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

[Brightchaser47]

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

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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

The trunk was only 1-2 yrs old. It could've been purchased for this purpose (or her own trunk possibly used). I agree with the theory that she came from an institution (group home, nursing home, sanitarium, etc). Her age range, stretch marks on the abdomen make me wonder whether she gave birth illegitimately (maybe a staff member got her pregnant) or was the victim of surgery gone wrong. Also, I wonder whether the clothing items all fit her properly (i.e. were they actually hers). "H.A." could be her initials or the initials of the institution. jmo
ETA: Pantyhose but no shoes is a bit odd...

 

[beavt]

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?

Maybe Suffolk County had jurisdiction of LIS waterways in 1973?

 

[Brightchaser47]

NYT article

I'd be curious to know whether Mr. Bayne provided accounting services for any institutions in the area. He found her-I'd want to rule out his possible involvement. jmo

 

[cenazoic]

there's an article in The Bridgeport Post, Oct 14, 1973 page 5

Here:

Bridgeport1973

Clipping found in Connecticut Post published in Bridgeport, Connecticut on 10/14/1973. Bridgeport1973

www.newspapers.com

Says she was estimated to have been in the trunk 2 days to a week.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Here:

Bridgeport1973

Clipping found in Connecticut Post published in Bridgeport, Connecticut on 10/14/1973. Bridgeport1973

www.newspapers.com

Says she was estimated to have been in the trunk 2 days to a week.

She was found in Long Island Sound, floating in a sealed trunk that authorities said she'd been in only a few days...but she's unrecognizable due to decomp/putrefaction. Something's not adding up....jmo

 

[Periwinkl3]

She was found in Long Island Sound, floating in a sealed trunk that authorities said she'd been in only a few days...but she's unrecognizable due to decomp/putrefaction. Something's not adding up....jmo

She might have been dead for a while and he needed to dispose of her remains.

They find her in mid-October. Why did the person who put her remains in a sealed (how?) trunk think that was a smart move? She was barely 100 lbs. The trunk was more apt to float than to sink without more weight.

Did he feel guilty and want her found?

 

[beavt]

She might have been dead for a while and he needed to dispose of her remains.

They find her in mid-October. Why did the person who put her remains in a sealed (how?) trunk think that was a smart move? She was barely 100 lbs. The trunk was more apt to float than to sink without more weight.

Did he feel guilty and want her found?

Manufacturer was Non Breakable Trunk out of Bronx, NY; here’s an example:

 

[Brightchaser47]

She might have been dead for a while and he needed to dispose of her remains.

RSBM
True. I wish we knew whether any clues or bits of something were left in the trunk with her that would indicate the environment she was kept in, prior to being placed in the trunk.

They find her in mid-October. Why did the person who put her remains in a sealed (how?) trunk

I have a problem with this too. Depending on the type of seal (or whether there  was one), you'd think Mr. Bayne would smell the corpse, as he was opening the trunk, if not before-- if indeed the body was in the condition stated on NamUs.

They find her in mid-October. Why did the person who put her remains in a sealed (how?) trunk think that was a smart move? She was barely 100 lbs. The trunk was more apt to float than to sink without more weight.

Did he feel guilty and want her found?

One reason Mr. Bayne needs to be checked out. If he were familiar with the currents (and being a fisherman he would be), he could set the trunk adrift, then conveniently "find" it while fishing, being seen as a "good citizen", rather than a criminal.
Having said that, it wasn't exactly a dumb move, because we don't know who she was or who did this-- yet. jmo

 

[Periwinkl3]

Over 50 years ago. Was PB alone on his boat? He was 2-4 miles off both CT/NY. Who responded to his call for help? Did he bring the trunk onto his boat or went ashore to call someone? Coast Guard? State or local police? EMS? I would expect at least one of them to have a record of a report.

Paywall so I can't see this: Body of Woman Is Found In a Trunk in LI. Sound (Published 1973)

 

[beavt]

Over 50 years ago. Was PB alone on his boat? He was 2-4 miles off both CT/NY. Who responded to his call for help? Did he bring the trunk onto his boat or went ashore to call someone? Coast Guard? State or local police? EMS? I would expect at least one of them to have a record of a report.

Paywall so I can't see this: Body of Woman Is Found In a Trunk in LI. Sound (Published 1973)

See post #19 for that specific article.

 

[Brightchaser47]

She had 5 kids! Maybe used a laundry service?

Sorry, who was this in reference to?

 

[beavt]

Sorry, who was this in reference to?

Hazel Alice Cross had 5 children at the time of her disappearance.

 

[Periwinkl3]

See post #19 for that specific article.

Thank you so much!

 

[Periwinkl3]

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

Her husband was reportedly in or near Detroit working, "eventually" retrieved their five children from Hazel's sister, and remarried in 1978:

Relatives offer DNA to help solve missing person cases

Event held to gather samples that will be used to identify remains in county morgue.

www.usatoday.com

I wonder when he was expected home before her disappearance?

 

[Brightchaser47]

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

Here:

Bridgeport1973

Clipping found in Connecticut Post published in Bridgeport, Connecticut on 10/14/1973. Bridgeport1973

www.newspapers.com

Says she was estimated to have been in the trunk 2 days to a week.

So the lady in the trunk had been dead for 1-2 weeks, and only spent up to half that time in the trunk. I think she was probably local to that area and in a home of some kind. Otherwise, someone would have to transport a decomposing body some distance, before setting the trunk adrift. jmo

 

[Brightchaser47]

Her husband was reportedly in or near Detroit working, "eventually" retrieved their five children from Hazel's sister, and remarried in 1978:

Relatives offer DNA to help solve missing person cases

Event held to gather samples that will be used to identify remains in county morgue.

www.usatoday.com

I wonder when he was expected home before her disappearance?

According to Hazel's thread, she had gone grocery shopping when she went missing, and her truck was found abandoned in the store parking lot.
Our Jane Doe was wearing pantyhose and her shoes were missing. I have doubts that a mother of 5 young children would go to the trouble of wearing pantyhose and possibly heels (commonly worn with hosiery) to go grocery shopping (in a truck, no less)--IF that's what she went to do, and we have no reason to believe otherwise.
Also, New York seems a far piece to go to dispose of a body from Toledo, Ohio. jmo

 

[Periwinkl3]

I agree.

The two women do share initials (H.A. = Hazel Alice, or something else), were the same height/weight and disappeared the same year (1973). Hazel's story is very sad, especially because we know her family, including five young children, have had no closure. However, this NY UID case pulls me even more because I know the area. So as of now I want to be thinking about her.

 

[Periwinkl3]

Another NYT article yields a few more details, such as a wedding band!

WOMAN STRANGLED, L.I. AUTOPSY SHOWS (Published 1973)

autopsy on woman found in trunk in LI Sound shows she was strangled by wire or rope and that she was in water from 2 to 7 days

www.nytimes.com

 

[SimsGuy67]

Another NYT article yields a few more details, such as a wedding band!

WOMAN STRANGLED, L.I. AUTOPSY SHOWS (Published 1973)

autopsy on woman found in trunk in LI Sound shows she was strangled by wire or rope and that she was in water from 2 to 7 days

www.nytimes.com

I don't wanna assume anything, but this could definitely be a spousal murder, as can be common with Jane Does.

 

[beavt]

Another NYT article yields a few more details, such as a wedding band!

WOMAN STRANGLED, L.I. AUTOPSY SHOWS (Published 1973)

autopsy on woman found in trunk in LI Sound shows she was strangled by wire or rope and that she was in water from 2 to 7 days

www.nytimes.com