MO MO - St Louis, BlkFem 8-11, 54UFMO, in abandoned bldg, Feb'83

[dotr]

The body was found in 5630 Clemens Ave., a vacant building in the West End neighborhood of the City. This neighborhood is immediately north of Delmar Blvd., an invisible dividing line that is a remnant of red-lining that kept cities divided even after segregation was made illegal. If you're interested in learning more about the Delmar Divide, the BBC did a short piece on it awhile back.

Cities like to brag (or decry) whenever their city is put on a rankings list but the very nature of how to define a city makes these lists only useful for PR headlines since city limits are determined by politics and not consistent statistics. St. Louis, for example, is politically structured as an Independent City separate from St. Louis County. When it comes to crime statistics, most city crime rates are balanced out by low-crime surrounding suburbs but St. Louis City doesn't have a suburb, its limits were permanently set in place after an unfortunate vote in 1876, known as the Great Divorce. Crime is a problem in St. Louis (as a region) in the same way that it is a problem in any other city. There are areas that are worse than others that account for the bulk of crime.

With that being said, the West End neighborhood has gone through a lot of ups and downs. During the first half of the 20th century, when red-lining limited where Blacks were allowed to purchase homes, it was the neighborhood that many wealthy Black residents lived. The neighborhood is full of beautiful homes. This started to change in the second half of the 20th century when highways made it possible to live further away and those in the city that could afford to move, did. Between 1990 and 2000, the West End lost 27% of its population.

As one might imagine, this migration caused a cratering of population in the City. The lack of demand left homes worth almost nothing and so they were abandoned. These vacant homes were left to be taken control of by the City, whose dwindling tax base left it short on resources to take care of the infrastructure. As a result, selective demolition of homes began, an unfortunate practice that continues to this day. 5630 Clemens was a part of that demolition program.

In the last few decades, the West End has started to see increased investment. I've never felt particularly unsafe there and wouldn't consider it a "dangerous" neighborhood.

.....Apologies for the rant......

Thanks for the very interesting and informative post!

 

[cory6010]

Hello, I've been researching this case for a few weeks and going through the thread all day. I'm impressed at how deep everyone has dug into this. I don't have much to offer, but I did find a possible match to JD's head--although it is a long shot. Another user mentioned that one of the psychics consulted in the St. Louis case told police to call the coast guard because the girl's head was supposedly on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico.

Yesterday while looking through NamUs cases, I found this one: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

On February 10, 2000, shrimp boat workers found a skull while working in the Gulf of Mexico (the location found is being listed as Gulf County in Florida). The skull is believed to be that of a black female, although I couldn't find any details concerning estimated date of death, age, etc. This is VERY much a long shot. I know it is, but it struck me as odd because it's such a weird coincidence. There's always the possibility that the purported psychic was involved in the case somehow and wanted to come clean, but you never know. Is it worth pursuing, do you think?

 

[Al Ka]

Published Sep 24, 2020

St. Louis cold case investigators still have hopes of solving 1983 ‘Little Jane Doe’ murder

(Adding few screenshots from video in the article. Click on image to enlarge)

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has started its own cold case unit. The unit has been operating for about a year in a half and has already closed 10 cases in that time.

Now, they are turning their attention to one of the department’s most notorious and disturbing cold cases — the case of “Little Jane Doe.”

Feb. 28, 1983, two men looking for scrap metal to fix their car lit a cigarette in the basement of an abandoned apartment building on Clemens Avenue. The light illuminated the body of a young decapitated girl.
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Then in 2013, homicide detectives exhumed the body to gather any type of scientific evidence that could now be tested. They learned the child was most likely from the Southeast or Midwest, but they are still far from having all the answers.
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Now the newly formed St. Louis City Cold Case Unit has a room devoted just to the case of Little Jane Doe.
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Aubuchon said they haven’t gotten a worthwhile tip in this case in 10 to 15 years, but now is the time for detectives, the department and St. Louis to name Little Jane Doe and her killer.

If you have a tip on the Little Jane Doe case or any other cold case you can call the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide unit. That number is 314- 444-5371.

St. Louis cold case investigators still have hopes of solving 1983 ‘Little Jane Doe’ murder | FOX 2

 

[Al Ka]

Few more images from video (sorry, they are graphic)

 

[Al Ka]

Her funeral

 

[dotr]

Sept 24 2020

St. Louis cold case investigators still have hopes of solving 1983 ‘Little Jane Doe’ murder | FOX 2
rbbm.
''They learned the child was most likely from the Southeast or Midwest, but they are still far from having all the answers.''

''Now the newly formed St. Louis City Cold Case Unit has a room devoted just to the case of Little Jane Doe.

The head of the St. Louis Metro Homicide Division, Lt. Scott Aubuchon, said Little Jane Doe was found with red polish on her fingernails. Which makes him believe she was well cared for.

