Identified! SC - Georgetown - White Female, 30-50, 18 Jan 2006 - Cheryl Connors, 20

[PonderingThings]

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/13670552.htm

She was found partially skeletonized.

Authorities think she may have died a month ago.

Wearing Tennis Shoes, Blue Jeans and a Black Sweatshirt.



I did a search on National Center for Missing Adults for Women missing between November 2005 and January 2006 and only 2 women, one was 19 and the other was 20 came up.

I couldn't come up with any matches on the North American Missing People's network that matched the age description, and that were missing in November or December 2005.

 

[PonderingThings]

I checked the Trucker Boards (Thanks Kelly!) as they have a list of recently missing people (last 30 days), by State. http://www.truckingboards.com/trucking/upload/forumdisplay.php?f=103

Unfortunately, after the 30 days, the State is edited out for some reason and they are placed in the general forum - so tracking becomes extremely difficult. Or possibly placed in a "non viewable to guest" forum.

Anyway I did go into the general missing person's forum, and slowly, one by one, checked all the femals missing up until the "last post of 11-08-05". I figured that would cover missing women to the beginning of November. I did not find an East Coast match to the description. There are a few women on the West Coast that would match... but not the East coast.

I'm wondering, because this murder would have happened between Thanksgiving and Christmas (date is around Dec 16, 2005), if it was a woman visiting from another State?

P.S. I also "tried" to use www.missingabducted.com but their new format (automated links) made it too frustrating. I kept getting snippets of information so I'd click on a link only to find whatever article had been replaced by an advertisement!

Its sad, because I used to LOVE this site... but now its more of an immediate alert site, than a missing person's site - and we need that too.

Anyway, a long post to say "I struck out".

Description of the Unidentified Woman:

Race: White
Age: 30-50
"Small Frame" <<<I took this to mean petite
Georgetown, SC
Body Found: January 16, 2006
Estimated date of death: About a month before

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

The first person I thought about was Tara Grinstead.

 

[concernedperson]

The first person I thought about was Tara Grinstead.

Me too. I was trying to see if they had the color hair. She went missing 10-22-05.

 

[PonderingThings]

Based on the information that has been provided so far, Tara went missing 2 months before this lady is estimated to have died.

1. Tara is listed as 5'3" and 125 lbs - which could be considered as small framed.
2. Tara is 30, Jane Doe is estmated to be between 30-50
3. Tara went missing from Ocilla, Georgia, Jane Doe was found in Georgetown, County, South Carolina - according to Google Maps they are approximately 341 mi (about 8 hours 44 mins) apart.

***Considering that Tara *may* have been abducted, if she was held then this could be her.

I could find no mention of hair color for Jane Doe.

I only searched as far back as early November for missing people.

 

[PonderingThings]

I gave in and called the Georetown Sherrifs office and spoke to a really nice officer. I will be emailing all the information we found that is available on this thread, also with the suggested possible match to Tara Grinstead.

The police officer said the hair of Jane Doe was brown or auburn.

According to this missing person's site on Tara, her hair is brown:
http://www.poeforward.com/mrperfumery/deadgirls/future/missing/grinstead/

 

[concernedperson]

I gave in and called the Georetown Sherrifs office and spoke to a really nice officer. I will be emailing all the information we found that is available on this thread, also with the suggested possible match to Tara Grinstead.

The police officer said the hair of Jane Doe was brown or auburn.

According to this missing person's site on Tara, her hair is brown:
http://www.poeforward.com/mrperfumery/deadgirls/future/missing/grinstead/

Thanks for doing that. Now I have chills upon discovering that Jane Doe's hair is brown or auburn.

 

[PonderingThings]

If it isn't Tara, I'm wondering if it could be a tourist? The I-95 is a preferred route for people from the East Coast, including Canada, to travel on to head to the Southern States (including Florida). Its about 1 hr & 45 minutes from the I-95 to Georgetown.SC (I know Jane Doe was found in the county and I'm assuming its in the general area).

Could it be a snowbird that was heading for a Christmas Holiday in the South? Or maybe to spend the winter there? Since it was a planned trip, perhaps that's why no one has reported then missing? Could they have been car jacked? Or met with foul play at a hotel/motel in the area?

This is just speculation on my part... but I'm looking for missing women from Canada that also fit the description (and time frame). So far I've struck out....

 

[concernedperson]

I doubt it was a tourist as in this time frame someone would have noticed that they weren't heard from. Especially in light of the Holidays. People always try and connect during this time.

