NV NV - Elko Co, WhtFem 25-27, UP4920, blonde, may be from WY, scars, Nov'93

[WesternArtist]

Thanks for the additional info in Vickie's case. I did submit her shortly after my post. I guess it can't hurt but I do agree she is a strong match for the Antelope County Jane Doe.

 

[WesternArtist]

I found some more specific info about the positioning of the body in this case (and others). I was aware of the cross position and nudity but not the other details (this article is from '97; since then some of the victims have been identified: Juab County -Marilee Bruszer, Millard County -Patricia Candace Walsh [Ben Rhoades guilty]):

Unsolved Murders; Utah's 10 most infamous unsolved himicides[sic] claimed lives both obscure and notorious during a 130-year span. Why was justice not served?; 10 Cases Haunt Utah Law Officers
Salt Lake City, Utah [Salt Lake City, Utah]03 Aug 1997: J.1.

From 1989 to 1993, the women's bodies were found nude and similarly positioned along highways in Utah, Nevada and Wyoming. Was it a truck driver? A drifter? Eight years after the first murder, investigators are still clueless.

``We're still investigating them, and periodically, we have investigators get together for review purposes,'' said Millard County Sheriff Ed Phillips.
The first murder victim, Vikki Lynn Perkins, 19, was found in May 1989 along Interstate 70 near Green River, Emery County. Although her nude body was decomposed, police believe she was strangled.
The other bodies were discovered in Millard County, Juab County, St. George, Sweetwater County in Wyoming, and near Wendover, Nev. Four were shot and one was killed with a sharp object pushed up her nose and into her brain.
Most of the women were found in similar poses: their arms spread out, feet slightly apart, head turned to the left and the right index finger pointing away.
``At least three were totally nude -- no other articles of clothing or jewelry or anything left around the scene,'' Phillips said.
The investigation was complicated by the fact that four of the six women cannot be identified. There are no family members or friends to offer a motive. Although Perkins and 32-year-old Ermelinda Garza Sherman, who was found in St. George, were identified, police have not found a killer.
``We have spent thousands of hours across the country . . . just to come up blank,'' said Emery County Sheriff's Det. Bill Downard, who investigated Perkins' death. ``You don't know if he's killing somebody else. It's frustrating.''
Sheriff Phillips said new technology may identify the victims, providing new clues.
``You can start going back and establishing friends and associates and you find out who they were last seeing,'' he said. ``You just never give up on these kinds of cases. They're still very important to us. That was someone's daughter or sister. You just don't ever quit on them.''

 

[WesternArtist]

I found a great deal of history about the town of Afton, Wyoming here (albeit a potentially biased account): http://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5740&context=etd
It was settled as an LDS community during a time of expansion of the church throughout the Mountain West. The Lander Cut-off reached the Star Valley area in 1858. In the 1870's families relocated to remote areas where they were less accessible to be prosecuted for polygamy. Many of these settlers came from the Bear Lake, Idaho area because Wyoming was a more friendly jurisdiction towards polygamists. By 1885 Idaho passed the "Idaho Test Oath" which clearly criminalized polygamy. After that a great deal of the Mormons in Idaho (many of whom were not polygamists) fled to neighboring states. The conditions were tough with the harsh climate and remote location and the Afton community struggled to grow a permanent population but has remained an active LDS settlement.

I find it interesting that this woman lived there for the last 7 months of her life but tested positive for marijuana and alcohol. I would imagine that a drifter in this small community would have stood out but were she a local or related to locals partying would have also likely stood out.

Another component of the regional history is that Kemmerer, WY (which isn't that close) and Freedom, ID/WY (which is) both had brothels although I cannot tell when exactly they shut down. At least some in there area were operating close enough to 1993 there's a possible connection. I could not find any accounts of brothels in Afton and the history on which motels were known brothels and when in remote Western towns is very limited. There is an interesting history of wild west prostitution in the area that sort of runs parallel to the LDS settlement. I could imagine this woman's history relating to either.

 

[q64ceo]

I really think that Debra Lee Frost should get a second look. Her BF lived in WY. Granted Rock Springs is ~180 miles from Afton, but in 9 years they could have moved there.

If there is a way to trace her deceased BF to around the area of Afton...

http://charleyproject.org/case/debra-lee-frost

 

[Xyklone]

Enhanced her bust a little

 

[JimNv]

Update on the Shafter Jane Doe case. Heard on the radio an interview with the Elko Co. Sheriff. They had sent of Shafter Janes DNA and got 3 positive returns apparently. One was from California, one from Pennsylvania and one from Australia of all places. Sounds like they are tracking down these family members to maybe get this poor woman identified. Fingers crossed.

 

[Hinesm76]

Other victims found shot along I-80 around the time:

Third body found along Interstate 80
Associated Press. Las Vegas Review - Journal; Las Vegas, Nev. [Las Vegas, Nev]04 Sep 1994: 4b.

