Identified! OH - Troy, Miami Co., 'Buckskin Girl' WhtFem 133UFOH, 15-25, Apr'81 - Marcia King

[CarlK90245]

Side by side:

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Wish I had a picture of Sprague's ears, because this JD has kinda' unique ear shape.

Her third photo in her Charley profile shows the lower part of her ears.

I wish I could see her in profile. From what I can see, she doesn't have the same pointy nose. There are a lot of similarities, but I don't think it's her. She doesn't have the same overall look.

 

[Cymro]

I don't know...

18 months between disappearance and death seems a bit too long, especially as the cab driver reports a possible attack on Mary around the time of her disappearance. She could have been on the run of course and then come to harm but it's not real strong.

I do think Mary has quite a similar nose - as Carl said earlier, it doesn't look so pointy until you see it in profile, but actually it might be pretty similar.

Doe also had a 32D bra - consistent with the body shape of an exotic dancer perhaps?

Doe was slightly heavier than Mary but well within range.

Mary is right in the middle of the age range.

Eyes don't match - Mary had green eyes, Doe had brown, although there is the old "hazel" chestnut... an intermediate color could be described as either.

Dentals are consistent as far as they are described.

Doe's "remarkably good physical condition" is consistent with Mary, a dancer who was described as "responsible."

This photo of Mary:

has the Doe's poorly defined chin area. A profile picture would be very helpful for elimination. With an extra 15lbs' weight, she could certainly have a rounder face.

I think the likelihood is that Mary was killed very soon after disappearance and dumped locally and therefore this probably isn't her. I can't quite rule it out on the photo but I would say it's unlikely.

 

[Billylee]

I don't think it is Mary, because of the ears. When I blew up the JD's picture then I realized how different her ears are. They sorta go in toward her jaw line and then out again if you know what I mean. It appears that Mary's don't do that. Mary's nose does look more pointed int he fourth CP picture, but I think the ears say NO, not her. Darn it!

 

[carbuff]

I dunno. Mary's earlobes are very large, as are the UID's. It looks to me like her hair is covering the point at which the bend would show -- since nearly all her photos show her with hair covering her ears, it makes me wonder whether she was embarrassed about them.

I think it's odd that she disappeared after being followed, but that's not really substantive evidence that she died then and there.

All in all, there are many points of correspondence and very few negatives. I'd say send it in. If the ears really are different, they can make a quick rule out.

 

[Billylee]

I dunno. Mary's earlobes are very large, as are the UID's. It looks to me like her hair is covering the point at which the bend would show -- since nearly all her photos show her with hair covering her ears, it makes me wonder whether she was embarrassed about them.

I think it's odd that she disappeared after being followed, but that's not really substantive evidence that she died then and there.

All in all, there are many points of correspondence and very few negatives. I'd say send it in. If the ears really are different, they can make a quick rule out.

I just enlarged Mary's ear picture to be sure and they just aren't the same as the JD's. There's no "pinch" inward at all, her ears go straight in toward her face. So I just don't think it's her. But if you see them differently, you can go ahead an double check her with them. One more name to add to the rule out list.

 

[carbuff]

I just enlarged Mary's ear picture to be sure and they just aren't the same as the JD's. There's no "pinch" inward at all, her ears go straight in toward her face. So I just don't think it's her. But if you see them differently, you can go ahead an double check her with them. One more name to add to the rule out list.

I can't see them closely enough to tell (I don't have much in the way of photo software to enlarge stuff, etc.) Looking at Mary's photo, I can't even see the point where the pinch would be.

 

[Billylee]

I can't see them closely enough to tell (I don't have much in the way of photo software to enlarge stuff, etc.) Looking at Mary's photo, I can't even see the point where the pinch would be.

LOL, I know how to save the pic and enlarge it to view it, but I don't know how to enlarge it, crop the ears and then post it. Tried it once and it didn't work at all. Maybe someone can do that for us here?

 

[carbuff]

LOL, I know how to save the pic and enlarge it to view it, but I don't know how to enlarge it, crop the ears and then post it. Tried it once and it didn't work at all. Maybe someone can do that for us here?

LOL, so true. I had the same results.

Carl is really good at that, if he has the time and interest. Carl?

 

[CarlK90245]

LOL, so true. I had the same results.

Carl is really good at that, if he has the time and interest. Carl?

 

[carbuff]

Okay, so not her.

I'm amazed -- I used to think ears were ears. But really they're almost as distinctive as fingerprints, aren't they?

 

[Billylee]

Thanks Carl. Now if we can just find someone missing with those ears!!

 

[Billylee]

Going back to a rodeo theory, they are usually held around the same time of year. I searched and found a Rodeo (Women's circuit) that's held this year in Dillsburg, PA on 4/18. And there's a PRCA Rodeo held in St. Paul Minnesota on 4/23. Could it be possible that she was traveling from one to another and someone she traveled with did her in. Would the location of her death be somewhere near a highway that would be in between the two? All rodeo folks drive great distances to get where they need to be, and usually quite quickly. Wonder if they'd taken her boots, so that no one would realize she was a cow girl? Just thinking out loud.

 

[Billylee]

Just came across this story about a young girl named Amy Mihaljevic, who had a love of horses and who used to ride at stables in Ohio. She was killed in in Ohio 1989, they found her body by the side of the road also. Only 10 years old, so sad. I wonder if her killer might have been this JD's killer also? Anyone know more about this story, or the location of the stables they refer to here?

http://www.altohio.com/with-love-from-exile-2.htm

 

[Carolyn H.]

