MA MA - New Bedford, "Popes Island Jane Doe", WhtFem 30-45, UP7253, emerald ring from Belarus, Oct'96

[Friday Fan]

I think she's probably from the USSR and came in the early 90's. The dental work seals the deal for me.

Also the USSR was known for fairly archaic medical practices.

I know there is talk about shoddy dental work here or going overseas, but in MA, she probably would have gone to Canada. I think they probably have better dental work in Canada than there. People get dental work in Mexico. People who get it done are pleased with it. I guess a forensic analysis might be able to tell the difference. But in the US there really are only two popular foreign options.

I can't imagine someone traveling to Eastern Europe from the US to get dental work done, especially when travel wasn't allowed! Traveling to the USSR from the US required all sorts of special Visas. Nobody went except diplomats, journalists and people competing in the Olympics. Armenian-Americans did not travel to Armenia. Travel did not open up until 1990 or so.

Going overseas for dental work is actually not cheap unless you live close to the border. I only live 150 miles away and well, if I wanted crowns done, I would need to stay in the region a few weeks, unless a dentist here would work out a deal with the dentist in Mexico... (yeah right) Every time I've had crowns, I've had temporaries fall out that require emergency trips to a dentist.

Anyway, I think she's from the USSR and came in the early 90's when immigration from the Soviet bloc opened up.

This is fascinating, but unfortunately I don't think she will be easy to identify.

 

[CCJD]

I think she's probably from the USSR and came in the early 90's. The dental work seals the deal for me.

RSBM

I don't know how much stock I'd put in that. For years, dental info for (former) 143ufpa Homestead Doe was a stumbling block to identifying her. From her DN page:

Dentals: Available. A metal crown made of a material used only by eastern European dentists was found on the first molar on the left side. They indicate that the woman may have recently immigrated from Europe or traveled there, possibly as an exchange student.

Turned out to be a woman from the Pittsburgh area.
Identified! - PA - Homestead, Female 143UFPA, 20-40, Oct'00 - Amanda Myers

Of course, maybe it'll be different with Pope's Island Doe. Time will tell. But I give that kind of dental info about as much credence as I give Isotopes. And that's not much. JMO

 

[LookingForClues]

I agree that we've been misled in many other cases when it comes to experts determining that the person must be from another country based on dental work, not shaving, wearing certain styles of clothing, etc. I'd like to think these kinds of conclusions by experts are well-intentioned, but I've been alive long enough to know that experts are people too, so they have their own biases, preconceptions, stereotypes and so on, that bleed into their work. It’s clearly something to keep in mind.

While I tend to think this Jane Doe will turn out to be from this country and her dental work isn't so distinctive after all, I did think of a "what if" scenario:

It's possible that her parents came from Eastern Europe after WWII and settled in the U.S. It would make sense that they would use doctors and dentists within their immigrant community. And it would make sense if those doctors and dentists also fled after the war (there was a considerable "brain drain" from Eastern Europe at that time). Thus, when she was growing up in the U.S., she might have gone to a dentist who was trained in Eastern Europe. Then, when that dentist retired or died, her new dentist was trained in the U.S.

Just a thought...could be completely off base.

Also, I think the ring is a family heirloom. It doesn't mean she ever lived in Belarus. My sister-in-law's grandmother came from Poland after the war. Some of her family still live in Poland. Grandma would take my sister-in-law to Poland as often as possible so she would know her relatives and know where she came from. My sister-in-law has many family heirlooms, including jewelry, because she is the one chosen to keep the family history on this side of the ocean (Grandma has died). This is not anything I was ever familiar with, my ancestors came in the early 1600s on one side of my family, and the 1700s on the other side. My sister-in-law's life experience reminds me that many families came here much more recently than mine and have a more immediate connection to where they come from. And this might be the case for this Jane Doe.

 

[Friday Fan]

It does seem when there isn't an ID for a Doe, the dragnet gets wider and assumptions are made that the person is a foreigner. Many times it's just an American whose missing person report was lost or something similar.

 

[CarlK90245]

RSBM

I don't know how much stock I'd put in that. For years, dental info for (former) 143ufpa Homestead Doe was a stumbling block to identifying her. From her DN page:

Dentals: Available. A metal crown made of a material used only by eastern European dentists was found on the first molar on the left side. They indicate that the woman may have recently immigrated from Europe or traveled there, possibly as an exchange student.

