Identified! TX - Huntsville, 'Walker County Jane Doe', WhtFem 14-16, 91UFTX, Nov'80 #4 Sherry Ann Jarvis

[onceuponadecember]

After some more researching, here’s an updated timeline:
(Please note that some of these dates and times are approximated)

• March 9, 1966- Sherri is born in Minnesota
• c. 1966-1970- Sherri’s parents divorce
• February 28, 1970- Sherri’s mother remarried
• c. 1970- Sherri and her three older siblings are adopted by their stepfather (this is also when she gets the name Sherri Ann)
• April 10, 1971- Another sister is born
• October 20, 1974- Another sister is born
• 1979/1980- Sherri is removed from her parents’ custody
• c. March 1980- Sherri (probably) runs away from her housing location
• c. April 1980- Sherri sends a final letter to her mother from Denver, Colorado
• October 31, 1980-
  • 6:30 PM- Sherri arrives at the South End Gulf Station
  • 8:30 PM- Sherri arrives at the Hitchin' Post Truck Stop
• November 1, 1980
  • (approximately) 3:20 AM- Sherri is killed by an unknown individual
  • 9:30 AM- Sherri's body is found

 

[Springrain]

Thank you for your wonderful timelines @onceuponadecember!

 

[onceuponadecember]

Thank you for your wonderful timelines @onceuponadecember!

You’re welcome

 

[Susikatze]

Minnesota can be very harsh on chronic truants. When our Mom died in 1989, my, at the time, 13 year old sister, kept skipping school because she was afraid that if we left him alone, something would happen to him. They sent her to Lino Lakes Juvenile Detention Center for 2 mos. I'm betting that's where Sherri was placed also. Back in the 80s, security was pretty lax for juveniles that weren't charged with violent crimes. The truant kids were barely watched. It would have been very easy for Sherri to slip out after dark and have a friend pick her up.

I am shocked about this system. I googled the place, it is a real prison... how would that solve mental health problems/growing pains of adolescents?

 

[onceuponadecember]

I am shocked about this system. I googled the place, it is a real prison... how would that solve mental health problems/growing pains of adolescents?

That's how the corrections system has hurt children throughout this nation. One of the students who my teacher friend had was a boy similar to Sherri, he had a probation officer and kids were horrified by him.

 

[squish]

After some more researching, here’s an updated timeline:
(Please note that some of these dates and times are approximated)

• March 9, 1966- Sherri is born in Minnesota
• c. 1966-1970- Sherri’s parents divorce
• February 28, 1970- Sherri’s mother remarried
• c. 1970- Sherri and her three older siblings are adopted by their stepfather (this is also when she gets the name Sherri Ann)
• April 10, 1971- Another sister is born
• October 20, 1974- Another sister is born
• 1979/1980- Sherri is removed from her parents’ custody
• c. March 1980- Sherri (probably) runs away from her housing location
• c. April 1980- Sherri sends a final letter to her mother from Denver, Colorado
• October 31, 1980-
  • 6:30 PM- Sherri arrives at the South End Gulf Station
  • 8:30 PM- Sherri arrives at the Hitchin' Post Truck Stop
• November 1, 1980
  • (approximately) 3:20 AM- Sherri is killed by an unknown individual
  • 9:30 AM- Sherri's body is found

Do you know if her father with the surname Jarvis was her adoptive or her biological father?

 

[squish]

Wow. It is surreal to see a name finally affixed to the end of this thread. I had somehow figured @othram might possibly be working behind the scenes on this one. As always, thank you! Another miracle.

I hope that Sherri's killer may someday be identified. She most certainly deserves justice. Peace be with her family also.

Many wouldn't agree, but I think @CarlK90245 recons especially resemble Sherri. Carl, your dedication to this case will be remembered by so many!

Rest peacefully now Sherri.

I think the recons were very good, considering the limitations of what there was to work with. We won’t know how good they really were unless we get photos of her not smiling.

I’m especially impressed with the noses, as Carl K always did them small-but-normal sized in spite of the PM photos appearing that she had an exceptionally tiny nose. As we can now see, Carl’s judgement and depiction was right, and Sherri did have a normal nose, with her nose in the PM photos being an illusion.

 

[Friday Fan]

I think the recons were very good, considering the limitations of what there was to work with. We won’t know how good they really were unless we get photos of her not smiling.

I’m especially impressed with the noses, as Carl K always did them small-but-normal sized in spite of the PM photos appearing that she had an exceptionally tiny nose. As we can now see, Carl’s judgement and depiction was right, and Sherri did have a normal nose, with her nose in the PM photos being an illusion.

