PA PA - Philadelphia, BlkFem 4-6, UP17492, child bones in rear yard, Nov'84

[CCJD]

Cross-posting from The Girl in the Box's thread at @Goecke 's request.

Wister's Woods - I'm 100% sure she was either buried with an adult or with the 4 other children who were buried at Potters Field on the same day she was. (and therefore wasn't located during the exhumations.

First two attachments are from Philly Inquirer 8/1/1987.
31 Dec 1969, - at Newspapers.com

Third attachment from Philly Inquirer 7/30/1987.
31 Dec 1969, - at Newspapers.com
(as often happens - dates on links do not match the dates of the actual page)

Same newspaper, articles 2 days apart and 2 different statements on the disposition of the remains.

ETA: I sent the full articles and more to LE in 2020.
The Girl in the Box thread: PA - PA - Philadelphia, BlkFem 4-6, UP16611, Amputated Finger, Wht apron, in milk crate, May'62

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Thinking of this little girl.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Philadelphia Jane Doe has not been identified for 37 years.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Last Updated 3/27/22 It is now mentioned on The Doe Network that Jane Doe has Dentals available (more specific X-Rays).

1485UFPA

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Last Updated 3/27/22 It is now mentioned on The Doe Network that Jane Doe has Dentals available (more specific X-Rays).

1485UFPA

 

[John/Jane Doe]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Art of Forensics

Active Cold Cases

 

[CCJD]

CASE: COLD CASE - 1984 WISTER WOODS JANE DOE - SKELETAL REMAINS FOUND - HOMICIDE

 

[Aurora90]

Wait so law enforcement knows that they put multiple children into 1 coffin but can't find out which? They couldn't engrave it with (jane does) or something? Did they not think at some point they would need to re byry them individually? What about the parents of some of these kids. I wonder if the other children are also black.... I hate to say that, but also it's philedelphia so....

Would Lidar or ground penetrating radar work?

 

[Aurora90]

I think this jane doe or the one found a while prior in North Carolina is Jeanine Barnwell.

The mother was withholding the daughter from the father who finally won custody of her after she had already been missing for a while. And to avoid the courts she fled to North Carolina. They also aren't sure when she was REALLY last seen.

Sad to think that if she IS Jeanine Barnwell, unless these bodies are found,

Also what about the parents of the girl who dies in heart surgery, or the one who passed 10 days after being born. They didn't think the identified and present parents wouldn't want to visit their Graves? What did they tell the parents of this children?

Jane does I understand. But young children with present parents? Losing a young child I imagine to be such an unbearable loss. Doing this to those families feel like such a slap in the face, a second terrible thing to happen to these poor families.

I wonder who the other children are?

 

[Aurora90]

Maybe they DID tell the parents but back in 1987. I wonder if law enforcement has asked the families if they were ever told where their bodies were lie?

 

[CCJD]

Wait so law enforcement knows that they put multiple children into 1 coffin but can't find out which? They couldn't engrave it with (jane does) or something? Did they not think at some point they would need to re byry them individually? What about the parents of some of these kids. I wonder if the other children are also black.... I hate to say that, but also it's philedelphia so....

Would Lidar or ground penetrating radar work?

BBM

20 people were interred at Potter's Field that day. They were buried in $75 fiberboard coffins with the M.E. Case number written on the sides. The graves are marked by 5" x 5" numbered granite stones. It's unclear (at least to me) whether the children were buried together or if each of the five were put into coffins with adults. Not that it matters. It should all come down to paperwork since digging up a potential 15-16 graves until they find the right one hardly seems reasonable.

Not so random comments:

The last burial before the one in '87 was in '85. They buried 60 people at that one and ran out of the granite markers. That's likely why the Wister Woods girl wasn't interred until '87 (there's a whole story behind the markers that I won't get into).

The only person buried at that Potter's Field to ever have a proper grave marker was The Boy in the Box until 1998 when he was moved to Ivy Hill Cemetery. Everyone else - those little granite grave markers, many that sank into the ground over the years.

I think authorities are as respectful of these people as they can be under the circumstances. At this particular burial there was a funeral director and a Pastor who "pronounced words of comfort suitable for even a nameless life".

Source: 1 Aug 1987, Page 1 - The Philadelphia Inquirer at Newspapers.com

 

[Aurora90]

The Pennsylvania State Police Troop K - Philadelphia Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit is investigating the disappearance of Jeanine Barnwell from 5961 Wakefield Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144 on November 15, 1985. Her disappearance was delayed in reporting to law enforcement, and it is believed she had been missing prior to the date of November 15, 1985.

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: CASE: COLD CASE - MISSING PERSON - 3-YEAR-OLD JEANINE BARNWELL - PHILADELPHIA - $5000

 

[John/Jane Doe]

I wonder if the Philadelphia Jane Doe's estimated date of death might be a bit off.

878DFCA - Yolanda Marie Williams

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

She disappeared at age 7 in 1977, seeing that the state of the Jane Doe remains were partial skeletal parts makes me think she may have been dead a little earlier than just 1 year.

 

[DS2021]

The Pennsylvania State Police Troop K - Philadelphia Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit is investigating the disappearance of Jeanine Barnwell from 5961 Wakefield Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144 on November 15, 1985. Her disappearance was delayed in reporting to law enforcement, and it is believed she had been missing prior to the date of November 15, 1985.

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: CASE: COLD CASE - MISSING PERSON - 3-YEAR-OLD JEANINE BARNWELL - PHILADELPHIA - $5000

I wonder if the Philadelphia Jane Doe's estimated date of death might be a bit off.

878DFCA - Yolanda Marie Williams

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

She disappeared at age 7 in 1977, seeing that the state of the Jane Doe remains were partial skeletal parts makes me think she may have been dead a little earlier than just 1 year.

I think these are both great potential matches.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

I think these are both great potential matches.

@Mysteries1974 submitted Jeanine through the doe network and they told her that even they themselves thought that Jeanine and Jane Doe could be the same girl, but I have to assume they have no way to compare the two.
PA - PA - Jeanine Barnwell, 3, Philadelphia, 15 Nov 1985


Philadelphia Jane Doe dentals are available (more specific in x-ray format), and Yolanda Williams dentals are available so you might as well whether Jane Doe matches Yolanda or not.

1485UFPA

 

[ifindedout]

For the record, the street along which she was found is spelled Collom, not Collum. Collom Street runs from Germantown Avenue to its end at Rufe Street along SEPTA's Chestnut Hill East rail line which bisects Wister Woods.
Colgate Street, Collins Street, Collom Street, Colman Road, Colona Street W, ..., Philadelphia, PA property tax assessment

E Ashmead St to the press lounge

www.google.com

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

A bump for Little Collom Street Girl, a.k.a. Wister Woods Girl.

 

[rose_quartz]

Bumping for this Jane Doe

 

[Goecke]

I really hope there's another effort to try and find her body. I also believe this might be Jeanine Barnwell, but the age discrepancy is throwing me off. Jeanine was 3 (almost 4) when she was reported missing. If she is the Wister Woods girl, she would have been 2 at the VERY oldest, likely younger since the PMI was estimated to be a year. I assume the teeth of a 1-2 year old are different from the teeth of a 4-6 year old but I'm no expert.

 

[Quilty]

I fully believe this is Jeanine Barnwell as well. Either way, it’s horrible that there is still no resolution. I hope her remains are found one day and that she can get her name back.