Turned out to be a woman from the Pittsburgh area.
Identified! - PA - Homestead, Female 143UFPA, 20-40, Oct'00 - Amanda Myers

Of course, maybe it'll be different with Pope's Island Doe. Time will tell. But I give that kind of dental info about as much credence as I give Isotopes. And that's not much. JMO

Same story for Mary Silvani (formerly Sheep Flats Jane Doe). the whole narrative was that she was from Europe due to distinctive dental work. Turns out she was from Detroit.

 

[Susikatze]

Similar for Evelyn Colon (Beth Doe). Not dentals but isotopes claimed she was from the Balkans.. while she was a Hispanic girl from New Jersey.

 

[ntt1]

CASE 5 (Unidentified Female Body – New Bedford Homicide – 1996)
On the morning of Oct. 30, 1996, New Bedford Police were alerted to a body that was observed floating in the water at Pope’s Island Marina in New Bedford. Upon arrival, police observed the body wrapped and tied in plastic garbage bags. The body was recovered and sent to the Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy. The autopsy revealed that the body was that of a Caucasian woman in her 30s, with red/brown hair approximately 10 inches in length, and brown/hazel eyes. The unidentified woman was 5 foot 1, and weighed approximately 120 pounds. The victim’s body showed signs of having been beaten and shot and the manner of her death was homicide. Dental work and a ring that the victim was wearing suggest that the victim might originally be from Eastern Europe (Belarus/Poland area). Investigators were able to collect DNA evidence to help identify the victim as well as the perpetrator. Efforts have been made to identify this victim through both CODIS and Interpol. Although these attempts to identify the victim have not yet been successful, the FBI is currently assisting with forensic genetic genealogy.

Bristol County DA works to ID human remains found over 40 years

 

[Alleykins]

Good to know they're doing genetic genealogy to ID this set of remains.
I didn't know they had the perpetrator's DNA as well, so that's great news she may not only get her name back, but also justice.

 

[Bit of hope]

CASE 5 (Unidentified Female Body – New Bedford Homicide – 1996)
On the morning of Oct. 30, 1996, New Bedford Police were alerted to a body that was observed floating in the water at Pope’s Island Marina in New Bedford. Upon arrival, police observed the body wrapped and tied in plastic garbage bags. The body was recovered and sent to the Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy. The autopsy revealed that the body was that of a Caucasian woman in her 30s, with red/brown hair approximately 10 inches in length, and brown/hazel eyes. The unidentified woman was 5 foot 1, and weighed approximately 120 pounds. The victim’s body showed signs of having been beaten and shot and the manner of her death was homicide. Dental work and a ring that the victim was wearing suggest that the victim might originally be from Eastern Europe (Belarus/Poland area). Investigators were able to collect DNA evidence to help identify the victim as well as the perpetrator. Efforts have been made to identify this victim through both CODIS and Interpol. Although these attempts to identify the victim have not yet been successful, the FBI is currently assisting with forensic genetic genealogy.

Bristol County DA works to ID human remains found over 40 years

Great news! Thank you for posting.

From the article.
The District Attorney’s Office has also enlisted the help of nationally recognized agencies and labs that specialize in using the most modern forensic technologies for identification of human remains, including genetic genealogical DNA testing.

These agencies include the FBI, NamUs, the University of North Texas for Human Identification, The Doe Project, Season of Justice and Othram laboratories. Their expertise and resources bring hope that these individuals can finally be identified, according to the DA’s office.

 

[Friday Fan]

Good to know they're doing genetic genealogy to ID this set of remains.
I didn't know they had the perpetrator's DNA as well, so that's great news she may not only get her name back, but also justice.

It would be interesting for us if they used DOE DNA, so we could see her Gedmatch Admixture, and numbers of matches. However, they will probably have better success with outside groups if she is indeed from Eastern Europe.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

CASE #5

A body was found floating in the water at Popes Island Marina in New Bedford on the morning of Oct. 30, 1996.

Investigators quickly determined the woman had been murdered.

Her body was wrapped in plastic garbage bags and an autopsy later revealed she had been badly beaten and shot multiple times.

The medical examiner noted the white woman in her 30s had red-brown hair and brown or hazel eyes. She was 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighed about 120 pounds.

Quinn was the on-call prosecutor that day.

“Based on jewelry and dental records, there were some indications that the woman may have been from Eastern Europe,” he said.

A specific ring suggested she may have been from the Belarus-Poland area.