 

[PonderingThings]

Yes and no ConcernedPerson. I know a snowbird and even though he is 81 yrs old he drives to Florida every winter (alone) after Christmas. Since he has a hearing problem the family only contact him through letters, not on the phone.

If he ever went missing on the drive to Florida it would most likely be WEEKS before they realised there had been no contact.

Its unlikely that this is what has occured. I started trying to think about scenerios that would fit with a nonreported missing person. Usually a woman of 30-50 has a job, or family, that would miss her.... Of course, they might have reported her as missing and the information just isn't publically available.

 

[concernedperson]

Yes, it is totally odd that a woman between the age of 30-50 wouldn't be reported. But there was one on the east coast, she just didn't happen to be from the state of South Carolina she was from the state of Georgia.I am looking forward to further info.

 

[chicoliving]

I gave in and called the Georetown Sherrifs office and spoke to a really nice officer. I will be emailing all the information we found that is available on this thread, also with the suggested possible match to Tara Grinstead.

The police officer said the hair of Jane Doe was brown or auburn.

According to this missing person's site on Tara, her hair is brown:
http://www.poeforward.com/mrperfumery/deadgirls/future/missing/grinstead/

Wonderful PonderingThings!! Way to go! :clap:

 

[PonderingThings]

I think, in this case, its a team effort. I didn't go back to October so never considered Tara. But GeorgiaPeach and ConcernedPerson did!

I have a lot of confidence that the police officer I spoke to will check out the possible match. Also, I suspect he'll be visiting this thread as I gave him the link.

The Dispatch Officer and the Investigating Officer were WONDERFUL. They had to go through a few hoops to let me talk to the Investigating Officer as he was in the field, AND THEY DID IT!

I think you had to "be there" to appreciate the effort they made!

to the Georgetown County Sherrif's Office

and finally

to KENNETH A. GAILLIARD the writer who wrote the article I read.

WHAT A TEAM!!!!!

 

[chicoliving]

To all!! :clap:

 

[PonderingThings]

Another article has just been posted:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15964420&BRD=2081&PAG=461&dept_id=385210&rfi=6

It basically says the same thing as the first article but it says they checked the dental records of Crystal Soles, who has been missing since January 2005 and its not a match.

I guess the timeline problem for Tara is not so big a problem if they are checking records of missing people that were reported missing a year ago!

P.S. I do realise Crystal was from the area, and I'm glad they've eliminated her as a match. I also realise that just because she went missing in January 2005 doesn't mean she died then, or is even dead now!

 

[concernedperson]

Things are moving now. We have some really good behind the scenes people investigating. Please pray for a resolve.

 

[PonderingThings]

Well it isn't Tara.


http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/13692678.htm

Authorities have identified human remains found in Murrells Inlet Wednesday as 20-year-old Cheryl Connors of Socastee, said Georgetown County Coroner Kenny Johnson.

Johnson said the identification was made through dental records. He said Connors was reported missing in Horry County on Dec. 1.

Authorities still are not sure how long her body was in a wooded area off Pond Road where Georgetown County employees discovered it there Wednesday.

Police are investigating to determine how she died. Further details were not yet available.

As an aside I searched for Missing Cheryl Connors or Conners at:
google news
google web
National Center for Missing Adults
www.missingabducted.com
http://www.truckingboards.com/trucking/upload/forumdisplay.php?f=98
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

There was no listing at any of these locations. Therefore I can only assume that although she may have been reported missing, that report was not made public.

 

[concernedperson]

This young woman was 20 years old not 30-50. I believe that tells us to continue to look at all things about a case because what is reported may not be an actual interpretation of what the end result may be.

I wonder why this young woman wasn't put on a national alert basis. Surely her family was worried about her.

 

[all4tara]

How strange is it that 2 people named Cheryl Conners/Connors are missing and found dead in the same state within a couple months time? This is very strange to me. I can't find any reference to this 20-year-old person being missing.

 

[carolina]

the problem with solving this is going to be the large number of people that pass through this area. Murrells Inlet is a very popular area along with numerous surrounding towns. the problem with any coastal community is the large turnover of inhabitants, especially during the holiday season like when cheryl disappeared. Murrells Inlet has a lot of bars and party spots so almost anything or anyone could have happened to her.

as for the last names being similar...it is south carolina, and a lot of names are very prevalent here. including conners. so i am not sure if that points to anything...but it could!!