NM NM - Santa Fe, US 285, WhtFem 14-19, 407UFNM, gold ring & earrings, Dec'74

[CarlK90245]

The Doe Network:
Case File 407UFNM
407UFNM

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) UP16805

Reconstruction of Victim by Wesley Neville

Unidentified White Female

* The victim was discovered on December 2, 1974 at U.S 285, South of Santa Fe, New Mexico
* Estimated Date of Death: November 29 to December 1, 1974
* Cause of Death: Asphyxia due to strangulation

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 14-19 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 62 inches; 110 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Light brown/ reddish-blonde hair; blue-hazel eyes. Well-groomed and neat.
* Dentals: Available
* Clothing/Jewelry: No clothing. Plain gold, round wire earrings, on the left ring (4th) finger was a yellow gold ring, with silver color center designs.
* Fingerprints: Available
* DNA: Available

Case History
The victim was located just South of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The body was found just off the U.S 285 highway by a Colorado couple who stopped to pick Pinon nuts. No clothing was found with the body. This case was classified a Homicide. She was buried in Glorieta several months after her body was found.

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
Santa Fe Police Department/Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office
505-955-5038

<MOD NOTE: Several original links throughout the thread were broken and have been edited to include the current link (when available) and images as of November 25, 2023>

 

[CarlK90245]

Nadine O'Dell looks like a good possible. I've looked around and I'm surprised that I can't find her name associated with this UID case, given that this is such an old case and that there are so few possibles to choose from.


Nadine Jean O'Dell

Nadine Jean O’Dell – The Charley Project

The Physical description fits very closely. Her jawline is spot on.

But the circumstances are a little iffy.

There is a 1,600 mile separation between Inkster MI and Santa Fe NM, and about a 3 1/2 month time frame. The postmortem interval is only a couple of days, so she would have had to have been hauled around the country for 3 1/2 months before being killed.

But the circumstances are that she was apparently snatched off the street without any evidence of murder (such as blood) left behind. Also, there are no obvious suspects among the people who knew her. So it's not completely implausible.

And there is no matchup on jewelry, but the victim was found naked (except for the earrings and ring on her finger), so maybe her boyfriend's HS ring was discarded along with her clothes.

 

[Billylee]

Estimated death was only 3 days prior. I wonder if there is an actual morgue picture of this girl or if something happened to the face after death? It's a really odd angle the artist came up with don't you think?

 

[CarlK90245]

Estimated death was only 3 days prior. I wonder if there is an actual morgue picture of this girl or if something happened to the face after death? It's a really odd angle the artist came up with don't you think?

I'm sure that there is one, and I wish they would make it available in NamUs. That artist, Wesley Neville, is a current-day artist, and I'm sure that he wasn't doing this in 1974. He had to have been working from something.

 

[arcana07]

Just a wild stab in the dark here... Lisa Joy White?

Lisa Joy White – The Charley Project

If we're entertaining everyone from the U.S., perhaps White, who disappeared way over 2,000 miles away from New Mexico (in Connecticut), might fit? She disappeared November 1 and apparently the estimate date of death for 407UFNM was November 29 - December 1 -- enough time for White to be kidnapped, taken across the U.S., killed, and dumped in that field. And the age progression for her shows her wearing earrings for pierced ears, so I would assume that means her ears were pierced before she went missing, meaning she could've been wearing those gold earrings when she was taken.

And I know her age, 13, is younger than the estimated age for the Jane Doe, and she's 2 inches shorter than the approximate height for Ms. NM Doe here, but she did weigh 110 lbs and did have blonde hair and blue eyes (which I suppose could've turned slightly greenish with post-mortem decay/decomposition), so....

 

[CarlK90245]

Just a wild stab in the dark here... Lisa Joy White?

Lisa Joy White – The Charley Project

If we're entertaining everyone from the U.S., perhaps White, who disappeared way over 2,000 miles away from New Mexico (in Connecticut), might fit? She disappeared November 1 and apparently the estimate date of death for 407UFNM was November 29 - December 1 -- enough time for White to be kidnapped, taken across the U.S., killed, and dumped in that field. And the age progression for her shows her wearing earrings for pierced ears, so I would assume that means her ears were pierced before she went missing, meaning she could've been wearing those gold earrings when she was taken.

And I know her age, 13, is younger than the estimated age for the Jane Doe, and she's 2 inches shorter than the approximate height for Ms. NM Doe here, but she did weigh 110 lbs and did have blonde hair and blue eyes (which I suppose could've turned slightly greenish with post-mortem decay/decomposition), so....

The ring that she was wearing probably would have to have been bought or re-sized while she was in captivity.

And her hair doesn't appear to have any reddish tint.