“It was unclear whether the individual had lived in the area or was transient, in the sense of traveling with somebody,” Quinn said.

Numerous people by the marina were questioned that day, but the interviews led to dead ends.

“What we have done at this point is through the FBI, try to see if there’s any potential to identify the person through genealogy DNA and also Interpol, the international agency, because of the potential connection to Eastern Europe,” Quinn said.

Since those efforts haven’t led to any breakthroughs, the FBI is now working to identify the woman using forensic genetic genealogy.

“The inability to identify the person adds more mystery to it and tragedy, if you will,” Quinn said. “Without identifying her, it’s very difficult if not impossible to locate and identify the perpetrator.”

NBC 10 I-Team: District attorney reexamines John and Jane Doe cases of Bristol County

Unsolved cases involving unidentified human remains are being thrust back into the spotlight on the South Coast, years after they went cold.

turnto10.com

 

[ntt1]

NBC 10 I-Team: Cracking the case of 'Popes Island Jane Doe'

It's the morning of Oct. 30, 1996, when former New Bedford Detective Richard Ferreria gets a phone call.

turnto10.com

 

[Alleykins]

NBC 10 I-Team: Cracking the case of 'Popes Island Jane Doe'

It's the morning of Oct. 30, 1996, when former New Bedford Detective Richard Ferreria gets a phone call.

turnto10.com

Excellent article, thanks for posting.
I didn't know she had been found wrapped in garbage bags, did I miss that information or is that new?
Great news, though! Sounds like her DNA is in someone's forensic genetic genealogy hands, or will be shortly.
What a breakthrough FGG is for helping to ID these historic unidentified remains cases. I'm hopeful she'll get her name back soon.

Once a genetic profile is created, the FBI can feed it into public genealogy databases, potentially connecting our Popes Island Jane Doe back to her family.

For Ferreira, a break in this case could close an investigation that he’s never been able to forget.

“It’s kind of haunting, you know? Because you think of those people often,” he said. “You try not to, but those types of investigations become part of your life. You really want to solve them. You know there are people out there hurting and you want to at least let them put their memory to sleep.”

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The DA’s office has also published what they know about the unidentified remainson its website, including descriptions when possible and the circumstances in which remains were found. These include cases like the remains of a newborn boy discovered near a Route 24 rest area in Freetown in 1983 after apparently dying of exposure, skeletal remains found at the Raynham landfill in 2000 and the body of a woman in her 30s that was found wrapped in garbage bags floating in the water at Popes Island Marina in New Bedford in 1996, a case that Quinn says has stayed with him since he was a new prosecutor. bbm

The DA is pushing to identify unclaimed bodies. They've already identified one person.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s office has launched an initiative to identity previously-unidentified bodies and close cold cases.

www.heraldnews.com

CASE #5 (Unidentified Female Body – New Bedford Homicide – 1996)
On the morning of October 30, 1996, New Bedford Police were alerted to a body that was observed floating in the water at Popes Island Marina in New Bedford. Upon arrival, police observed the body wrapped and tied in plastic garbage bags. The body was recovered and sent to the Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy.

The autopsy revealed that the body was that of a Caucasian woman in her 30s, with red/brown hair approximately 10” in length and brown/hazel eyes. The unidentified woman was 5’ 1” tall and weighed approximately 120 lbs. The victim’s body showed signs of having been beaten and shot and the manner of her death was homicide. Dental work and a ring that the victim was wearing suggest that the victim might originally be from Eastern Europe (Belarus/Poland area). Investigators were able to collect DNA evidence to help identify the victim as well as the perpetrator

Efforts have been made to identify this victim through both CODIS and Interpol. Although these attempts to identify the victim have not led yet revealed the identity of the victim, the FBI is currently assisting these efforts using forensic genetic genealogy.

DA Quinn's "Unidentified Bodies Project" Results in Identification of Fall River John Doe After 17 Years - Bristol County District Attorney

Bristol County District Attorney’s Office Thomas M. Quinn III District Attorney Press Release September 1, 2022 In April, Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn announced the expansion of his successful Cold Case Unit to include a renewed effort to identify unidentified bodies and human...

bristolda.com

 

[dotr]

Sept 15 2022 rbbm.

The DA is pushing to identify unclaimed bodies. They've already identified one person.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s office has launched an initiative to identity previously-unidentified bodies and close cold cases.

www.heraldnews.com

'FALL RIVER — The Bristol County District Attorney’s office has launched an initiative to identify previously unidentified bodies, in the hopes of closing cases that in some instances have gone unresolved for decades.''

