NJ NJ - Mt Laurel, Malibu Grand Prix, NonWhtFem 25-35, UP1451, leopard print scarf, Oct'04

[Canadianmom2three]

Came across this possible match linked below. She does not resemble the sketch, but approx height, weight and timeline match up. She is from California, but was said to be flying to North or SouthCarolina to meet a man she met on the internet. They seem to have a wide range as to when she could have flown out, quote below from NamUs
"MP indicated that she was flying to North or South Carolina to meet a man she met on the internet. Unknown exact date in 2003 or 2004."

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Kristine Maravilla Rodrigo

oag.ca.gov

Not sure why her name is Kristine Maravilla Rodrigo on on the State of California Website and Kristina Grace Rodrigo on NamUs.

MOO

​

 

[faithx]

https://www.facebook.com/RCNJIGG/posts/pfbid02D7Cc6hHWYcyoqbM4cLB322bEwLgo3C665aYEgELwEaaYypNY9LBEFVWQutpp9iW4l

 

[djanga]

I’m originally from Kazakhstan, and I’ll try searching for her in local databases. My first thought is that she might have been a Work and Travel student, as that program was quite popular back then. But if that were the case, someone would probably have reported her missing. Also, if she was around 25, that’s a bit older than the typical Work and Travel participants.
Maybe she was a green card immigrant instead.
I also don’t think she looks Azerbaijani, but one of the other mentioned countries seems more likely.

 

[ninetimesfifteen]

My first thought is that she might have been a Work and Travel student, as that program was quite popular back then. But if that were the case, someone would probably have reported her .

Maybe they assumed she decided to (illegally) stay in the US.

 

[djanga]

I think it's a plausible scenario. I wouldn’t be surprised if she even stayed there after her Work and Travel program, possibly illegally. I think I met one girl from Kazakhstan who probably did that, and I believe some other students did it too. I met them briefly while I was on Work and Travel myself in the US.

What I'm wondering, though, is whether her fingerprints were available in this case — probably not. However, all visa applicants are required to provide fingerprints, so if they had hers, it should have been relatively easy to identify her. I think if she came on tourist visa, the fingerprints are required as well.

 

[The4TierBridge]

I think it's a plausible scenario. I wouldn’t be surprised if she even stayed there after her Work and Travel program, possibly illegally. I think I met one girl from Kazakhstan who probably did that, and I believe some other students did it too. I met them briefly while I was on Work and Travel myself in the US.

What I'm wondering, though, is whether her fingerprints were available in this case — probably not. However, all visa applicants are required to provide fingerprints, so if they had hers, it should have been relatively easy to identify her. I think if she came on tourist visa, the fingerprints are required as well.

The remains were skeletal, so fingerprints wouldn't be helpful.

 

[Theresa Reid]

The Times Trenton, New Jersey · Thursday, October 28, 2004​

NamUs #UP1451

Clipping found in The Times published in Trenton, New Jersey on 10/28/2004. NamUs #UP1451

www.newspapers.com

Courier-Post Camden, New Jersey · Thursday, October 28, 2004​

NamUs #UP1451

Clipping found in Courier-Post published in Camden, New Jersey on 10/28/2004. NamUs #UP1451

www.newspapers.com

DNA gives new info about woman whose body was found 21 years ago​

• Published: Sep. 23, 2025, 9:26 a.m. By
  
  • Jeff Goldman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
• DNA testing has revealed that a woman whose remains were found in Mount Laurel in 2004 might be of Turkic descent. Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center. A genealogy profile has been obtained for a woman whose remains were found in Mount Laurel in 2004, potentially providing a crucial clue to identify her.
• The so-called Burlington County Jane Doe is likely of the Turkic ethnic group and is possibly from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, or another country in central Eurasia, according to the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center.
• She was estimated to be 25 to 35 years old when she was found Oct. 26, 2004 in a wooded area off Fellowship Road, authorities said.
• She was wearing a leopard print scarf, Tommy Hilfiger jean shorts or skirt and white Nike youth sneakers size 5.5. A black purse or black pocketbook containing Kleenex pack and nail file was found near her remains, the genealogy center said.
  While clearing the site of the former Malibu Grand Prix entertainment center, an excavation crew discovered the woman’s remains. The remains were located close to the back property line, near the Interstate 295 overpass, behind the Doubletree Guest Suites.
  State Police estimated the woman died around Jan. 1, 2003. She was about 5-foot-1, and weighed 100-125 pounds. The woman had black hair and black or brown eyes, according to investigators.

DNA gives new info about woman whose body was found 21 years ago

The woman is likely from central Eurasia, genealogy tests revealed

www.nj.com

 

[djanga]

There is no open database of missing people in Kazakhstan, however many people publish about missing people in different social media channels, but it is difficult to search them. Also there are mostly recent missing people cases.

 

[djanga]

The Ramapo College now says they think she was from Kyrgyzstan. Most of the missing people from Kyrgyzstan are recent cases

 

[djanga]

I found a post in Russian on social media in which an American lawyer talks about her case, apparently trying to draw public attention to it. Unfortunately, this only sparked a heated discussion about her origins. Many people argue that she could not have been Azerbaijani, because although Azerbaijan is a Turkic-speaking country, it is not part of Central Asia and has a different historical background, genetic makeup, and typical physical appearance.

I agree that her appearance would be more commonly associated with Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan than with Azerbaijan. However, these debates have become very emotional and are not helping to move the case forward. I am now trying to find missing-persons groups in Kyrgyzstan, in the hope that they might be willing to publish information about her case

 

[The4TierBridge]

I found a post in Russian on social media in which an American lawyer talks about her case, apparently trying to draw public attention to it. Unfortunately, this only sparked a heated discussion about her origins. Many people argue that she could not have been Azerbaijani, because although Azerbaijan is a Turkic-speaking country, it is not part of Central Asia and has a different historical background, genetic makeup, and typical physical appearance.

I agree that her appearance would be more commonly associated with Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan than with Azerbaijan. However, these debates have become very emotional and are not helping to move the case forward. I am now trying to find missing-persons groups in Kyrgyzstan, in the hope that they might be willing to publish information about her case

I'm pretty sure the sketch was made under the assumption that she was Hispanic, so it might not be very accurate at all. It is also only available in a very low resolution, so many of the details in it aren't very clear.

 

[djanga]

I'm pretty sure the sketch was made under the assumption that she was Hispanic, so it might not be very accurate at all. It is also only available in a very low resolution, so many of the details in it aren't very clear.

As far as I can see, even in 2005 investigators considered that she could be Asian, Hispanic, or American Indian (see the original post in this thread dated July 11, 2005). Asian ancestry was listed first, which may indicate that the reconstruction leaned somewhat toward an Asian appearance. If I am not mistaken, American Indian populations and Indigenous peoples of Spanish-speaking countries are also believed to have ancient origins in Asia, which may explain why all three groups were included.

In the discussion I mentioned, some people feel that her appearance is more consistent with an Asian background, which they associate more commonly with Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan than with Azerbaijan. I think it would be more productive to focus on the genetic information provided by Ramapo College, which suggests a possible connection to Kyrgyzstan.