OH OH - Sandusky, Lake Erie Beach, UncFem 35-50, UP4756, diamond ring, scar, manicured nails, May '96

[HannahHistory]

NamUs #UP4756
NamUs Case Created on December 10, 2008: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
ME/C Case Number: 241-96

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Demographics
Sex: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Uncertain
Estimated Age Group: Adult- Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 35-50
Estimated Time of Death: 1995-1996
Height: 5'8" (68 inches)
Weight: 135-145 lbs, estimated.

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Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: May 17, 1996
ME/C QA Reviewed: February 13, 2010

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Location Found
Map: Google Maps
Location: Sandusky, Ohio.
County: Erie County

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Circumstances of Recovery
Remains were found on Lake Erie Beach, appearing to have washed up on the shore. Reports differ on race (black vs. white) thus is listed as uncertain. A 14k white gold, solitaire diamond ring was found on the third finger of her right hand.

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Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered.
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable- decomposing/putrefaction.

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Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Head Hair Description: Autopsy report indicates no head hair remains due to underwater decomposition
Body Hair Description: Dark pubic hair, normal distribution.
Eye Color: Unknown
Eye Description: Missing.

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Distinctive Physical Features
Finger and toenails: Long, manicured fingernails
Piercing: two piercings on each earlobe
Scar/mark: Midline verticle scar 7.0" by 0.2" on anterior abdomen (as per autopsy report)

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Clothing and Accessories
Clothing: Blue bikini-style underwear with multicolor daisy print; control top pantyhose.
Jewelry: 14k white gold solitaire diamond ring; inscription inside appears to read CE

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Contacts
Erie County Coroner's Office
(419) 625-0654

Sandusky Police Department
(419) 627-5863
Agency Case Number: SPD96-062

 

[YaYa_521]

Two exclusions:
MP1304 Elaine Johnson 11/22/1990 Cuyahoga OH
MP19498 Charlotte Rexroad 03/11/1970 Stark OH

 

[BrownBear]

The "CE" inside the ring might mean the diamond is a clarity enhanced one. But it could also be a maker's mark of some kind, or something else completely. I was unable to find anything definitive online.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

This case seems solvable, folks. I'll speculate she's been reported missing by now and that she's missing from another state. Wonder if she's a candidate for genetic geneology?

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Looking at women missing in 1995 and prior to May 1996. There is one from Ohio who went missing in 1995. I won't write out her full name because it seems unlikely but just in case:
NamUs #MP7953
Date of Last Contact:
August 15, 1995
Missing From:
Swanton, Ohio
Initials: BLB
35-years-old
Height: 5' 7" (67 Inches)
Weight: 120 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue

 

[DS2021]

She may be Canadian as well.
These are some potential matches I found while looking thru missing women from Ontario

Canada's Missing | Case details

www.services.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Canada's Missing | Case details

www.services.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

1509DFON - Holly Anne Painter

1441DFON - Wendy Rene Smith

 

[spiritseeker31]

Unidentified: Sandusky Jane Doe found near Cedar Point still without a name

The question remains-- who was she and how did she get here? The lake’s currents could have carried her body from Toledo or Detroit, or maybe even Canada.

www.cleveland19.com

Someone walking along the beach in Sandusky at Cedar Point saw a body that had been in the water about 6 months. Could be from Toledo, Or Detroit or anywhere in between.
I'm hoping some of you more active members can link this to a missing persons case.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Unidentified: Sandusky Jane Doe found near Cedar Point still without a name

The question remains-- who was she and how did she get here? The lake’s currents could have carried her body from Toledo or Detroit, or maybe even Canada.

www.cleveland19.com

Someone walking along the beach in Sandusky at Cedar Point saw a body that had been in the water about 6 months. Could be from Toledo, Or Detroit or anywhere in between.
I'm hoping some of you more active members can link this to a missing persons case.

Investigators estimate she was between 35 and 45 years old, bi-racial, with brown hair.
She was 5′8″ and weighed around 130 to 145 pounds.
She was missing several front teeth, had two piercings in each ear and long, manicured fingernails. Autopsy reports also showed she had several surgeries, including an appendectomy, a hysterectomy and a gall bladder operation.
Investigators also found a 14 karat white gold ring with a solitaire diamond on her right ring finger inscribed with the letters “C E.”
Her body was cremated, so DNA won’t help solve this case.

 

[Deleted member 306806]

Namus

According to NAMUS, she was found in 1996

The article linked above says “In May 1996, someone walking along the shoreline found a woman’s body caught in the boulders just off the Cedar Point Chausee in Sandusky.”

According to the article, a different body was found in the 1980s: “They just identified another Jane Doe case earlier this year. Her body was found in the same area of Lake Erie in the 1980s.”

It took me three reads to figure that out.

 

[Deleted member 306806]

There are more ring photos at the NAMUS link. One thing to think about, some jewlery is engraved with information about the way it was made, sort of like’14k’ for 14 karat gold. So maybe this is not initials, but a jeweler’s mark.

 

[annemc2]

There are more ring photos at the NAMUS link. One thing to think about, some jewlery is engraved with information about the way it was made, sort of like’14k’ for 14 karat gold. So maybe this is not initials, but a jeweler’s mark.