''The DA’s office has also published what they know about the unidentified remains on its website, including descriptions when possible and the circumstances in which remains were found. These include cases like the remains of a newborn boy discovered near a Route 24 rest area in Freetown in 1983 after apparently dying of exposure, skeletal remains found at the Raynham landfill in 2000 and the body of a woman in her 30s that was found wrapped in garbage bags floating in the water at Popes Island Marina in New Bedford in 1996, a case that Quinn says has stayed with him since he was a new prosecutor.''

“If these cases are publicized, maybe someone will come forward,” he said.

''This isn’t Quinn’s only foray into taking another look at previously unsolved cold cases. His office is currently in the process of getting a major backlog of untested rape kits finally processed, a project that has already led to an arrest in a previously unsolved 2010 New Bedford rape. Investigators also recently used new DNA technology to identify and arrest a perpetrator of a series of rapes during the 90s.''

 

[Bit of hope]

Sept 15 2022 rbbm.

The DA is pushing to identify unclaimed bodies. They've already identified one person.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s office has launched an initiative to identity previously-unidentified bodies and close cold cases.

www.heraldnews.com

'FALL RIVER — The Bristol County District Attorney’s office has launched an initiative to identify previously unidentified bodies, in the hopes of closing cases that in some instances have gone unresolved for decades.''

''The DA’s office has also published what they know about the unidentified remains on its website, including descriptions when possible and the circumstances in which remains were found. These include cases like the remains of a newborn boy discovered near a Route 24 rest area in Freetown in 1983 after apparently dying of exposure, skeletal remains found at the Raynham landfill in 2000 and the body of a woman in her 30s that was found wrapped in garbage bags floating in the water at Popes Island Marina in New Bedford in 1996, a case that Quinn says has stayed with him since he was a new prosecutor.''

“If these cases are publicized, maybe someone will come forward,” he said.

''This isn’t Quinn’s only foray into taking another look at previously unsolved cold cases. His office is currently in the process of getting a major backlog of untested rape kits finally processed, a project that has already led to an arrest in a previously unsolved 2010 New Bedford rape. Investigators also recently used new DNA technology to identify and arrest a perpetrator of a series of rapes during the 90s.''

Wonderful! Also the rape kits. They are lying out there all over the country. It's a mass disaster also. So many rapes and worse could have been prevented......

 

[pepito87]

There is a Ukrainian church in Fall River, MA really close to New Bedford. There was also a big Ukrainian population at the time in Fall River, I remember they had restaurants, bakeries and many ethnic stores. I wonder if she came from Ukraine and she has relatives in the area.

 

[Caring1]

5 Missing Person Exclusions

 

[pepito87]

Anyone else thinks this could be Jodi Sue Huisentruit?
View attachment 96859

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1326dfia.htm

I found an extreme similarity in the appearance and also the date of disappearance.

I know for sure some fisherman must have killed PIJD because of the blankets she had on. I wonder why they never interrogated any of them. I know they are not supposed to profile anybody but like I mentioned before Fall River had a considerable Ukrainian community on the other hand New Bedford had a considerable Polish community many immigrants in New Bedford work in the fishing industry. Her potential boyfriend/killer must have been an experienced fisherman. Very often you hear in the news that some of them experience psychotic crisis while they are in the sea.

If she came from Eastern Europe, she probably lived around the coast like the black sea, or the Baltic Sea where she knew her potential boyfriend or at least her potential boyfriend’s family. These are merely my speculations.

 

[dotr]

I found an extreme similarity in the appearance and also the date of disappearance.

I know for sure some fisherman must have killed PIJD because of the blankets she had on. I wonder why they never interrogated any of them. I know they are not supposed to profile anybody but like I mentioned before Fall River had a considerable Ukrainian community on the other hand New Bedford had a considerable Polish community many immigrants in New Bedford work in the fishing industry. Her potential boyfriend/killer must have been an experienced fisherman. Very often you hear in the news that some of them experience psychotic crisis while they are in the sea.

If she came from Eastern Europe, she probably lived around the coast like the black sea, or the Baltic Sea where she knew her potential boyfriend or at least her potential boyfriend’s family. These are merely my speculations.

Welcome to Ws @pepito87!
Very interesting, thanks!