Paul James Hines Jr was my father. The police had said they thought it was Nicolas and Skilacorn who killed him but none of use believed it. The time lines didn't match and they had a different mo from how he was killed. He was violently beaten shot and stabbed.

 

[TheBlackParade]

Update on the Shafter Jane Doe case. Heard on the radio an interview with the Elko Co. Sheriff. They had sent of Shafter Janes DNA and got 3 positive returns apparently. One was from California, one from Pennsylvania and one from Australia of all places. Sounds like they are tracking down these family members to maybe get this poor woman identified. Fingers crossed.

Has anyone heard any updates??? Surely getting DNA from the living matches doesn't take that long!

 

[WesternArtist]

Paul James Hines Jr was my father. The police had said they thought it was Nicolas and Skilacorn who killed him but none of use believed it. The time lines didn't match and they had a different mo from how he was killed. He was violently beaten shot and stabbed.

Wow! Thank you for sharing this! I wasn't familiar with Nicolas and Skilacorn but looked it up. Having help from family in these threads makes this research so much more meaningful. Thank you for joining!
Were there any arrests in your father's case (I couldn't see any articles since 2009)? Trucker’s murder may be tied to cross-country killing spree
Being a commercial truck driver I wonder if he may have seen something he shouldn't have related to one of these murders in the area. I hope your family can find justice after all of these years.

It looks like the only connection detectives made in your father's case to Nicolas and Skilacorn was the blue pickup with a camper shell and a possible timeline. With pickups being so common and a discrepancy in the make this doesn't seem like a solid connection to me. If you would like we can start a separate thread for your father's case as well. I would be really curious to hear what theories your family have about what may have happened to him.

I was looking to see if there were updates on the others from the article and I realized today is the anniversary of when Judy Chapelle was found.

Judy Chapelle, 46, a resident of Blairsden, was found murdered from a gunshot wound near the Highway 80 off-ramp in Sparks, Nevada. Her automobile was found abandoned in Sacramento a day later. The family reported her disappearance after she failed to show up for a dinner date with her husband at a Portola restaurant. A hitchhiker from Cromberg is being sought. Murder suspect Ron Santos, 38, was arrested in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Remember When for the week of 9/11/19 - Plumas News

In the case of Edward Smith of Fallon, there have been developments but it is sure a strange case!
Death penalty overturned in I-80 Good Samaritan murder

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Multiple detectives at the Elko County Sheriff’s Office have worked the case over the years, but the woman is still unidentified.

Elko County Chief Deputy Coroner Nick Czegledi said he has been in contact with Yolanda McClary of the “Cold Justice” true crime TV series as the investigation continues. Shafter Jane’s DNA is now being searched through a system that is much more accurate and extensive than it was when she was murdered a quarter-century ago.

A few potential matches have been found – including one in Pennsylvania, one in the Southwest and one in Australia – but no close relatives beyond fourth cousins. Building a family tree back to the 18th century to find intersecting branches is a time-consuming process.

“Of course, we’re looking for the bad guy, too,” Czegledi said. While reviewing material kept in the sheriff’s office evidence vault, a DNA sample from her killer was found and sent off to find possible matches. None came up. Czegledi said the next step will be to run the sample through Interpol for a possible match outside of the U.S.

One name that has come up in the past as a possible suspect is David Wayne Eaton, who was tied through DNA evidence to a 1988 cold case near Casper, Wyoming. Eaton was charged 10 years after the murder and convicted, but his death sentence was thrown out by a judge in 2014.
Cold case murders: Clues still sought from slayings that date as far back as 1970s

 

[Hockeyfan158]

Emma Lorene Vaughn Disappeared from Florida in 1982 she was only 5 ft 3 at the time if she was kept alive long enough she easily could’ve gotten to 5 ft 7 or 5 ft 8. She also has a strawberry birthmark on the front of the right calf. i submitted it just in case

 

[Hockeyfan158]

Submitted but I think she actually might be Elizabeth Ann Miller who was supposedly abducted from Idaho Springs Colorado in 1983 but i have my doubts but to me they look strikingly similar.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Submitted but I think she actually might be Elizabeth Ann Miller who was supposedly abducted from Idaho Springs Colorado in 1983 but i have my doubts but to me they look strikingly similar.

Colorado Investigators Recall Similarities In Gabby Petito Case In Wyoming With Difficult Searches In Rugged Terrain

 

[imstilla.grandma]

TX - TX - Kelly Dae Wilson, 17, Gilmer, 5 Jan 1992

About two years after her disappearance, a shocking turn of events took place. Eight people, including Gilmer Police Sgt. James Brown, were arrested and charged in her disappearance and death.

False claims were brought up, saying the group kidnapped, raped and murdered Wilson, as part of a satanic cult ritual.

These claims were dismissed within months.

But, for some, the damage had been done and the question still remained…Where is Kelly Wilson?

