Alright. Been a busy weekend. I placed Jane Doe's skull over various images of Kathy Wilcox. I tried to make it as even as possible, but even then, the slightest tilt or shift of one's head can throw you off when doing something like this.
First comparison: Kathy's 5th grade school picture (1966 or 1967) (Fun fact: By age 5, the skull has grown roughly 90% of its adult size. So if the skull still fits over a picture of Kathy in elementary school, it's still a solid bet. I was quite surprised.)
Has anyone else noticed that Kathy's nose kinda "leans" towards the left? (From our viewpoint)
I noticed that the skull's outline of where the nose should be also indicates a possibility of Jane Doe having a "tilted" nose, but I think it was just some fragment that didn't break off? It may give off the illusion of a tilt.
I dunno. Maybe it's just me who sees it?
Next comparison: Kathy, aged 15 (early-to-mid 1972). Presumably taking a picture in a photo booth. It was tricky because, again, her head is tilted. Thoughts? (I also noticed she's gained a bit of weight, which is normal during puberty.)
I have more images to share, but there are several things I'm working on at the moment. Will check back in later tonight. Apologies if any of this seems like a "stretch."
edit: I'm an amateur when it comes to placing skulls over photos, so apologies if I was slightly off
The NamUs file was modified today, but I don't see any new info.
Exclusions:
Barbara Cotton
Helen Allison
Eddy Segall
Barbara McClure
Zita Gutierrez
Michele Riedenbach
Andrea Coyle
Kathleen Durst
Emma Vaughn
Rachael Garden
Sherry Eyerly
Marie Blee
Betty Roberts
Katherine Anderson
Nancy Snow
Gina Hall
Jeanne Scrima
Anne Manchester
Susan Cappel
Valerie Cuccia
Judith O'Donnell
Maureen Baca
I'm not familiar with how NamUs modifications work, apart from adding exclusions of course. Anyone got a clue as to what may have happened? None of the information appears to have been changed or updated. No new photos/files either.
I'm not familiar with how NamUs modifications work, apart from adding exclusions of course. Anyone got a clue as to what may have happened? None of the information appears to have been changed or updated. No new photos/files either.
There's a lot of information that's only visible to LE and other LE-related professionals--pictures that aren't suitable for the public, information they want other LE to be aware of, new input from other agencies like ViCAP or Interpol, test results, etc. Sometimes there are changes in the contact names, addresses, phone numbers.
Or sometimes it just means somebody looked at the information and said yes, this is all still correct.
Indentifinders International did a verified Q&A yesterday.
They have expressed interest in taking on "The Cheerleader" in order to obtain DNA and see if they can tie her to a family tree. Only time will tell, but this is a step in the right direction.
Indentifinders International did a verified Q&A yesterday.
They have expressed interest in taking on "The Cheerleader" in order to obtain DNA and see if they can tie her to a family tree. Only time will tell, but this is a step in the right direction.
This Q&A was verified... I know Reddit isn't a "source" but we had actual people from Identifinders International taking questions (with proof that it was them) this past Friday night.
FYI - CFitzp0435 is Dr. Fitzpatrick. She's the "science guru" behind the organization and has worked with several cases.
Part of me hopes that these modifications are actually a good sign. Like, some investigators are looking over the file with the tips that have been sent in (especially about Kathy Wilcox).
Btw, Kathy only has DNA available (i.e. from her living sister). Since "The Cheerleader" hasn't had DNA properly extracted yet, Kathy can't be ruled out or even compared immediately.
Possibly the Janice Fullam? I don't know if this match sounds good or not but she went missing only 4 hours away which is not much. This is my first time working on this case so I'm not perfect at finding matches for this Doe yet so this may be good, may be bad. She also isn't excluded to my knowledge. I know a lot of people think this may be Kathy Wilcox and I used to as well but if it isn't we need more matches.
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/757dfny.html Janice Fullam Missing since October 30, 1981 from Smithtown, Long Island, Suffolk County, New York. Classification: Missing Vital Statistics * Date Of Birth: May 14, 1964 * Age at Time of Disappearance: 17 years old * Height...
