Identified! MS - Pascagoula, WhtFem Child 45UFMS "Delta Dawn", 1-3, Dog River @I-10, Dec'82 - Alisha Heinrich

[Jordan72]

I don't think this is Gwendolyn. The body is described as skeletal, which means this lady was dead for a long time (maybe one or more years since the remains were partial) when Delta Dawn's body was found.
Is it possible that Gwen's body was brought elsewhere by the waters ? I mean Dawn was found in weeds near the river, which means her body probably washed there after she drowned. It doesn't seem like that far of a stretch for her mother's body to be lost.

You are SO right! I didn’t even notice that. Thank you for sharing that information!

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

This is the only unidentified NamUs profile that makes sense. Body was found on the same day she was last seen, on the same highway (i-10) just miles away from Delta Dawns body, and two days before Delta Dawn was found. I would put money on this being her.. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) the age doesn’t match, but these things aren’t always accurate

The NamUs page doesn't say much, but I also doubt this Jane Doe is Gwen, due to the circumstances; she was matched to being a Samuel Little victim, whom he had met in the bar. He had ran out and bought her a gold necklace, which she was still wearing when her body was found. She had left the bar with him, and drove down Interstate-10, where they exited near Littlewoods and parked in a park like area with a river nearby. He ended up killing her and leaving her body there.

I don't know about Gwen's dentals, but Jane Doe wore dentures for her entire upper jaw.

Orleans Parish Jane Doe's WS thread:
LA - LA - Orleans Parish, WhtFem Skeletal UP2213, 34-44, off I-10, Dec'82

 

[Bit of hope]

This is the only unidentified NamUs profile that makes sense. Body was found on the same day she was last seen, on the same highway (i-10) just miles away from Delta Dawns body, and two days before Delta Dawn was found. I would put money on this being her.. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) the age doesn’t match, but these things aren’t always accurate

She could have been found as a Jane Doe from the day she was missing until now......if she is deceased.

 

[Sillybilly]

Please do not post an identity until such time as there is official notification (i.e. MSM, LE, NAMUS).

Thanks.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

The moms NamUs was just created last month, the same time the family was notified of the girls DNA match.

Why does this happen, reported missing people never added? This child could have been identified so long ago.

 

[Goecke]

Delta Dawn's NamUs has been taken down!

 

[Oginalii]

They were originally from Missouri

My aunt

They were originally from Missouri

yes I almost fell over. I have a lot of family in Joplin and around there anyway some of my relatives knew Gwens dad.
I’d met him through a cousin I didn’t really know him he was more of an acquaintance to me but they knew him. He passed earlier this month & also his obit mentions that Gwen predeceased him so they must have know she was deceased somewhere

 

[Oginalii]

Not that I have ever found except for clothing I think. I went looking in Newspapers.com and got nada

I will say without mentioning too much but the baby resembles her

 

[Oginalii]

Why does this happen, reported missing people never added? This child could have been identified so long ago.

Gwen was an adult from the way it sounds they were quite aways from home. Who knows why she left-it could have been a man she was with, could be an argument or could have wanted a fresh start but they probably looked for her & maybe reported it we don’t know-if they even took a report since Gwen was her mother and of age. I do know her family never forgot her because she’s mentioned in her fathers obituary when he passed last month
Things were much different back then and ppl still hitchhiked and police usually figured they took off to start a new life and would get in contact when she did or maybe the report was lost of destroyed when the tornado hit the area we just don’t know

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Things were much different back then and ppl still hitchhiked and police usually figured they took off to start a new life and would get in contact when she did or maybe the report was lost of destroyed

I'm not judging her family. I thought I read G. was formally reported missing by her family in the '80's. It's law enforcement that needs to make sure missing people are added to NamUs for DNA / dental record comparisons. Just my opinion.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

I'm not judging her family. I thought I read G. was formally reported missing by her family in the '80's. It's law enforcement that needs to make sure missing people are added to NamUs for DNA / dental record comparisons. Just my opinion.

100% agree! Makes me wonder how many 'teenage runaway' cases were thrown out when they turned 18. Especially during the height of hitchhiking. I just think of all the young Does during the 70's and 80's.

I have also heard of families believing they filed a report and years later finding out it wasn't in the system or officially reported by LE. And there's also the lack of report due to a technicality, like the person reported missing was nomadic and the family member reporting needed to know exactly where they were missing from (Jason Callahan). IMO I think they should have never had that rule. A person should be able to be reported regardless.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

It seems like PPD typically happens during the first 6 weeks after birth. Dawn was 1-3.

However, she could have had another baby. Or, mental illness/drugs could be involved.

Oops! Is it obvious I don't have children?

My main point with PPD was that I don't think the Mom was 'bad'. It has been speculated before that it could possibly be a murder-suicide or foul play. Since learning about her mother I am leaning more towards foul play by someone they encountered that day.

 

[Oginalii]

I'm not judging her family. I thought I read G. was formally reported missing by her family in the '80's. It's law enforcement that needs to make sure missing people are added to NamUs for DNA / dental record comparisons. Just my opinion.

I know and I’m. It accusing you of it-sometimes my words come across in the wrong way. I’m just saying there are so many reasons plus

I'm not judging her family. I thought I read G. was formally reported missing by her family in the '80's. It's law enforcement that needs to make sure missing people are added to NamUs for DNA / dental record comparisons. Just my opinion.

y words come across wrong many times. I wasn't accusing you of judging then just pointing out how many possibilities there are. Then there are times you can’t get law enforcement to help. When they wouldn’t pick up my daughter I asked them why is it I can get in trouble if she doesn't go to school or she. Reals the law but I can’t get you to help me? Of course they just go hummed around so that’s one big problem right there. I kept calling supervisors until I bit the crooked sheriff who was coincidently in hot water over other things and since “retired” or tbh he was to he was gone one way or another. I am sorry if my words came out accusatory because that’s not how they were intended

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

My aunt

yes I almost fell over. I have a lot of family in Joplin and around there anyway some of my relatives knew Gwens dad.
I’d met him through a cousin I didn’t really know him he was more of an acquaintance to me but they knew him. He passed earlier this month & also his obit mentions that Gwen predeceased him so they must have know she was deceased somewhere

You can ask Mods to make you a verified insider in this case since you are a relative

Has anyone made a thread for Gwen yet?

 

[victoriarobinson642]

You can ask Mods to make you a verified insider in this case since you are a relative

Has anyone made a thread for Gwen yet?

MO - MO - Gwendolyn Mae Clemons, 23, Kansas City, 24 Nov 1982

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

MO - MO - Gwendolyn Mae Clemons, 23, Kansas City, 24 Nov 1982

Thank you! I'm going to follow it.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

Gwen was an adult from the way it sounds they were quite aways from home. Who knows why she left-it could have been a man she was with, could be an argument or could have wanted a fresh start

I think you are onto something there. I currently speculate she left with a boyfriend. I am picturing a Terry Rassmussen type situation (he dated single mother's and moved with them states away far from their families). The witnesses mention a woman walking with a toddler on the highway looking distressed. Maybe they were driving and got into an argument and she got out of the car with 'Dawn'. He eventually catches up to them and we unfortuately know the outcome

Edit: also googled the distance from Kansas City MO to Pascagoula MS and it's 13 hours. Just noticed Gwen and Dawn were both missing/found from/in Jackson Counties.
Edit: Gwen was reported missing a day before Thanksgiving that year. It's 9 days before the trucker sightings on Dec 3rd.

 

[Goecke]

Do we know if LE is aware that the family has made a tentative identification?

 

[azure]

Do we know if LE is aware that the family has made a tentative identification?

I'm so confused, I can't find the Delta Dawn page on FB. Can someone run down what's going on in this case for me?

 

[Jordan72]

Do we know if LE is aware that the family has made a tentative identification?

I’m assuming so, the family has since deleted their posts regarding Delta Dawn.