim was possibly strangled.

 

[Dark Knight]

http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/180ufin.html

Unidentified White Female

• Located on September 6, 1999 in Angola, Steuben County, Indiana.
• Cause of death is undetemined, believed to be homicide.
• The estimated time of death is 30 - 90 days prior to discovery.

Vital Statistics

• Estimated age: 40 - 50 years old
• Approximate Height and Weight: 5'4"
• Distinguishing Characteristics: She had shoulder length brownish/red hair that may have been curly. There were evidence of a healed nose fracture. She was of slight to medium build.
• Dentals: She had poor dental health with a 40 percent overbite.. Dental records are available.
• Tattoos: She had a tattoo of a "Pachucco Cross" or what may have been a palm tree on the upper left shoulder.
• Clothing: None located
• Jewelry: A southwest sterling silver ring, size 4 1/2 with a turquoise stone, hoop earrings and a cheap "Lucky Star" watch with a brown leather band were found with the victim.

Left: Victim's Ring Center: Victim's Tattoo Right & Far Right: Victim's Watch

Case History
On September 6, 1999, police discovered the nude remains of an unidentified female in a field northeast of Angola, Indiana, approximately 2.5 miles east of Interstate 69. It appeared that the remians had been there for at least five weeks prior to being discovered. A bra was wrapped around her neck, indicating that the victim was possibly strangled.

I've been working on this case for several years now! How did you become involved? I used to have a thread on here about it, but cannot find it at the moment.

I found another victim on the doe network just today with the exact same cross tattoo. Pachucco, or something like that.

 

[LionRun]

I cannot get the 4 pics to work. All I see are X's. Is there a way for me to see the pics? This looks possibly solvable.

Lion

 

[anthrobones]

Hi. Doenetwork changed from doenetwork.us to doenetwork.org. That's why the old links do not work anymore. Here is the new link, the photos are there:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/180ufin.html

 

[anthrobones]

I think they spelled Pachuco wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachuco

 

[anthrobones]

"Along with the pachuco cross, it is a popular "generic" tattoo among Latino teenagers, and has no direct connection to gangs. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_tattoo


http://www.tattoojohnny.com/gang-tattoo-designs.asp

More info at above link, will not let me copy/paste.

 

[Dark Knight]

Bumping this up. We still need to solve this murder and find out who the victim is. I am still convinced it's the truck stop murderer from Oklahoma.

 

[absinthe]

Just saw this, very interesting!

 

[Kat]

Bump.

I've read all three pages. I looked at the doenetwork webpage for her and I looked at the items found with her individually and then as a whole (context).

gatetrekker44 talked about the ring above. It is handmade surely I agree. It is of poor quality and although not mass produce probably was rather inexpensive (IMHO).

The watch I disagree on the value. It was probably a mass produced import. From WS member Marie http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b93/4Susan/LUCKYSTAR.jpg

A quick google search lead me to an Asian company that produces such items. Although they might have a following that collect them now? I don't know.

The tattoo.

In context two of those items lead me to believe that this Jane Doe was from the area in which I now reside (until next month). El Paso area of Texas (which can include Southern NM, and Juarez Mexico).

El Chuco. El Paso is still called by the nickname "El Chuco" but the meaning has been lost over the years. Now it's just a nickname. In fact, some people I have talked to say it translates to "the dirty". Meaning EP is dirty.

She had a tattoo that was representative of El Chuco on her shoulder. I would take that to mean that she was probably from this area or spent time in this area that was significant to her. She could easily have had that tattoo without any gang affliations. IMHO. Easily.

When I look at the context of the items found with her it gives me the idea that she was more than likely living below the line of poverty (teeth included too) and more than likely came from this area or the surrounding areas.

If you look at a map of where EP is, it shares a border with NM and Mexico. When I say it shares a border with NM, I could leave my home right now and travel over the Franklin Mnts (transmountain hwy) and be in NM in less than 25 mins.

I do agree with the above poster who suggested that perhaps even though she was identified as Caucasian that her race be looked at again because Hispanic is not a race, it is an ethnicity and almost every hispanic in EP will tell you that they are caucasian of hispanic descent. I have seen hispanics that looked as caucasian as any european I have seen. JMHO.

I do think she was a transient in IN from this area possibly. I will nose around the local LE's and see if they have anything posted on their websites for a missing person that might match her description.

 

[Dark Knight]

This case has proven to be almost unsolvable:

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seekinfo/janedoeindiana.htm

Most theories believe that she was a truck stop prostitute and was killed by a trucker and dumped on one of his trips far away from the crime.

 

[Dark Knight]

Any ideas?

 

[Fairy1]

There are some interesting possibilities linked to the Pachuco cross tattoo - either gang-related or very religious. Here is some history on the Pachuco subculture:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachuco


And the Pachuco cross in particular:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090121172732AALVCBm

 

[Fairy1]

Is there a strong Mexican gang presence in Indiana or is it more likely she was from CA or TX?

 

[passionflower]

OH my! We own property ( a lake cottage ) near there. (Orland)
My husbands sister lives there. I have never heard of this murder.

 

[Dark Knight]

Is there a strong Mexican gang presence in Indiana or is it more likely she was from CA or TX?

LE believes she is from the Southwest. No real Mexican gang presence here to speak of.

 

[Mensch]

LE believes she is from the Southwest. No real Mexican gang presence here to speak of.

If LE believes she is from the Southwest, then I suggest that is where to concentrate on research. I have to disagree with you on the gang activity. Not sure where you live, but Texas, Arizona and California are the hub states for Mexican gang activity and it is increasing daily. This includes everything from street corner hanging out (original definition of "gang") all the way up to the Texas Mafia - crimes dealing with homicide, drugs, auto theft, rape, home invasions, drugs - just pick a crime. Much of that activity is controlled from and by prison inmates who were outside gang members. DOJ stats available to the public.