Identified! TX - Huntsville, 'Walker County Jane Doe', WhtFem 14-16, 91UFTX, 1 November 1980 - id'd November 2021 - Sherri Ann Jarvis (14)

[doyoulovemepfg]

Do we know where her birth father lived? I wonder if she spent some time trying to locate him. Could she have for some reason believed he was in the Ellis Unit?

Bringing this back down because I did do some digging on it and I am fairly certain he was in one of four different places - two of those being in northern WI where Sherri was born - I just am trying to pinpoint and verify the exact town - and two of them being MN/WI border towns like Stillwater. I would think that she likely knew where he was at the time or had a rough idea, but MLB is pretty easy to track with his whereabouts if she was familiar with the fact that her mother KCZ grew up in Washburn, graduated from high school in Medford and got married in Pine County MN close to Washburn. All these places plus Stillwater/FL/Wyoming are within about an hour and a half span of each other. Haven’t gotten too into the search for bio dad at the moment but will update y’all if anything seems super pertinent - that particular area of WI is known for absolutely horrific public records on top of WI itself being a mostly closed records state.

I think these are the general areas that PI’s had been searching in addition to Colorado, so if there was anything of merit with regards to her being there, Texas LE and the FBI would have information on it now.

Also - for the person who was asking about family origins when talking about the postmortems - I do have that information from at least one side of the family. She has one grandparent from Poland and one from the former USSR that both had very “ethnic” sounding surnames that were anglicized and changed during her mother’s lifetime. Bio dad is either mostly German or Eastern European. So whoever said Mediterranean, some facial features from Eastern Europe are not too far off from that!


If anyone has any general questions about the Stillwater area, the Washington County justice system or public records based info on the family’s whereabouts during that time, I would be happy to answer to the best of my knowledge. These are all areas that I have pretty lengthy experience with and I have relatives in every town that’s been mentioned on the records except Medford.

 

[Rbkidk]

Bringing this back down because I did do some digging on it and I am fairly certain he was in one of four different places - two of those being in northern WI where Sherri was born - I just am trying to pinpoint and verify the exact town - and two of them being MN/WI border towns like Stillwater. I would think that she likely knew where he was at the time or had a rough idea, but MLB is pretty easy to track with his whereabouts if she was familiar with the fact that her mother KCZ grew up in Washburn, graduated from high school in Medford and got married in Pine County MN close to Washburn. All these places plus Stillwater/FL/Wyoming are within about an hour and a half span of each other. Haven’t gotten too into the search for bio dad at the moment but will update y’all if anything seems super pertinent - that particular area of WI is known for absolutely horrific public records on top of WI itself being a mostly closed records state.

I think these are the general areas that PI’s had been searching in addition to Colorado, so if there was anything of merit with regards to her being there, Texas LE and the FBI would have information on it now.

Also - for the person who was asking about family origins when talking about the postmortems - I do have that information from at least one side of the family. She has one grandparent from Poland and one from the former USSR that both had very “ethnic” sounding surnames that were anglicized and changed during her mother’s lifetime. Bio dad is either mostly German or Eastern European. So whoever said Mediterranean, some facial features from Eastern Europe are not too far off from that!


If anyone has any general questions about the Stillwater area, the Washington County justice system or public records based info on the family’s whereabouts during that time, I would be happy to answer to the best of my knowledge. These are all areas that I have pretty lengthy experience with and I have relatives in every town that’s been mentioned on the records except Medford.

From my research, I can say her father (MLB) was from WI, german descendant. He never went TX or CO. He died at OR. Married KJZ and 6 years later had Sherri, then divorced (couldn't find any registry) and remarried with another woman (so did KJZ, with Mr. Jarvis, then divorced and remarried multiple times, at WI, MN and NE).

I have mixed memories about a data stating he was at CA at a certain point in his life (by a census, probably during or after enlistment, had a roommate as far as I remember), but I can't precisely recall it and couldn't find that source again, so I'd rather pass on this one

 

[iamnotagolem]

I’ve been thinking that possibly whoever was helping Sherri was involved in her death, but have kind of changed my thinking. It’s possible that whoever helped her get to Texas just assumed she left and went on her way. Especially since she was a Jane Doe, they may not have had any reason to think the girl they knew was the Jane Doe. So hopefully now that she’s been identified it’ll bring people out with more information.

 

[Beekarina]

Maybe overly optimistic, but perhaps, with the publicizing of Sherri's identification and her story, someone will come forward and say they know something, if not a deathbed confession.

If she was traveling, or stayed short-term with other young runaways, or even other young people, they may have never known about this case. They could have simply thought Sherri moved on. Especially if she was trying to pass herself off as older.

I think there is a good chance with all of the publicity that someone has recognized her and remembers something. I really hope so.

