PA PA - Upper Darby, BlkFem 20-26, UP90814, vaccination scar, chipped left front tooth, Jun'81

[rats]

I don't see a NamUs or DoeNet page for this Jane Doe, only a PA missing page.

http://pennsylvaniamissing.com/upperdarbyf6211981.html

Unidentified Black Female
Found June 21, 1981 in Upper Darby, Delaware County

Vital Statistics
Estimated Age: early 20s
Estimated Height: 5'4"
Estimated Weight: 115 to 120 lbs
Distinguishing Characteristics: Vaccination scar on left upper arm. Chipped left front tooth.

Case Details
On Sunday, June 21, 1981, the badly decomposed body of this unidentified woman was found behind a fence at a baseball field that sits adjacent to the Park Lane East Apartments in Upper Darby. She had no clothing, no jewelry and the shotgun blast that killed her destroyed her face.

A month after she was found, a Philadelphia man, William Taylor, was arrested and confessed to murdering three women. Donna Williams, 20, of Philadelphia had been found beaten and stabbed to death on June 23, 1981 in a room at the (former) American Motel on Route 1 in the Trevose area of Bensalem. Sharon Peterson, 29, was found, also beaten and stabbed to death, on July 20, 1981 in her second-floor apartment at Park Lane East.
The unknown woman was his first victim. He is/was either unwilling or unable to provide her name.

If you have any information about this case, please contact:

Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner
610-891-5950

Source
Philadelphia Inquirer


Back to Unidentified Victims Indexes​

I just contacted the Upper Darby PD about the 2000 Jane Doe found there, if they reply I'll ask about this woman too.

She was one of the does featured in an old 1988 article I stumbled across. http://articles.philly.com/1988-07-...fied-bodies-murder-victims-shot-several-times The article calls her a "drifter".

Hopefully she was identified -- if not, hopefully we can get her into NamUs/DoeNet soon.

 

[Melt71]

I cannot find anything about this woman's case in MSM nor is she in DoeNetwork or Namus that I can see. @rats I know it was a long time ago, but did you every receive a response from PD that might shed more light?

 

[CCJD]

Reconstruction by the late Frank Bender

 

[MadMcGoo]

Interesting that they were able to determine she had a chipped front tooth despite her face being destroyed by the shotgun blast. Would that mean the chipped tooth was not caused by the blast?

 

[CCJD]

Interesting that they were able to determine she had a chipped front tooth despite her face being destroyed by the shotgun blast. Would that mean the chipped tooth was not caused by the blast?

Here's the rest of the article (attached). According to it, she was shot in the right side of the head with a small caliber weapon and had suffered a blow to the head prior to being shot. They have dentals for her so while her face was "destroyed", apparently her teeth were intact.

They also have fingerprints for her but, at that time, they ran them through police, FBI and military records and didn't get a hit.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Here's the rest of the article (attached). According to it, she was shot in the right side of the head with a small caliber weapon and had suffered a blow to the head prior to being shot. They have dentals for her so while her face was "destroyed", apparently her teeth were intact.

They also have fingerprints for her but, at that time, they ran them through police, FBI and military records and didn't get a hit.

Ahh! Thank you! For some reason I’m not able to open that attachment. (Undoubtedly a problem on my end, I’m on mobile currently). That explains that. So I know to keep an eye out for a MP with a chipped tooth, if that’s even listed.

Thank you!

 

[CCJD]

According to William Taylor (the killer) he shot her with a .410 shotgun which, according to Wikipedia, is the 2nd smallest shotgun commonly available.
.410 bore - Wikipedia

 

[victoriarobinson642]

NAMUS:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

---

Sex - Female
Race / Ethnicity - Black / African American
Estimated Age Group - Adult - Pre 20
Estimated Age Range (Years) - 20-26
Estimated Year of Death - 1981
Height - 5' 4"(64 inches) , Measured
Weight - 115-125 lbs, Estimated
Date Body Found - June 21, 1981
Location - Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
County - Delaware County
Found On Tribal Land - Yes
Circumstances of Recovery - The body [was] located [in] an open field June 21, 1981, estimated time of date of death four to six days prior.
Condition of Remains - Not recognizable - Traumatic injuries
Hair Color - Black
Head Hair Description - Short black hair with curls
Scar/mark - Medium complexion, has all natural teeth, vaccination scar on left arm, small scar on right arm below the elbow, and small scars on both knees.