 

[Mensch]

If the UP is between the age of 14-19 why is it assumed she was abducted and held or taken anywhere? She could have been a runaway and met up with someone (boyfriend her mom did not approve of) or she could have been on her own working and in a relationship if closer to the 19 end of approximation. What am I missing? Why does the time of one gone missing until this UP found relevant?

 

[CarlK90245]

What am I missing? Why does the time of one gone missing until this UP found relevant?

If there is evidence that the person was murdered at the time that she went missing, it would be relevant. If there was a strong suspect whose approximate whereabouts were known at the time of the disappearance, it would be relevant.

But from what we know, Nadine left her house with specific plans to meet a boyfriend at his house, and never arrived.

She could have left voluntarily, or she could have been abducted. I was leaning toward the latter, but in either case, timeframe is not relevant.

 

[CarlK90245]

I spoke with Jason Wagner of the Santa Fe PD and forwarded him the details of these two cases. He found the casefile, and indicated that there was another detective to whom the case is assigned.

One thing that he mentioned from looking at the casefile was that the victim's hair was long and curly, which would seem to be inconsistent with the photo of Nadine.

But they will look at it and get back to me next week.

 

[aprilmillwood]

I know this is pretty far off from the location found but I think they should look into Charlotte Jean Loomis.
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1206dfnj.html

 

[CarlK90245]

I made a follow-up call to Jason Wagner of Santa Fe PD regarding the Nadine O'Dell submission. The detective assigned to this case is named Michelle Williams. He had spoken with her regarding this case, and they are going to look into it. However, they are working on a recent homicide case that has priority over this one.

On an unrelated topic, I also asked him if he has available any additional vital stats info on Michelle Quintana or better quality photos of her. On a few occasions, I had her pegged as a possible match to UID cases, but there wasn't enough info in Michelle Quintana to be confident enough to call it in. He said that he will pass my request on to Detective Williams to see whether they will be willing to release additional info on MQ.

 

[webrocket]

did you ever hear back from Santa Fe Carl?

 

[CarlK90245]

did you ever hear back from Santa Fe Carl?

I've tried a few times to get ahold of them but I've not received a response. I'll try again next week.

 

[dolphingirl]

I know its not possible the date that she was discovered is wrong but if it had been a few weeks later I would have really said Lisa Renee Wilson missing from fort worth Texas.Her and the rest of the "Missing Trio"dissapeared on 12/23/74 though. Lisa was 5 feet 2 inches,110 pounds,14 years old with brownish-red wavy hair.It totally fits the UID. Lisa's Eyes are brown though. I really see a resemblance too.Then again the Missing Trio is really one of those cases that really haunts me and makes me scratch my head.

Anyway theres probably no way that date is wrong though-right?Has that ever happened?

 

[CarlK90245]

Anyway theres probably no way that date is wrong though-right?Has that ever happened?

I can think of two cases off the top of my head where they got the Date of Last Contact confused with the date that the MP report was filed.

The "Blue Bandanna Girl", recently identified as Paula Beverly Davis, and a San Bernadino County, CA Jane Doe Identified as Samantha Bonnell both were delayed identifications because of an incorrect DLC. <modsnip: broken links>

 

[dolphingirl]

I can think of two cases off the top of my head where they got the Date of Last Contact confused with the date that the MP report was filed.



I know the Missing trio's date was definately correct. They has gone to a mall
on December 23rd 1974 and were never seen again but their car was still in parking lot. They were reported missing soon after.I just wondered if the date the UID was discovered could have been reported wrong.Im just grasping at straws but the UID really sounded like Lisa.Probably just a coincidence. Thanks for the info.

 

[CarlK90245]

did you ever hear back from Santa Fe Carl?

I received a call back from Det. Williams. She said that they have been in contact with Michigan LE in charge of Nadine O'Dell's case, and they will be doing a DNA comparison. She doesn't know if they have any other identifiers on Nadine, as she is not the one who spoke with Michigan LE.

She said that a Detective Trujillo is handling this task.

fftopic:
She also said that Det. Trujillo will look into getting additional vital stats info on Michelle Quintana and possibly a better photo.

 

[webrocket]

I don't see this UID in Namus.

hear anything in the past 3 months on this one Carl?

 

[CarlK90245]

I don't see this UID in Namus.

hear anything in the past 3 months on this one Carl?

No, I haven't.

 

[mamashawn]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) MP2716

Height is off by two inches, and Jane Doe is 15 lbs. lighter. Her eyes and hair are listed as brown on NAMUS, but I don't think that's right. In the expanded picture, her eyes look more hazel than brown. Her hair in the above picture is definitely not brown. The age progressed image shows a light, reddish brown. She went missing in 1971, and would have been 19 in December of 74.