 

[squish]

Bringing this back down because I did do some digging on it and I am fairly certain he was in one of four different places - two of those being in northern WI where Sherri was born - I just am trying to pinpoint and verify the exact town - and two of them being MN/WI border towns like Stillwater. I would think that she likely knew where he was at the time or had a rough idea, but MLB is pretty easy to track with his whereabouts if she was familiar with the fact that her mother KCZ grew up in Washburn, graduated from high school in Medford and got married in Pine County MN close to Washburn. All these places plus Stillwater/FL/Wyoming are within about an hour and a half span of each other. Haven’t gotten too into the search for bio dad at the moment but will update y’all if anything seems super pertinent - that particular area of WI is known for absolutely horrific public records on top of WI itself being a mostly closed records state.

I think these are the general areas that PI’s had been searching in addition to Colorado, so if there was anything of merit with regards to her being there, Texas LE and the FBI would have information on it now.

Also - for the person who was asking about family origins when talking about the postmortems - I do have that information from at least one side of the family. She has one grandparent from Poland and one from the former USSR that both had very “ethnic” sounding surnames that were anglicized and changed during her mother’s lifetime. Bio dad is either mostly German or Eastern European. So whoever said Mediterranean, some facial features from Eastern Europe are not too far off from that!


If anyone has any general questions about the Stillwater area, the Washington County justice system or public records based info on the family’s whereabouts during that time, I would be happy to answer to the best of my knowledge. These are all areas that I have pretty lengthy experience with and I have relatives in every town that’s been mentioned on the records except Medford.

Having one grandparent from Poland and the other from the USSR, and then anglicizing their names, makes me think of Jewish heritage. Also, the fact that both the Z and the B surnames can be Jewish.

I supposed it's not important now Sherri has her identity back. But then you never know, it could be relevant.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

Having one grandparent from Poland and the other from the USSR, and then anglicizing their names, makes me think of Jewish heritage. Also, the fact that both the Z and the B surnames can be Jewish.

I supposed it's not important now Sherri has her identity back. But then you never know, it could be relevant.

Could be, but doubt that would be relevant because Ashkenazi populations would be highly unlikely to be going to the specific area KLZ was raised - at that time and even now those areas are deeply, deeply antisemitic. Based off immigration dates and the census I highly doubt it. As someone who is half Sephardi and half Ashkenazi that's done way too much in public records research this is one that I think can be easily put to rest.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

From my research, I can say her father (MLB) was from WI, german descendant. He never went TX or CO. He died at OR. Married KJZ and 6 years later had Sherri, then divorced (couldn't find any registry) and remarried with another woman (so did KJZ, with Mr. Jarvis, then divorced and remarried multiple times, at WI, MN and NE).

I have mixed memories about a data stating he was at CA at a certain point in his life (by a census, probably during or after enlistment, had a roommate as far as I remember), but I can't precisely recall it and couldn't find that source again, so I'd rather pass on this one

You are correct about most of what you are seeing about MLB - I do believe there was a census placing him in California but that would have been far before Sherri's birth. If she was indeed trying to see bio dad she would be going to northwest or north central WI, basically off the grid. The letter being postmarked from Denver and the fact she ended up in the Houston metro area makes me think that going off the grid may not be a route she would particularly want to take, especially going back(?) to relatives; it would be more likely she would be sent back to state custody in Minnesota.

 

[Friday Fan]

Having one grandparent from Poland and the other from the USSR, and then anglicizing their names, makes me think of Jewish heritage. Also, the fact that both the Z and the B surnames can be Jewish.

I supposed it's not important now Sherri has her identity back. But then you never know, it could be relevant.

I think they're Christian. Crosses on graves, common Christian first names. They just had some tongue twister names..LOL
The original spelling does not appear phonetic with English pronunciation.
It appears a good portion of extended family settled in this rural northern area, where polka music is the norm.
I'm from Wisconsin and well, now I wonder how many of my Polish friends had shortened names..LOL

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

I think they're Christian. Crosses on graves, common Christian first names. They just had some tongue twister names..LOL
It appears a good portion of extended family settled in this rural northern area, where polka music is the norm.
I'm from Wisconsin and well, now I wonder how many of my Polish friends had shortened names..LOL

Probably quite a lot. Zwierzynski does not roll off the tongue well at all. I don't blame them.

 

[Adrian_Almost_Sleuth]

It is also possible she was in Denver most of the time she was missing, and traveled to Texas days prior to being murdered. She might not have intended to stay in Texas. The theory about running a message or something else to Ellis could be correct, but maybe she did so from a greater distance?

This is a good point. I keep forgetting the Denver detail in her story, as fresh as it is. Colorado is really close to Texas so it wouldn't have taken that long to get there.

 

[Springrain]

This is a good point. I keep forgetting the Denver detail in her story, as fresh as it is. Colorado is really close to Texas so it wouldn't have taken that long to get there.

Denver, CO is just under 1000 miles from Huntsville, TX, so it would be quite a long journey, and probably a hassle for Sherri.