I poked around a bit and couldn't find anything really common so I think you're correct. Apparently opposite the CE mark on her ring it has the 14K stamp (you have to scroll down on the photo with the CE mark to see this info).

Thanks for "translating" the article!

 

[Susikatze]

Yippie, cremation! Unless they stored some other body tissues such as hair samples or blood samples, her identity will likely never be solved and her killer is roaming freely. She was not poor but may have fallen on harder times since her front teeth were missing. Or she wore dentures and they were washed away.

 

[musicaljoke]

Who would have ordered the cremation? It's beyond irresponsible to cremate a person who has not been identified. What were they thinking?

 

[FromGermany1]

Google:

Von Ce Jewelry

"Handmade jewelry made in California using quality gemstones & 14kt gold filled materials."
-.-.-
Look also at Insta for it.

 

[FromGermany1]

Only for clarity:

The coroner believed she was someone’s mother. Unidentified: Sandusky Jane Doe found near Cedar Point still without a name

She was found in May 1996 and could have been missed since 6 months before circa. (end of 1995).

 

[FromGermany1]

I copied from Google and can't read it myself:

2 RESCUED, 3 STILL MISSING IN LAKE ERIE PLANE ...​

Orlando Sentinel
https://www.orlandosentinel.com › ...



20.11.1995 — A man, woman and child were missing. The plane was at the surface of the lake, about 2 1/2 miles off shore, when a Coast Guard crew arrived and ...

 

[gunnvalr]

Hi! First time posting here, obligatory apologies for my poor English. I'd love to get everyone's opinions on whether this UID could be this MP:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

Gail Ann Russell – The Charley Project

1) Gail went missing in September 1995, and the body was found in May 1996, which would match the time of death listed on NamU;
2) Her height and weight listed on NamUs (5'7"-5'8" and 140-145 lbs) match the UID's (5'8" and 135-145 lbs);
3) Both Gail and UID have brown hair;
4) Charley project states that Gail has children and the UID is believed to have been a mother;
5) UID had surgeries and an abdomen scar; Gail had a scar on the abdomen as well (possibly from such surgeries);
6) UID was found with a diamond ring, NamUs states that Gail also could have had a diamond ring on when she went missing;
7) I think that Gail's photo is quite similiar to the reconstruction images of the UID (especially the nose, eyebrows and the overall face shape);
However, there's a bunch of differences between the two:
1) The biggest problem is, in my opinion, the distance - please correct me if I'm wrong, as I've never been to the US, but I believe that it's quite a long way from Florida to Ohio;
2) Depending on source (NamUs, article listed in the 1st post), UID is listed as either mixed or uncertain; I think that does not rule out Gail completly, but she is white so that doesn't exactly line up;
3) Gail's ring is said to have "a small imbeded diamond", which is different from the ring found with UID - or maybe it was just described that way by someone, and it is in fact the same ring;
Let me know if you think there's any possibility that these two ladies are the same person. Regardless, I hope that UID gets her name back soon and that Gail will be found in the near future.

 

[Irishknit]

Hi! First time posting here, obligatory apologies for my poor English. I'd love to get everyone's opinions on whether this UID could be this MP:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

Gail Ann Russell – The Charley Project

1) Gail went missing in September 1995, and the body was found in May 1996, which would match the time of death listed on NamU;
2) Her height and weight listed on NamUs (5'7"-5'8" and 140-145 lbs) match the UID's (5'8" and 135-145 lbs);
3) Both Gail and UID have brown hair;
4) Charley project states that Gail has children and the UID is believed to have been a mother;
5) UID had surgeries and an abdomen scar; Gail had a scar on the abdomen as well (possibly from such surgeries);
6) UID was found with a diamond ring, NamUs states that Gail also could have had a diamond ring on when she went missing;
7) I think that Gail's photo is quite similiar to the reconstruction images of the UID (especially the nose, eyebrows and the overall face shape);
However, there's a bunch of differences between the two:
1) The biggest problem is, in my opinion, the distance - please correct me if I'm wrong, as I've never been to the US, but I believe that it's quite a long way from Florida to Ohio;
2) Depending on source (NamUs, article listed in the 1st post), UID is listed as either mixed or uncertain; I think that does not rule out Gail completly, but she is white so that doesn't exactly line up;
3) Gail's ring is said to have "a small imbeded diamond", which is different from the ring found with UID - or maybe it was just described that way by someone, and it is in fact the same ring;
Let me know if you think there's any possibility that these two ladies are the same person. Regardless, I hope that UID gets her name back soon and that Gail will be found in the near future.

No apologies needed regarding English, you did great. I am going to defer to the more seasoned WS's for opinion on match. Welcome to Websleuths.

 

[subaw0067]

Who would have ordered the cremation? It's beyond irresponsible to cremate a person who has not been identified. What were they thinking?

Unfortunately it happens constantly. Even worse, Gilpin County, CO threw all of their UIDs into the Lowry Landfill in the 80s.

 

[Caring1]

There must be some type of identifier for UID as there are 2 rule outs.

I read recently where a UID was cremated but a femur had been preserved from the remains so it may be possible something similar was done in this case.

2 Missing Person Exclusions