Possibly the Janice Fullam? I don't know if this match sounds good or not but she went missing only 4 hours away which is not much. This is my first time working on this case so I'm not perfect at finding matches for this Doe yet so this may be good, may be bad. She also isn't excluded to my knowledge. I know a lot of people think this may be Kathy Wilcox and I used to as well but if it isn't we need more matches.
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/757dfny.html Janice Fullam Missing since October 30, 1981 from Smithtown, Long Island, Suffolk County, New York. Classification: Missing Vital Statistics * Date Of Birth: May 14, 1964 * Age at Time of Disappearance: 17 years old * Height...
This is the most fruitful search I have had so far. I'm only half way through and I already have the same number of potiential matches for the cheerleader in the trunk as I had for Castleberry Kate at the end of my search. There aren't as many long-shots with location on this list.
The Cheerleader in the trunk was a young woman, probably between 17-27 whose skeletal or decomposing remains were found in a poorly hidden trunk in the middle of nowhere in Frederick, Maryland. She had long hair, most likely brown or red, but possibly black because as we have seen with Arvin Jane Doe, hair can get lighter after death. Strawberry blonde may be a possibility too. Her body hair was Red, but the hair on someone's head can be lighter. They never did confirm or deny if her brown hair was dyed. Her height is 5'2-5'6 and her estimated weight is 100-130lbs. She had quite a thin nose and some distinctive injuries to her pelvis and ankles, which led the medical examiner to believe she could have been a cheerleader, athlete or dancer, hence the nickname.
I have scoured Charley project cases between early 1972 and mid 1977 so far. Anyone with overlapping front teeth, a gap between her front teeth, a denture plate or missing teeth was ruled out, as was anyone older than 29 or with an estimated height of less than 5'1 or more than 5'7. I only considered girls younger than 17 if there is a possibility they ran away and survived long enough to turn 17. It didn't matter whether the woman/girl had or hadn't given birth, as this is either unknown or not publicly available about the Cheerlder in the trunk.
The first three girls on this list are all from less than one hour away.
14 year old Karen disappeared 53-55 minutes away and there is a decent chance she could have been a runaway. Therefore, it might be possible she lived to be old enough to be the cheerleader in the trunk.
Karen Beth Kamsch was a girl who went missing in 1976. Her case is being investigated as a homicide. Although her family members claimed that they reported her missing shortly after her disappearance, an investigation in 2007 could not locate the original report. It is unknown if the report was...
int-missing.fandom.com
25 year old Betty Irene Redmond disappeared 53 minutes away and has not been ruled out either. Her hair is described as black, but as I mentioned earlier, it may have gotten lighter after nearly 6 years in a trunk.
The rest of these are just in the order that I found them in.
18 year old Lynn Burdick disappeared 7 hrs and 12 minutes away. I still included her because her case is a pretty clear cut abduction, so there's a possibly she could have ended up as far away as Maryland.
Barbera was 23 years old and from approximately 10 hours away. For unknown reasons, prior to her disappearance, she'd felt the need to carry a knife for her protection. Her family aren't sure if she ran away or met with foul play, authorities believe the former.
Patricia Wagner was a 26 year old mother of two who disappeared after going on a date, about 3hrs 43 minutes away from where the body of the cheerleader in the trunk would be found years later.
21 year old, Rosemarie Roginski disappeared just 3½ hours away. The only pictures available of her are from when she was 16. If she let her hair grow longer and cut out her fringe since then, or between her disappearance and death she would be an exact spitting image of the Karl Coppleman reconstruction of the cheerleader in the trunk. (Even the teeth look the same)
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
29 year old Charlotte Brown is believed to have been killed by her spouse, just a little over 5 hrs away from where the cheerleader in the trunk was found. All 3 of her children said they saw her be stabbed to death.
