NY NY - Northport, WhtFem 20-40, UP134470, "H.A." clothing, found in the LI sound near CT in a trunk, Oct'73

[ProudSuggestion3528]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
NamUs: UP134470
UID White/Caucasian Female
Northport, NY

Case Numbers​

ME/C Case Number: 73-2870

Demographics​

Biological Sex: Female
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 40
Estimated Age Range (Years): 20-40
Height: 5' 1"(61 inches) , Measured
Weight: 109 lbs, Measured

Circumstances​

Date Body Found: October 13, 1973
NamUs Case Created: December 6, 2024

Location Found​

Location: Northport, New York
County: Suffolk County
Found On Tribal Land: No
Circumstances of Recovery: Adult female found floating in the Long Island Sound, 4 miles north of Eaton's Neck near buoy 24c, 2 miles off the coast of Connecticut.

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Details of Recovery​

Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction

Physical Description​

Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown

---

No Distinctive Physical Features Info Entered​

Clothing and Accessories​

Item	Description	Location
Clothing	1. Cream colored print dress with red, purple, and brown flower pattern. Marked "H.A." A Union label is affixed to the inner seam of the shoulders.	On the Body
Clothing	One pair gray pantyhose.	On the Body
Clothing	One black bra, bearing the label "Vassarette." All clothing is initialed with the mark "H.A."	On the Body
Clothing	One pair black panties. All clothing is initialed with the mark "H.A."	On the Body
Other	Found in a large black trunk; manufactured by Non Breakable Trunk and Luggage Co., Bronx, NY. This type of trunk was manufactured in 1971-1972.	On the Body

0 MP Exclusions/Rule Outs as of 12.9.2024

 

[Periwinkl3]

A Richard Cottingham victim? Richard Cottingham - Wikipedia

 

[Periwinkl3]

This poor woman. Tragic that this had to take so long to be added to NamUs. Was any DNA preserved? Was the clothing kept?

What circumstance would require a woman between ages 20-40 to have her dress and underwear initialed? A hospital? A rehab center of some kind? College? Jail? Sex worker living with others?

Most likely H. A. are her own initials. How are the garments initialed? With ink, permanent marker, pen, or stamp? Neatly or sloppily?

FWIW, Northport is part of the town of Huntington. It sounds like this trunk could have come from a boat off CT or off any town along the Long Island sound.

Has anyone had any success talking to the Suffolk County ME's office about any cases like this?

 

[DS2021]

This is the 6th LI UID case added to namus in less than 7 days.

I wouldnt be shocked if theres a task force going thru old records

 

[Otterly]

This is the 6th LI UID case added to namus in less than 7 days.

I wouldnt be shocked if theres a task force going thru old records

I always find it interesting when police forces do that. I remember Chicago submitted a large bunch of 1980s and later UIDs earlier this year.

 

[Deleted member 306806]

This is the 6th LI UID case added to namus in less than 7 days.

I wouldnt be shocked if theres a task force going thru old records

But different years/circumstances? I bet your are right. If not a taskforce, someone who has been tasked to do this.

 

[beavt]

Hazel Alice Cross, fits age/height/weight, but listed as having blue eyes:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

 

[CheddarMom]

I wonder what's up with the initials on each piece of clothing. Perhaps she had been living in some kind of group home or facility. Could also be a very strange red herring, probably not but you never know.
MOO

 

[beavt]

I wonder what's up with the initials on each piece of clothing. Perhaps she had been living in some kind of group home or facility. Could also be a very strange red herring, probably not but you never know.
MOO

She had 5 kids! Maybe used a laundry service?

 

[Periwinkl3]

Did Hazel Alice have any ties to the East Coast?

 

[Periwinkl3]

Did Hazel Alice have any ties to the East Coast?

 

[beavt]

Did Hazel Alice have any ties to the East Coast?

I couldn’t find much of anything on Hazel Alice Cross (née Bowling) other than some ties to TN and MI

 

[victoriarobinson642]

But different years/circumstances? I bet your are right. If not a taskforce, someone who has been tasked to do this.

I'd bet it's someone at the county medical examiner's office.

 

[SimsGuy67]

The woman had been strangled to death with some sort of rope or wire. Additionally, she had a small bump on the upper portion of her nose and had stretch marks on her abdomen.

Identity of Trunk Victim Eludes Police

Clipping found in Hartford Courant published in Hartford, Connecticut on 10/18/1973. Identity of Trunk Victim Eludes Police

www.newspapers.com

 

[T rex]

I can't clip it or even see all of it because I let my subscription run out but there's an article in The Bridgeport Post, Oct 14, 1973 page 5 if some one else wants to post it.

 

[T rex]

The woman had been strangled to death with some sort of rope or wire. Additionally, she had a small bump on the upper portion of her nose and had stretch marks on her abdomen.

Identity of Trunk Victim Eludes Police

Clipping found in Hartford Courant published in Hartford, Connecticut on 10/18/1973. Identity of Trunk Victim Eludes Police

www.newspapers.com

You must have just clipped this because I just spent about an hour looking for one and couldn't find it. I wonder if the missing person is still missing.

 

[beavt]

The woman had been strangled to death with some sort of rope or wire. Additionally, she had a small bump on the upper portion of her nose and had stretch marks on her abdomen.

Identity of Trunk Victim Eludes Police

Clipping found in Hartford Courant published in Hartford, Connecticut on 10/18/1973. Identity of Trunk Victim Eludes Police

www.newspapers.com

Per above article “possibly brown eyes”

 

[T rex]

Per above article “possibly brown eyes”

Possibly sounds more like it after over a week in the water.

 

[beavt]

NYT article

 

[Periwinkl3]

I wonder how she ended up with the Suffolk Co. NY ME's office when a Stamford, CT boater found her 2 miles closer to CT?