---

 

[CCJD]

From Philly Inquirer 9/18/1982
18 Sep 1982, Page 13 - The Philadelphia Inquirer at Newspapers.com

Sending recon to Amy at NamUs

 

[Moonwalker9]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)


Case Numbers
NCMEC Number--
ME/C Case NumberME 81-0577
Demographics
SexFemale
Race / EthnicityBlack / African American
Possible First Name--
Possible Middle Name--
Possible Last Name--
Nickname/Alias--
Estimated Age GroupAdult - Pre 20
Estimated Age Range (Years)20-26
Estimated Year of Death1981
Estimated PMI--
Height5' 4"(64 inches) , Measured
Weight115-125 lbs, Estimated
Circumstances
TypeUnidentified Deceased
Date Body FoundJune 21, 1981
NamUs Case CreatedApril 26, 2022
ME/C QA Reviewed--
Location Found Map
LocationUpper Darby, Pennsylvania
CountyDelaware County
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped)--
Found On Tribal LandYes
Circumstances of RecoveryThe body located an open field June 21, 1981, estimated time of date of death four to six days prior.
Details of Recovery


Inventory of Remains--
Condition of RemainsNot recognizable - Traumatic injuries
Physical Description
Hair ColorBlack
Head Hair DescriptionShort black hair with curls
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye ColorUnknown
Right Eye ColorUnknown
Eye Description--
Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Scar/mark
Medium complexion, has all natural teeth, vaccination scar on left arm, small scar on right arm below the elbow and small scars on both knees.


A couple of questions. Was she found on tribal land, I doubt that. Also, traumatic injuries? how's that? unless she was run over by a car I wonder why that make that conclusion.

Could she be matched with someone missing around that time?

 

[CCJD]

I don't see a NamUs or DoeNet page for this Jane Doe, only a PA missing page.

The Ultimate Blog About Pennsylvania | Living in Philadelphia Guide

Unidentified Black Female
Found June 21, 1981 in Upper Darby, Delaware County

Vital Statistics
Estimated Age: early 20s
Estimated Height: 5'4"
Estimated Weight: 115 to 120 lbs
Distinguishing Characteristics: Vaccination scar on left upper arm. Chipped left front tooth.

Case Details
On Sunday, June 21, 1981, the badly decomposed body of this unidentified woman was found behind a fence at a baseball field that sits adjacent to the Park Lane East Apartments in Upper Darby. She had no clothing, no jewelry and the shotgun blast that killed her destroyed her face.

A month after she was found, a Philadelphia man, William Taylor, was arrested and confessed to murdering three women. Donna Williams, 20, of Philadelphia had been found beaten and stabbed to death on June 23, 1981 in a room at the (former) American Motel on Route 1 in the Trevose area of Bensalem. Sharon Peterson, 29, was found, also beaten and stabbed to death, on July 20, 1981 in her second-floor apartment at Park Lane East.
The unknown woman was his first victim. He is/was either unwilling or unable to provide her name.

If you have any information about this case, please contact:

Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner
610-891-5950

Source
Philadelphia Inquirer


Back to Unidentified Victims Indexes​

I just contacted the Upper Darby PD about the 2000 Jane Doe found there, if they reply I'll ask about this woman too.

She was one of the does featured in an old 1988 article I stumbled across. Inquirer.com: Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes The article calls her a "drifter".

Hopefully she was identified -- if not, hopefully we can get her into NamUs/DoeNet soon.

Link to site page on Wayback Machine
Pennsylvania Missing Persons and Unidentified Victims

 

[Melt71]

SBM
Also, traumatic injuries? how's that? unless she was run over by a car I wonder why that make that conclusion.
SBM

Per the first post, she was shot in the face with a shotgun blast, the blast killed her and destroyed her face. Pretty traumatic!

 

[Moonwalker9]

It reminds me of this case from 1977.
NJ - NJ - Cranbury, NJ Turnpike, BlkFem 16-20, UP1523, jewelry, cape type coat, poss smoker, Feb'77

She was also shot in the face and it couldn't be recognized. Could it be the same Killer?