Charlotte Elaine Brown was a woman last seen in 1973, after being dropped off by a friend at the “Rapid Transit” Station at 55th Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. She was the second wife of the man previously married to Darcy Brown, who disappeared in 1964 under suspicious circumstances. Brown hair. She...
int-missing.fandom.com
26 year old Hazel Cross vanishd around 6½ hours away and her height lined up and she had a very similar nose and long brown hair, but unfortunately almost nothing is known about her disappearance, so without knowing anything about her dentals, it is hard to rule her out or in.
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
29-year-old Carol Louise Rodriguez was last known to be hitchhiking just under 7 hours away and she was never seen again. Just about anything can go wrong with hitchhiking. I wouldn't rule out her being driven to her killers house 7 hours away.
View NamUs missing person case MP23624 for Carol Louise Rodriguez missing from Spencer, Massachusetts. Date of last contact: Aug 04, 1973. NCMEC case number: --.
namus.nij.ojp.gov
20 year old Rosemary Buck disappeared 5 hours away. If you don't take her hair into consideration, her facial features and shape are strikingly similar to the cheerleader's and they never did rule out her hair being dyed, hence why I believe this match is still possible.
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
Sheryl Tillinghast was only 17 years old and, similarly to Karen, not reported missing for a very long time - 25 years. Therefore, the wouldn't have known about her when the body was found. She disappeared just over 5 hours away.
Less than three and a half hours away, 18yo Sandra, or Sandy Hopper disappeared. She had some distinctive characteristics which could have been of help, but sadly none of them would have been noticeable on a skeleton, so again there is no way to rule her out or in without knowing her dentals.
Sandra "Sandy" Lee Hopler was a young woman who vanished from La Plume, Pennsylvania on September 29, 1973. She had told her roommate that she was going to take a trip to New York and she was last seen at a bus station that day. Light brown hair. Hazel eyes. Pierced ears. Mole on the back of...
int-missing.fandom.com
21 year old Nancy Erickson vanished around 7 hours 21 mins away. The reason I still believe she could be match is because she may have been running from the law, and therefore very well could have travelled as far as Frederick Md.
View NamUs missing person case MP87302 for Nancy Gale Erickson missing from Brattleboro, Vermont. Date of last contact: Oct 03, 1973. NCMEC case number: --.
namus.nij.ojp.gov
24 year old Vickie Lee Lamberton went missing approximately 7½ hours away. The exact circumstances of her disappearance are unclear and her case is another one where she was not reported missing at the time the cheerleader was found.
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
29 year old Katherine disappeared from clearfield Pennsylvania and at some point after her disappearance visited a friend in New Jersey, asking her to send telegrams to her family and friend with whom she'd left her 4 children. From the sounds of things, she was at least initially planning to go back to Pennsylvania for her children. There is a route from New Jersey back to Pennsylvania in which she would have driven right through Maryland.
When I saw the picture of 23-year-old Mary Robinson, my brain instantly put her and the 8th reconstruction shown on the Cheerleader's wiki page together like two puzzle pieces. However, this is only possible if Mary's killer is lying about where he put her body, or if he got someone else to move her body, which would have probably happened around '79 (if it did happen) as that is when he confessed. He said he dumped her about three hours away, but Mary lived nearly 5 and a half hours away.
22-year-old Judy Sylvester is the only person so far who I've included despite the height being a bit off. It is only off by an inch of two and it is possible she was actually 5'2 as an MP's height is usually an educated guess from the family. She disappeared from 4½ hours away and very little info is available, sadly. But I thought there was enough of a resemblance to consider her.
View NamUs missing person case MP948 for Judy Ann Sylvester missing from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Date of last contact: Jan 24, 1977. NCMEC case number: --.
namus.nij.ojp.gov
29-year-old Leslie Guthrie vanished in February 1977, around 4 hrs 45 minutes away. Despite pretty much everything matching up, I really hope she is not Jane Doe, as she had her little girl and boy with her at the time of her disappearance.
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
Eddy Milta Segall was either 27 or 28 when she vanishd after borrowing her friend's car. The car was found abandoned in the woods, with some of her belongings still inside. This was approximately 8 hours, 20 mins away and may have been a case of abduction.