He still believes that someone knows something.

“An 8, 9, 10, or 11-year-old girl doesn’t go missing without people taking notice. We are now 37 years later and I think if anyone was reluctant before to talk now is the time to come forward,” Aubuchon said. “If anyone knows a little girl, maybe a family member, who they suddenly lost track of and disappeared we want to know. We are interested in anything.”

"If you have a tip on the Little Jane Doe case or any other cold case you can call the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide unit. That number is 314- 444-5371.''

 

[ntt1]

That is amazing news that they are starting to look into and dedicate time to this case again, after all the years that have passed.

I can't imagine that they won't look into genetic genealogy at this point, given the amount of cold cases that have been solved with it recently. Fingers crossed that there is sufficient biological evidence remaining that will be able to proceed.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Hello, I've been researching this case for a few weeks and going through the thread all day. I'm impressed at how deep everyone has dug into this. I don't have much to offer, but I did find a possible match to JD's head--although it is a long shot. Another user mentioned that one of the psychics consulted in the St. Louis case told police to call the coast guard because the girl's head was supposedly on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico.

Yesterday while looking through NamUs cases, I found this one: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

On February 10, 2000, shrimp boat workers found a skull while working in the Gulf of Mexico (the location found is being listed as Gulf County in Florida). The skull is believed to be that of a black female, although I couldn't find any details concerning estimated date of death, age, etc. This is VERY much a long shot. I know it is, but it struck me as odd because it's such a weird coincidence. There's always the possibility that the purported psychic was involved in the case somehow and wanted to come clean, but you never know. Is it worth pursuing, do you think?

Welcome to Websleuths and thank you for putting time into this Doe! The psychic’s theory is interesting and I’m not one to close the door on any type of help in these cases. The skull found is said to have been that of an adult and this Doe is not quite an adult based on the estimated age range. Aside from that I can’t see anything that would rule out the possibility, based on what little info is given about the skull. I think it couldn’t hurt to maybe contact the NamUs rep on the Florida case and see what they say. Or possibly the agency in charge of the case. They may be able to give you more information!

 

[Melt71]

Good news on thee publicity drive but I hope they are also looking to use DNA.
Back to the red nails topic from up above - the PM photos show the nails were not freshly painted, they were chipped and worn which (to me) leans the case more towards child’s play than a child for sale IMO.

 

[Moonwalker9]

I agree. Its great news that they are still looking into the case even if there aren't any real updates. Dna is the only way to find her true identity. Hopefully that could also lead the way to her killer. Solving this case would be revolutionary.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

Current list of rule outs on Namus as of Sep. 26, 2020

Sherri Truesdale 6/13/1970 North Carolina
Beverly Ward 7/04/1978 Kansas
Yohanna Cyr 12/28/1976 Montreal, Canada (The details aren't listed here, because she's Canadian)
Telethia Good 9/10/1978 Maryland
Sherise Magee 8/1/1975 Nevada
Toya Hill 3/24/1982 Maryland
Sheila Quinn 2/27/1980 Illinois
Shaunda Green 10/15/1983 Michigan
Sharaun Cole 2/25/1983 New York

Skull rule outs:
Newton County (IN) Jane Doe UP6107
Northampton County NC Jane Doe

 

[MadMcGoo]

I’ve looked through newspaper archives two separate times for any articles mentioning missing black females around this age during that time...nothing.

 

[Grungster]

What kind of animal could do such a thing?! I think we should also rely on Parabon Nanolabs and the DDP on this one.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

I’ve looked through newspaper archives two separate times for any articles mentioning missing black females around this age during that time...nothing.

Same. It would be really nice if they'd get some of the Black newspapers included. We might find more missing Black people's names that way.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Same. It would be really nice if they'd get some of the Black newspapers included. We might find more missing Black people's names that way.

Yes!

 

[KaylaraOwl]

I was told that the newspaperarchives page has different newspapers included. Might be worth checking there as well. I don't have a subscription for that one, so I can't really tell you what's different.

 

[apearn]

I think it would be interesting to see their list of missing children. She may have been on it and fell out of sight if her parents passed and no other family was active with the case.

I found another case in St Louis where a little girl (2 YO in Jan 1983) was abducted and found bound and blindfolded in a suitcase. The thoughts from LE where that her case was connected to a prostitution ring that was active in the area. She had been abducted in Springfield Ill

 

[apearn]

Oooooooh - I'd like to see that letter looked at with today's forensics!

 

[dotr]

Oooooooh - I'd like to see that letter looked at with today's forensics!

View attachment 266085

Must have missed that, wow- an anonymous letter- wish LE would reveal just a little bit more about it, who knows, someone may recognize the writing or the details!

 

[KaylaraOwl]

There were a bunch of little Black girls that went missing from Chicago in the early 80's. I think only one of them has been found, and it wasn't a little girl, it was a teen.