The local rodeo is actually in Wellsville, an even smaller town near Dillsburg PA. I live just outside both. Currently, the rodeo is a women's circuit event but it wasn't always. During the time of BG's disappearance, I don't think it was on the women's circuit--it was just a small local event then. I doubt if many people from any distance attended. Even today I don't see many out of state trailers or trucks and those that are are usually MD and VA, with a few from OH and NY

 

[nerosleuth]

I was thinking about the ruddy complexion of Buckskin Girl. Her complexion suggests that she was a person who worked outdoors.

Ok, here's another theory here. How about if she was a carny, that is a person who worked for a traveling carnival?

The kind of carnival I'm talking about is the one that sets up and works in amusement park rides, concession stands, ticket stands, and game of skill stands either out in an open field or in a shopping center parking lot.

A lot of these carnivals travel great distances from one area to another, usally small towns and rural areas. They stay in one area for 3 to 5 days before going to another area. They usually operate from the early spring to late fall season.

So could there be a traveling carnival in the area at the time Buckskin Girl was found?

 

[Billylee]

I think that's another good possibility. The only reason I'm leaning toward rodeo is the Wranglers. Then again, she could have been a girl who worked both. Don't know how you'd ever be able to pinpoint a traveling carnival show way back then. ?

 

[Billylee]

I have no idea what the scenario could have been which could put this girl in this situation, but she does seem to fit the description, so I guess she's a possibility.

Sandra Hopler missing from PA since 9/73. I wish there were other pictures of Sandy particularly one showing her ears. (Our JD did not have pierced ears, you'd think they could at least list that sort of thing on these folks' missing notices.) Her age, height, weight, eye color all fit. Her hair is listed as brown, though it looks reddish brown in the only picture I have found of her. The picture also looks like she might have freckles. And she hasn't been ruled out. What do you guys think as far as looks go?

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1436dfpa.html

 

[hmg]

Sandra Hopler missing from PA since 9/73. I wish there were other pictures of Sandy particularly one showing her ears. (Our JD did not have pierced ears, you'd think they could at least list that sort of thing on these folks' missing notices.) Her age, height, weight, eye color all fit. Her hair is listed as brown, though it looks reddish brown in the only picture I have found of her. The picture also looks like she might have freckles. And she hasn't been ruled out. What do you guys think as far as looks go?

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1436dfpa.html

I also noticed a slight resemble between Sandra and Buckskin Girl. BG has way more freckles and ruddier complexion. Her hair also seems to be a different texture. All that said, she had enough of a resemble for me to take mental note of her.

Of course circumstances and dates make her a likely rule out.

 

[nerosleuth]

I think that's another good possibility. The only reason I'm leaning toward rodeo is the Wranglers. Then again, she could have been a girl who worked both. Don't know how you'd ever be able to pinpoint a traveling carnival show way back then. ?

I do know that in the state of Ohio, the Department of Argiculture has full time ride inspectors that inspect all rides in amusement parks and traveling carnivals.

http://www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/rides/#main

I don't know how many companies had traveling carnivals back then and are still in business today. It is my understanding that each traveling carnival company has to have a state license, have liability insurance, and provide the Ohio Department of Argiculture a list of locations where their carnivals are held at during the year in Ohio. I don't know how far back the Ohio Department of Argiculture has records on traveling carnivals

I found a website of the largest traveling carnival company operating in Ohio.

http://www.kisselbros.com/aboutus.htm

Looking at the Kissel Brothers carnival schedule also gave me another idea that I overlooked.

Two other possibilites that come to mind here.

One possibility, albeit very small here, is that Buckskin Girl could have been on a traveling circus that traveled across the country.

Another possibility is that Buckskin Girl could have been involved with horse racing. The area where she was found isn't far from horse race tracks in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Kentucky.

 

[Billylee]

I was thinking about horse racing too; that perhaps she was a warm up rider or a stall girl who cleaned out stalls, etc. Good possibilities, Nero. One would think that if there was a traveling show of any kind that had gone through there, that LE would have checked them out, but who knows. I know a lot of runaways could end up as workers in those types of scenarios though. I'm still thinking that this young woman was once a runaway.

I was just considering this girl, Lori Jean Lloyd, who went missing when she was 14 and had a history of running away. Age fits, she is listed as 5'3", but she could have grown one more inch or so I suppose. What I like about her as a match is the fact she had the freckles across her nose. Also her history of running away. AND the eyebrows. Lori had very thick eyebrows when she was little and if you look at the latest picture they have posted there of her, she was already beginning to pluck them out quite thinly. Also, you can almost see her ear in one of them, but I can't quite make it out; but, if look at the age progression sketch, those ears are shaped almost like our JD's. It says that Lori tried to slash her wrists once, but it also says "she MAY have scars from that", so it sounds like it may have been just a surface scratch and it may not have left a permanent scar. The first picture of her also looks like she has a bit of a reddish tint to her hair, though it doesn't mention it. She's from Kettering, OH and she is not on the rule out list. The age progression sketch shows her with pierced ears though, I wonder if she had pierced ears, because Buckskin girl did not? Honestly being from OH, I'm surprised she's NOT on the rule out list. Lori would have been 18 at 4/24/81.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/l/lloyd_lori.html