This is the most fruitful search I have had so far. I'm only half way through and I already have the same number of potiential matches for the cheerleader in the trunk as I had for Castleberry Kate at the end of my search. There aren't as many long-shots with location on this list.
The Cheerleader in the trunk was a young woman, probably between 17-27 whose skeletal or decomposing remains were found in a poorly hidden trunk in the middle of nowhere in Frederick, Maryland. She had long hair, most likely brown or red, but possibly black because as we have seen with Arvin Jane Doe, hair can get lighter after death. Strawberry blonde may be a possibility too. Her body hair was Red, but the hair on someone's head can be lighter. They never did confirm or deny if her brown hair was dyed. Her height is 5'2-5'6 and her estimated weight is 100-130lbs. She had quite a thin nose and some distinctive injuries to her pelvis and ankles, which led the medical examiner to believe she could have been a cheerleader, athlete or dancer, hence the nickname.
I have scoured Charley project cases between early 1972 and mid 1977 so far. Anyone with overlapping front teeth, a gap between her front teeth, a denture plate or missing teeth was ruled out, as was anyone older than 29 or with an estimated height of less than 5'1 or more than 5'7. I only considered girls younger than 17 if there is a possibility they ran away and survived long enough to turn 17. It didn't matter whether the woman/girl had or hadn't given birth, as this is either unknown or not publicly available about the Cheerlder in the trunk.
The first three girls on this list are all from less than one hour away.
14 year old Karen disappeared 53-55 minutes away and there is a decent chance she could have been a runaway. Therefore, it might be possible she lived to be old enough to be the cheerleader in the trunk.
Karen Beth Kamsch was a girl who went missing in 1976. Her case is being investigated as a homicide. Although her family members claimed that they reported her missing shortly after her disappearance, an investigation in 2007 could not locate the original report. It is unknown if the report was...
int-missing.fandom.com
25 year old Betty Irene Redmond disappeared 53 minutes away and has not been ruled out either. Her hair is described as black, but as I mentioned earlier, it may have gotten lighter after nearly 6 years in a trunk.
The rest of these are just in the order that I found them in.
18 year old Lynn Burdick disappeared 7 hrs and 12 minutes away. I still included her because her case is a pretty clear cut abduction, so there's a possibly she could have ended up as far away as Maryland.
Barbera was 23 years old and from approximately 10 hours away. For unknown reasons, prior to her disappearance, she'd felt the need to carry a knife for her protection. Her family aren't sure if she ran away or met with foul play, authorities believe the former.
Patricia Wagner was a 26 year old mother of two who disappeared after going on a date, about 3hrs 43 minutes away from where the body of the cheerleader in the trunk would be found years later.
21 year old, Rosemarie Roginski disappeared just 3½ hours away. The only pictures available of her are from when she was 16. If she let her hair grow longer and cut out her fringe since then, or between her disappearance and death she would be an exact spitting image of the Karl Coppleman reconstruction of the cheerleader in the trunk. (Even the teeth look the same)
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
29 year old Charlotte Brown is believed to have been killed by her spouse, just a little over 5 hrs away from where the cheerleader in the trunk was found. All 3 of her children said they saw her be stabbed to death.
Charlotte Elaine Brown was a woman last seen in 1973, after being dropped off by a friend at the “Rapid Transit” Station at 55th Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. She was the second wife of the man previously married to Darcy Brown, who disappeared in 1964 under suspicious circumstances. Brown hair. She...
int-missing.fandom.com
26 year old Hazel Cross vanishd around 6½ hours away and her height lined up and she had a very similar nose and long brown hair, but unfortunately almost nothing is known about her disappearance, so without knowing anything about her dentals, it is hard to rule her out or in.
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
29-year-old Carol Louise Rodriguez was last known to be hitchhiking just under 7 hours away and she was never seen again. Just about anything can go wrong with hitchhiking. I wouldn't rule out her being driven to her killers house 7 hours away.