 

[CCJD]

From Philly Inquirer 9/18/1982
18 Sep 1982, Page 13 - The Philadelphia Inquirer at Newspapers.com

Sending recon to Amy at NamUs

Recon has been added to NamUs
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Caring1]

The recon has a resemblance to Naomi Wilson last seen April 1981 in Iowa. Although, UP age is estimated at 20-26 and Naomi was 32 at the time she went missing.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[subaw0067]

The recon has a resemblance to Naomi Wilson last seen April 1981 in Iowa. Although, UP age is estimated at 20-26 and Naomi was 32 at the time she went missing.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
View attachment 342387View attachment 342388

I definitely see similarities in the eyebrows and bridge of nose.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

This Jane Doe was killed by William Taylor, who was previously sentenced to 11 to 23 years in prison for rape in October 1975.

Taylor was convicted of this Jane Doe's murder as well as the murder of Sharon Peterson, 28, in 1981 and was sentenced to life in prison. He also confessed to murdering Donna Marie Williams, 20, of Philadelphia, whose body was found in a Bucks County motel room on June 23, 1981.

According to Taylor, he picked up the woman at the intersection of 54th Street and City Line Avenue in Philadelphia and had a few drinks with her. He said that the woman then asked him if he could sell her a gun. Taylor claims that he and the woman then drove to Taylor's wife's Park Lane East apartment, where Taylor retrieved a .410-caliber shotgun.

Taylor and the woman then walked along the railroad tracks near the playground where the woman's body was later found. Taylor said that when the woman removed the blue jumpsuit she was wearing and said she wanted to have sex, Taylor kicked her in the face before shooting her in the right side of the head with the shotgun.

"A body is found in Delco," Philadelphia Inquirer, 22 June 1981, 3C.

The nude body of an unidentified young woman was found in the Upper Darby Park area yesterday morning, police said. She died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Upper Darby Detective Raymond Grazel said that the body was discovered at about 9 a.m. by a group of softball players who were told by a woman walking her dog that a stench was coming from a grassy section of the Beverly Hills Playground.

Police said the dead woman, believed to have been in her early 20s, had a single gunshot wound to the right side of her head. Delaware County Assistant Coroner Robert Cacherman said the woman had been dead five to seven days.

There are no suspects, and no weapon has been recovered.

"Police probe woman's death," Latrobe Bulletin, 7 July 1981, 16.

"We had a lot of calls from people who thought they (knew the woman) but all turned up negative," said Police Det. George Thomas. "We do have an excellent set of fingerprints... (but) as best we can determine right now we've exhausted all leads on fingerprints."

Catherine Lee, "Phila. man is given life sentence in two Delco murders," Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 December 1981, B1.

William Taylor, 31, of the 3600 block of Spring Garden Street, was sentenced at the county courthouse in Media to two concurrent life sentences shortly after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of an unidentified woman and a modeling student, Sharon A. Peterson, 28.

Taylor broke down and sobbed as he told Judge Robert A. Wright about a drinking problem and aggressive feelings toward women that drove him to kill the unidentified woman, whose nude body was found June 21 at the Beverly Hills playground in Upper Darby, and Mrs. Peterson, whose body was found July 20 in her Park Lane East apartment on Garrett Road, near the playground.

"When I drink, it has a tendency to make me do things that I wouldn't do if I hadn't been drunk," said Taylor, whose wife was living at Park Lane East when Mrs. Peterson was murdered.

"Maybe I feel that I was treated unfairly when I was sentenced [in 1975 for rape]. Maybe I hold that against women. Deep down maybe there's something about women that I don't like or about myself that I don't like," said Taylor, a soft-spoken man who had studied at Temple University for a year.

[...]

Upper Darby Detective Raymond Grazel testified that Taylor admitted that he had picked up the unidentified woman at the intersection of 54th Street and City Line Avenue in Philadelphia. Taylor said that they had several drinks, and the woman asked him if he could sell her a gun, Grazel said.

Taylor said that he stopped at his wife's Park Lane East apartment to pick up a .410 shotgun, and he and the woman then walked along the railroad tracks that are near the playground where the woman's body was found, Grazel said.

According to Taylor, when the woman took off her blue jumpsuit and said she wanted to have sex with him, he kicked her in the face and shot her in the right side of the head, Grazel said.

 

[lightofmine99]

NamUs was modified on 09/19/2024 but there are no public exclusions.

 

[lightofmine99]

NamUs was modified today; but there are still no public exclusions.