Found Deceased OH - America Francis Williams, 30, Youngstown, 1 Sept 1995

[Murkywaters]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

America "Fran" Williams went missing in Youngstown, Ohio and was being held against her will.

 

[Murkywaters]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Demographics
Missing Age: 30 Years
Current Age: 55 Years
First Name: America
Middle Name: Francis
Last Name: Williams
Nickname/Alias: Fran
Sex: Female
Height: 5' 6" (66 Inches)
Weight: 120 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact: September 1, 1995
NamUs Case Created: March 17, 2021
Last Known Location Map
Location: Youngstown, Ohio
County: Mahoning County
Missing From Tribal Land: No
Primary Residence on Tribal Land--
Circumstances of Disappearance: America "Fran" Williams went missing in Youngstown, Ohio and was being held against her will.

Physical Description
Hair Color: Brown
Left Eye Color: Hazel
Right Eye Color: Hazel

Distinctive Physical Features
No Information Entered

Clothing and Accessories
No Information Entered

Investigating Agencies
Youngstown Police Department, David Sweeney, Detective Sergeant
Phone no: (330) 747-7911
Agency Case Number: 21Y011031

 

[Murkywaters]

America ''Fran'' was just added to NamUs today, I can't find any information on her or her disappearance which is strange considering NamUs states she was being held against her will.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Name: America Frances Williams
Birth Date: 9 Jul 1965
Birth Place: Ohio, USA
Birth Registration Date: 20 Jul 1965

Public records show her having addresses in Ravenna and Youngstown (ETA: the dates of residency are 2000-2007, although this is often times incorrect), Ohio. It also gives her surname as Mansfield. I’ve not been able to find where that name came from yet. I’ll continue to search.

 

[MadMcGoo]

America Francis Williams – The Charley Project

 

[victoriarobinson642]

OH - OH - Youngstown, WhtFem UP8465, 30-40, drug paraphernalia, Oct'95
It was suggested in this thread that she's this Jane Doe - would be shocked if LE had not put two and two together.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Authorities have lead on ID of body found on Youngstown’s North Side in 1995 | WKBN.com

“Investigators said they believe the body belongs to a 30-year-old woman from the Kent/Ravenna area.

Sweeney said it is not believed the person who was found in the apartment died because of foul play.

A cause of death could not be determined because of the decomposition of the body.

One thing Sweeney is looking for is anyone who may have a photo of Williams with the clothes that were on the body when it was found.

Anyone with information on the case can call Sweeney at 330-742-8911 or Gaetano at 330-740-2175, ext. 7310.”

 

[UncoolNegated]

Someone messaged me at my blog and said this missing person has been "identified." I took it to mean found. The NamUs profile seems to be down.

 

[annemc2]

It's true. Rest in Peace America Williams

Youngstown police, coroner identify woman’s remains found over 25 years ago | WKBN.com

 

[UncoolNegated]

It's true. Rest in Peace America Williams

Youngstown police, coroner identify woman’s remains found over 25 years ago | WKBN.com

How do we tell admins to mark as identified?

 

[mlhenn]

America Francis Williams – The Charley Project

RESOLVED

Details of Disappearance
Williams disappeared from Youngstown, Ohio on September 1, 1995. She was not reported missing for a year. In October 1995, her badly decomposed body was found by Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority. The apartment the body was in was in "disarray" and some drug paraphernalia was present, but there was no evidence of foul play. The body had no visible injuries or any holes in the clothes suggesting a homicide, and the cause of death could not be determined due to decomposition.

In April 2021, the body was identified as Williams's. With the identification, the case has been closed.

 

[Murkywaters]

I'm so glad America has been found and identified. However, I really don't understand the details in her NamUs profile about her being ''held against her will'' how was this determined? and why didn't her remains indicate homicide if that were the case?

 

[MadMcGoo]

I'm so glad America has been found and identified. However, I really don't understand the details in her NamUs profile about her being ''held against her will'' how was this determined? and why didn't her remains indicate homicide if that were the case?

I don’t understand either. She was found one month after her disappearance too...in the same town.

ETA: In April 2021, the body was identified as Williams's. With the identification, the case has been closed.

I guess this tells me (kinda) what happened. But why did it take SO long to figure out this was her?!

 

[evilwise]

I don't see her mentioned in the newspapers at the time. If I were to hazard a guess I'd say that her family knew she was in a "chemical romance" and when they suddenly stopped hearing from her they assumed that her partner must be keeping her from contacting them. By the time they filed, the unidentified decedent had dropped off the radar. Youngstown isn't that big though. Someone should have put it together before 25 years passed by.