 

[CADwrest]

I’m thinking she did actually get down to Aransas Pass/Rockport and spent enough time there to claim it as a temporary home. But that would mean she “overshot” Huntsville from Denver and went back north later.
Is there any information about when the Denver letter was sent? That’d be a good way of narrowing the timeline down.

 

[yogasleuther]

Hi Websleuths!! I haven't been on here for a while. I am thrilled to death that Walker county Jane Doe was finally identified. They keep on being found far from their homes it seems. Guess nobody knew way back then she could be from Minnesota. Hopefully a killer can be found yeah. I think there was more than one killer from our other discussions.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

I’m thinking she did actually get down to Aransas Pass/Rockport and spent enough time there to claim it as a temporary home. But that would mean she “overshot” Huntsville from Denver and went back north later.
Is there any information about when the Denver letter was sent? That’d be a good way of narrowing the timeline down.

From what I remember seeing Carl post from her brother, I believe she sent that letter in April 1980.

 

[haroldchasen]

I haven’t done a deep dive into this, but here’s a thought. It was said by her family that Sherry liked horses. So I go to an old newspapers site and look to see what was happening in the Huntsville area in October of 1980.
Apparently they had an annual Texas prison Rodeo held every Sunday throughout the entire month of October. It was held at a stadium at the Huntsville unit.
She was killed October 31 , supposedly looking for Ellis Prison and found dead within 24 hours in Huntsville.
Newspapers called it “ the wildest rodeo behind bars” that “always lives up to its rough and tumble reputation.” Bareback riding, pig sacking, convict bands, bull riding , inmate arts and crafts& more.
It started in 1931 and ran until 1986 to raise funds for inmates educational and recreational programs.
If Sherry was temporarily in the area I could see this being a big draw. Could she have met someone at the rodeo and was going at the end of October to say goodbye or just visit ? That is assuming Ellis Unit participated being they were a higher security death row prison. Surely at least some inmates from Ellis participated.
Just a thought.

 

[CarlK90245]

Just learned that the Sheriff was incorrect as to Sherri's hometown. She was from Forest Lake, Minnesota, not Stillwater.

 

[Springrain]

[Modedit: Made error correction pointed out by Springrain]

I haven’t done a deep dive into this, but here’s a thought. It was said by her family that Sherry liked horses. So I go to an old newspapers site and look to see what was happening in the Huntsville area in October of 1980.
Apparently they had an annual Texas prison Rodeo held every Sunday throughout the entire month of October. It was held at a stadium at the Huntsville unit.
She was killed October 31 , supposedly looking for Ellis Prison and found dead within 24 hours in Huntsville.
Newspapers called it “ the wildest rodeo behind bars” that “always lives up to its rough and tumble reputation.” Bareback riding, pig sacking, convict bands, bull riding , inmate arts and crafts& more.
It started in 1931 and ran until 1986 to raise funds for inmates educational and recreational programs.
If Sherry was temporarily in the area I could see this being a big draw. Could she have met someone at the rodeo and was going at the end of October to say goodbye or just visit ? That is assuming Ellis Unit participated being they were a higher security death row prison. Surely at least some inmates from Ellis participated.
Just a thought.

Great find! I am surprised nobody has found this out before! Very, very interesting possibility IMO. I wonder if she was meeting up a friend near the prison (who wasn't a prisoner or employee) to go see the prison rodeo?

 

[sunnynz]

I haven’t done a deep dive into this, but here’s a thought. It was said by her family that Sherry liked horses. So I go to an old newspapers site and look to see what was happening in the Huntsville area in October of 1980.
Apparently they had an annual Texas prison Rodeo held every Sunday throughout the entire month of October. It was held at a stadium at the Huntsville unit.
She was killed October 31 , supposedly looking for Ellis Prison and found dead within 24 hours in Huntsville.
Newspapers called it “ the wildest rodeo behind bars” that “always lives up to its rough and tumble reputation.” Bareback riding, pig sacking, convict bands, bull riding , inmate arts and crafts& more.
It started in 1931 and ran until 1986 to raise funds for inmates educational and recreational programs.
If Sherry was temporarily in the area I could see this being a big draw. Could she have met someone at the rodeo and was going at the end of October to say goodbye or just visit ? That is assuming Ellis Unit participated being they were a higher security death row prison. Surely at least some inmates from Ellis participated.
Just a thought.

Yes the rodeo was discussed on this thread maybe a year or two back. I’ll see if I can find the posts to bring them forward. Interesting to think about now that we know sherris love of horses!

 

[sunnynz]

Ok I have no idea how to link from closed threads but this one from 2017 (didn’t seem that long ago!) has some reference. I feel like there’s something more recent, I’ll keep looking TX - TX - Huntsville, 'Walker County Jane Doe', WhtFem 14-16, 91UFTX, