NJ NJ - East Orange, WhtFem ~17, UP1621, partial skeleton @ demolition site, Sep'01

[ChatteringBirds]

Bumping up with NamUs profile:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping

 

[snarast]

Could someone copy (legally of course) info from namus - I can't access it from my location.

Found it - for the equally challenged: Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP1621

 

[snarast]

Interesting:

"Estimated Age Group
Cannot Determine Years"

I think we can set 17 aside.

 

[snarast]

And even more interesting....

Date Body Found
September 11, 2001

Demolition in NJ on 911. Ok...I must say it surprises me that anyone had the time to notice her skeleton on that day, but maybe it was before daybreak.

 

[Bit of hope]

Interesting:

"Estimated Age Group
Cannot Determine Years"

I think we can set 17 aside.

I wonder what could be a reason they have such a broad age range? Starting with 17 years means that they could see certain evolution in a young girls skeleton.

A very interesting (but lengthy) read with pictures of the identifying parts of a skeleton

Methods of skeletal age estimation used by forensic anthropologists in adults: a review
Reconstruction of biological profile of unknown individuals would be incomplete without age determination. Forensic anthropologists use skeletal indicators involved in processes of bone resorption, deposition and remodelling which are time-related to estimate age of the individual. Estimating age in adults remains a challenging task to the forensic anthropologists because of the complexity and individual variations seen in the aging process and the gamut of environmental factors influencing the same. Age provided by anthropologists is determined as age range rather than a specific age. It has been noticed that age range determined for younger individuals is narrower than for older individuals.
Age determination can be performed based on developing dentition, growing skeleton or degenerative changes of the skeleton.1 For adults, age can be estimated using indicators involved in processes of bone resorption, deposition and remodelling. The evaluation of degenerative processes in adults is based on the normal wear and tear of the body over time.
It has been reported that determination of age for younger individuals, is found to have a narrower age range; whereas for older individuals, the estimated age has a wider age range. This can be attributed to the fact that for younger individuals there are many biological changes occurring at regular intervals and rates. After the individual attains biological maturity, the number and rate of developmental changes are reduced.4 In adult age estimation, middle age is probably the most difficult to assess as during this period of life, transitions are highly varied due to hormonal and metabolic changes. However, the later years of age have their own share of complications and difficulties which include inevitably occurring higher rates of pathologic conditions and the effects of wear and tear in one’s life.

The most commonly used age estimation methods used by forensic anthropologists in adults are based on the study of,

1. Pubic symphyses
2. The sternal rib end
3. The auricular surface of the ilium and
4. Cranial sutures

etc. etc.

Also I wonder why in the Namus file she is said to be found in Atlanta County, because East Orange is in Essex County.

I found a few disturbing articles about problems with police officers inside the East Orange PD, through the years. This one is from 2001. (can't read the whole page, behind paywall) CITIES; Trouble Finds East Orange, Again (Published 2001)

 

[snarast]

This is definitely a challenging and sad case. I wish we knew more.

 

[summergirl1]

Someone asked about previous owners at that address. Here is a list: Sales Information for 262 NO. GROVE ST. - NJParcels.com

This says at one point the land was vacant in 1988- if I'm reading it right. So the workers must have been doing something else on the land in Sept 2001 if it was a former demolition site, where the home on it had been long demolished. I'd say it might be accurate to call it a vacant lot in that case. I'm not sure what sale for assessment means, I'll have to look that up. Her remains may well have been put there after the lot became vacant land.

 

[summergirl1]

Looking at 263 N Grove Street on Google, it appears to be used as parking for nearby apartment buildings or a business in recent years. Perhaps the workers in 2001 were preparing it for a parking lot, fencing it in, etc, if it had been a vacant lot previous or maybe they were doing utility or sewer work where you would be digging- that one is very likely.

I did note, with tall apartment buildings ( the one at Park Ave, and then another one on the right side), there would not be much privacy for burying remains in a vacant lot. As for what was there before whatever was on the site was demolished, it was right between two old apartment buildings, so it may have been an apartment building or commercial/mainly commercial building. However, with the property being rezoned commercial in 2020 when it was sold again, I rather doubt it was zoned commercial ever before. There may have been a house or two there as there are houses across the street, as well as an apartment building. I should look further back to see if I can find any sources to what was there, demolished sometime before 1988.

The city of East Orange was the seller in 1988, which leads me to believe they acquired the property or properties for back taxes or as a rundown nuisance/property and demolished whatever was on it, then sold it. Apart from true crime, one of my interests is old buildings and history, and I've seen that pattern before on property records, where the city has acquired it for back taxes or as a nuisance, abandoned property, etc, or both etc, and then demolished whatever was on it, and sold the land.

 

[snarast]

I have heard traffic was a bit laboured the day she was found - ie 911. Ppl didn’t get from A to B easily. Theres some logistics involved in construction usually.

On the other hand it was a good day for cold, curious or desperate people to do things they would otherwise be unable to do.

Perhaps someone saw an opportunity to lute some place they couldn’t touch otherwise? Or shellshocked parents forgot about keeping track of their meddlin/curious kids?

 

[pol100gk]

In answer to Summergirl1 above 'non-usable sale for assessment' means this sale can't be counted for the assessment of property taxes I think. Usually it says that when it's not a 'proper' sale but the property gets recorded differently, for example, when someone gets added to the mortgage. Or the house is inherited. The sales price of $1 is a clue.

NamUS lists the remains as 'white''. With only partial skeletal remains found I wonder how they made that determination.

 

[AllieKat]

Regarding the age and lack of anthropological information, I read the NamUs file after starting to track the case. Perhaps this opened up a tiny bit of info; unfortunately the details are gruesome.
(space added in case anyone doesn’t wish to read sad / gruesome details)


Additional NamUs details indicate:

Victim found without torso and without one or more arms
Without one or more hands


There could be another set of remains that is a partial Jane Doe and that could help to solve the case.

It also says age range 17, and a weird thing it says date of death range 0-2001.

Unfortunately and sadly, she was also found “without clothing on body”, so it isn’t possible to date clothing. I’ve attached screen shots of the NamUs info for anyone interested.

I really am hopeful this woman can be identified. With the right amount of willpower luck and faith it can happen (andddd DNA magic, facial reconstruction if possible and bone density or a bone aging expert to find the age of the victim ! This para MOO)

 

[ifindedout]

According to Historic Aerials, the building 263 N. Grove St. was still standing in 1987. However, it was gone in the 1995 aerial photo.

 

[summergirl1]

I'm guessing it was demolished sometime in 1987 after that photo was taken or 1988, as it was sold and listed as vacant land then. In the photo, it appears to have been an apartment building. Also, I looked up the address on Google Books and I found three listings for people in old professional directories from the early 1920s, different professions, who lived at the address which would fit with it being an apartment building, although apartment numbers were never specified. Anyone can find the same results, although I wasn't able to copy and paste the results as a link. I did not research these people, but if it was a large apartment building, there were obviously many peoole coming and going over the years.

Perhaps these remains were buried in the basement of the apartment building? If I have the right building in the photo above, it looks to have been very similar to the still standing one. I couldn't find any info on this building or the discovery of the remains through an old newspaper site I'm a member of. Maybe someone else can?

 

[Bit of hope]

According to Historic Aerials, the building 263 N. Grove St. was still standing in 1987. However, it was gone in the 1995 aerial photo.
View attachment 461042

Thanks, interesting site. Is it possible to mark 263 N. Grove ST on this map? Sorry, for again nagging about the info. Sure they must have seen if this are historical remains (0-2001), so already in the ground when the first buildings were constructed. If the body was buried after demolition is it safe to say she was buried there somewhere between 1987/88 up to 2001, when she was found?

 

[AllieKat]

Did a search on PollyKlass Missing children Archive for years beginning 1992-2001. I could not find any possible match using the following criteria: a female child, age 14-18 that went missing and remained missing, and geographically fit. My logic was stick with North East missing persons during initial search. Of victims on the list, and unfortunately remain there, there were not many that fit into the age / gender, and none meeting all three. I also took a look at New Jersey State Police's missing person list (link to article about missing people in NJ and state police list), dating back to 1962 and it has 89 people on the list. No one stood out on this list as a potential match.

JMO IIRC I believe the LISK had murdered women in New Jersey and New York, or NJ was involved somehow with the case. When I reviewed some of the case details there was Jane Doe 3 aka "Peaches"--whose torso was found in 1997, I would hope they have ruled out this Jane Doe as Peaches, NamUs still has one name on the exclusion list.

if anyone has additional resources I should try please let me know, i plan to look at each state and expand the age range to see if anyone stands out.

 

[AllieKat]

Thanks, interesting site. Is it possible to mark 263 N. Grove ST on this map? Sorry, for again nagging about the info. Sure they must have seen if this are historical remains (0-2001), so already in the ground when the first buildings were constructed. If the body was buried after demolition is it safe to say she was buried there somewhere between 1987/88 up to 2001, when she was found?

She was found 9/11/2001

 

[Bit of hope]

She was found 9/11/2001

I think I don't understand this remark. Help me out. Do you think this is relevant considering this specific date.

I'm trying to narrow down the years she could have gone missing. That's why I asked this question
"If the body was buried after demolition is it safe to say she was buried there somewhere between 1987/88 up to 2001, when she was found?" Should I have written up to 9/11/2001?

When I reviewed some of the case details there was Jane Doe 3 aka "Peaches"--whose torso was found in 1997, I would hope they have ruled out this Jane Doe as Peaches, NamUs still has one name on the exclusion list.

Thank you for searching. I think I don't understand this. How can you rule out one Jane Doe against another Jane Doe?

 

[snarast]

Thank you for searching. I think I don't understand this. How can you rule out one Jane Doe against another Jane Doe?

Because if there is (close to) the same, then it's the same person. Still a Jane Doe, of course, but with more of a complete set of bones.

This is really awful btw, I don't even want to think about what might have happened to this poor girl.

 

[iamshadow21]

Thank you for searching. I think I don't understand this. How can you rule out one Jane Doe against another Jane Doe?

To be blunt - dismemberment and partial remains. Peaches was dismembered and only part of her was found. This Doe's remains are also incomplete.

I don't think there is any possibility of this being related to Peaches. She was Black. There has also been DNA done for Peaches, and we know this, because she was linked by DNA to Toddler Doe, her little girl. Peaches is also estimated to be 20-30, so older than this Doe.

MOO