View NamUs missing person case MP23624 for Carol Louise Rodriguez missing from Spencer, Massachusetts. Date of last contact: Aug 04, 1973. NCMEC case number: --.
namus.nij.ojp.gov
20 year old Rosemary Buck disappeared 5 hours away. If you don't take her hair into consideration, her facial features and shape are strikingly similar to the cheerleader's and they never did rule out her hair being dyed, hence why I believe this match is still possible.
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
Sheryl Tillinghast was only 17 years old and, similarly to Karen, not reported missing for a very long time - 25 years. Therefore, the wouldn't have known about her when the body was found. She disappeared just over 5 hours away.
Less than three and a half hours away, 18yo Sandra, or Sandy Hopper disappeared. She had some distinctive characteristics which could have been of help, but sadly none of them would have been noticeable on a skeleton, so again there is no way to rule her out or in without knowing her dentals.
Sandra "Sandy" Lee Hopler was a young woman who vanished from La Plume, Pennsylvania on September 29, 1973. She had told her roommate that she was going to take a trip to New York and she was last seen at a bus station that day. Light brown hair. Hazel eyes. Pierced ears. Mole on the back of...
int-missing.fandom.com
21 year old Nancy Erickson vanished around 7 hours 21 mins away. The reason I still believe she could be match is because she may have been running from the law, and therefore very well could have travelled as far as Frederick Md.
View NamUs missing person case MP87302 for Nancy Gale Erickson missing from Brattleboro, Vermont. Date of last contact: Oct 03, 1973. NCMEC case number: --.
namus.nij.ojp.gov
24 year old Vickie Lee Lamberton went missing approximately 7½ hours away. The exact circumstances of her disappearance are unclear and her case is another one where she was not reported missing at the time the cheerleader was found.
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
29 year old Katherine disappeared from clearfield Pennsylvania and at some point after her disappearance visited a friend in New Jersey, asking her to send telegrams to her family and friend with whom she'd left her 4 children. From the sounds of things, she was at least initially planning to go back to Pennsylvania for her children. There is a route from New Jersey back to Pennsylvania in which she would have driven right through Maryland.
When I saw the picture of 23-year-old Mary Robinson, my brain instantly put her and the 8th reconstruction shown on the Cheerleader's wiki page together like two puzzle pieces. However, this is only possible if Mary's killer is lying about where he put her body, or if he got someone else to move her body, which would have probably happened around '79 (if it did happen) as that is when he confessed. He said he dumped her about three hours away, but Mary lived nearly 5 and a half hours away.
22-year-old Judy Sylvester is the only person so far who I've included despite the height being a bit off. It is only off by an inch of two and it is possible she was actually 5'2 as an MP's height is usually an educated guess from the family. She disappeared from 4½ hours away and very little info is available, sadly. But I thought there was enough of a resemblance to consider her.
View NamUs missing person case MP948 for Judy Ann Sylvester missing from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Date of last contact: Jan 24, 1977. NCMEC case number: --.
namus.nij.ojp.gov
29-year-old Leslie Guthrie vanished in February 1977, around 4 hrs 45 minutes away. Despite pretty much everything matching up, I really hope she is not Jane Doe, as she had her little girl and boy with her at the time of her disappearance.
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
Eddy Milta Segall was either 27 or 28 when she vanishd after borrowing her friend's car. The car was found abandoned in the woods, with some of her belongings still inside. This was approximately 8 hours, 20 mins away and may have been a case of abduction.
On November 9, I submitted a case request to Othram after communicating personally with the founder himself: David Mittelman. David told me to contact Othram so that the case could be on their radar.
I don't know what the procedure is, but I haven't heard back (apart from an automated message that told me the request has been received). I assume, and hope, that they'll take on her case.
Regardless of whether or not Kathy Wilcox--or anyone mentioned here--is The Cheerleader, I just want this Doe to have her name back. Whoever her family is, they deserve answers and closure.
I never thought something like this could be lingering in the back of my mind nearly every day. Even when I try to look into other cases, I go back to The Cheerleader... I go back to Kathy... I wouldn't go as far as to say this case has "consumed" me, but it's getting there.
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