I thought Carl's depictions were done very well. I am wondering if she is younger in the long haired picture and actually older in the dark green outfit one. Carl's was spot on with dark green outfit one. I was looking at her teeth and she may have been older in the dark green outfit photo.

 

[detective24-7]

I accidentally came across a photo of Sherri's mother and the resemblance is uncanny. I can't believe I'm using her name after 10 or so years of calling her WCJD. It still doesn't feel real

Where did you see the photo at? Also, what did you search to find her dad's obit? DM me if needed.

 

[onceuponadecember]

Do you know if her father with the surname Jarvis was her adoptive or her biological father?

Jarvis was her adoptive father.

 

[margarita25]

Omggg, just saw the news pop up on my YT feed!!!!!!!

Congratulations @othram on tracing the DNA!!!!!!!!

Sherri Ann Jarvis, you have your name back!!!!

 

[sunnynz]

I think Carl k’s recons are a great likeness. However I think the post mortems look very different to how Sherri looked. The post mortems always had me thinking she had quite dark hair and brows, almost Mediterranean looking.

I can’t get over how someone so young could flee so far from home. She was either travelling with someone or incredibly brave and resourceful for her age! IMO. When I think about the day to day reality of a girl that age being on the run for so long with no financial resources, it really makes me feel she was with someone for at least a lot of her journey. Whoever surmised that maybe she was with a guy and then that guy got arrested and ended up at Ellis - that sounds right to me.

I truly hope someone is brought to justice for this. I feel like I read somewhere in the last few day though that there’s no DNA on file for the perpetrator which makes solving it seem really unlikely.

 

[luulabobss]

I thought Carl's depictions were done very well. I am wondering if she is younger in the long haired picture and actually older in the dark green outfit one. Carl's was spot on with dark green outfit one. I was looking at her teeth and she may have been older in the dark green outfit photo.

I was thinking this exact same thing. It seems the tooth on her right side next to her front tooth has ‘come through’ a bit more in this photo.

 

[Tahlia Woodson]

I've been analysing Sherri's photos, and [to me] it looks like she had a slight underbite. Since it isn't noted when she was unidentified, I'm certain she received some type of orthodontic treatment. But I'm no expert with dental care. Does anyone know if she could have outgrown it naturally?

 

[Awsi Dooger]

I think the post mortems look very different to how Sherri looked. The post mortems always had me thinking she had quite dark hair and brows, almost Mediterranean looking.

IMO, post mortems often cause more problems than they are worth, and should be devalued for reconstruction purposes if there were direct undeniable close range sightings not long before death.

Post mortems remind me of the Delphi case. In that situation it's obvious the authorities shied away from using their best early composite, because they didn't think it matched what they thought they were seeing in Libby's video. But Libby's video is essentially a post mortem impression of what Bridge Guy might look like. So many distortions and differences of opinion. Other than white male within apparent height and age ranges, nothing is certain.

 

[Friday Fan]

I've been analysing Sherri's photos, and [to me] it looks like she had a slight underbite. Since it isn't noted when she was unidentified, I'm certain she received some type of orthodontic treatment. But I'm no expert with dental care. Does anyone know if she could have outgrown it naturally?

There was not enough time between her last photo and her death. Orthodontic treatment usually takes about 2 years and she was sent away probably in late 1979. There was no evidence of brackets on her teeth. She would have run away with braces on......Brackets are put on with a type of cement, so they couldn't be something that she could remove.

I think there just was not reporting about her teeth and it's ashamed because that would be one thing that families would zero in on. There are techy terms for all of these dental quirks....Sometimes I will read about them in descriptions here, but there wasn't any in Sherri's case.

 

[Tahlia Woodson]

There was not enough time between her last photo and her death. Orthodontic treatment usually takes about 2 years and she was sent away probably in late 1979. There was no evidence of brackets on her teeth. She would have run away with braces on.......

That's what I'm thinking... perhaps the coroner just didn't notice it? I'm reading far too deeply into this but I find it interesting.

 

[mesquitemosquito]

Were the postmortem photos retouched? Sherri had a noticeable mole above her mouth, but none of the postmortem photos show it. If so, it's odd that they would just disregard such distinguishing characteristic that would help in identification.

 

[Nell91]

I noticed the mole too but didn't know whether it was a fault on the photo

 

[mesquitemosquito]

I personally think they were retouched. There's a blur along the edge of her face in the front-view postmortem.