In February 2017, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a new age progression photo for the 25-year-old East Texas case.

The latest age-progressed picture shows what officials believe Wilson would look like at 42-years-old.

VANISHED: 29 years since 17-year-old Kelly Wilson disappeared, the questions about her case persist | KETK.com | FOX51.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Reconstructions of the victim.

Date of Discovery: November 16, 1993
Location of Discovery: Elko County, Nevada
Estimated Date of Death: 6 days prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Cause of Death: Homicide - shot twice in the chest and beaten

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 20-35 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'7" to 5'8"
Weight: 144 lbs.
Hair Color: Blond
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: She had a scar on her right calf area. She may have previously gone through childbirth. A single pierce mark in each earlobe (no earrings present). A nodular 0.3 to 0.5 cm. nevus-like lesion on the preauricular scalp, above the tragus of the right ear - a depressed plaque-like mottled brown-gray ovoid 3 x 4 cm. scar on the back of the distal right lower leg - a similar colored 3 x 1 cm oval horizontal scar below this and also on the back of the right lower leg. Wore pink nail polish.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available. Her teeth were in excellent condition but was in the process of having a root canal done on the lower right molar (tooth 31). Had all 32 teeth, impacted wisdom teeth.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: None.
Jewelry: None.
Additional Personal Items: None.

Circumstances of Discovery
The victim was found off the northbound side of Interstate 80, near the Utah border. The site where the body was found lies on the edge of a vast and desolate desert bisected by one of the nation's busiest highways.

An autopsy found evidence of alcohol and marijuana in the woman's system.

The victim was found completely nude, lying on her back, her arms spread out to her side in the shape of a cross, legs slightly parted. Investigators believe her killer may have purposefully posed the body. Detectives found drag marks on the ground from the victim's heels. She had been shot twice in the chest with a small-caliber weapon. One of the bullets pierced her heart. She had also been beaten.

Police believe the victim was killed at another location and later dumped at the I-80 turnoff. Tire tracks found at the site point to a mid-size to large vehicle, possibly a pickup or van.

Hair samples sent to a Salt Lake City laboratory matched isotope sequences with drinking water that pinpointed where the woman had lived. The victim spent the last seven months of her life near the town of Afton, Wyoming.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Elko County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Unknown
Agency Phone Number: 775-738-8936, 775-777-2524, or 775-738-3421
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 1235-93

Agency Name: Elko County Sheriff's Department
Agency Contact Person: Sgt. Nick Czegledi
Agency Phone Number: 775-777-2505
Agency E-Mail: nczegledi(at)elkocountynv.net
Agency Case Number: Unknown

Agency Name: Washoe County Medical Examiner/Coroner
Agency Contact Person: Marika Morris
Agency Phone Number: 775-785-6114
Agency E-Mail: mmorris(at)washoecounty.us
Agency Case Number: 1235-93

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 4920

Information Source(s)
NamUs
Washoe County Coroner (archived)
Missing Children...HELP Center
125UFNV

 

[MadMcGoo]

Her reconstructions are so lifelike.

 

[chaddylex]

This Jane Doe's NamUs profile has been modified today 3/4/22
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
She currently has 14 rule outs:
MP10939 Theresa Kaiser 12/24/1991 Manatee FL
MP491 Sherry Daugherty 08/29/1991 Maricopa AZ
MP4711 Andrea Durham 02/01/1990 Okaloosa FL
MP4711 Andrea Durham 02/01/1990 Okaloosa FL
MP15153 Stefanie Stroh 10/15/1987 Elko NV
MP11763 Katheryne Eggleston 08/02/199 Multnomah OR
MP974 Patricia Schmidt 06/04/1985 Henrico VA
MP7584 Parley Pate 02/09/1993 Wake NC
MP795 Lola Fry 11/14/1993JohnsonIN
MP7870 Rebecca Dunn 05/10/1979ClarkNV
MP1364 Debra Frost 07/09/1984Salt Lake UT
MP2383 Sherri White 02/14/1990Fairbanks North Star
AK MP7135 Penny Lease 06/02/1989Champaign IL

 

[Constellations]

I think Tina Louise Layton is a potential match. Also, in the realms of possibility could be Leah Denise Calabrese, Gladys Ida Cromer, and Patricia Van Buskirk. Although, these are just estimated guesses.

 

[chaddylex]

I think Tina Louise Layton is a potential match. Also, in the realms of possibility could be Leah Denise Calabrese, Gladys Ida Cromer, and Patricia Van Buskirk. Although, these are just estimated guesses.

Hi Constellations,

Did you happen to submit any of these possible matches?

 

[Constellations]

Hi Constellations,

Did you happen to submit any of these possible matches?

I'm pretty sure I did, I used Crime Stoppers of Nevada, Inc (crimestoppersofnv.com) then went to Secret Witness (I'm sorry if that wasn't the proper website).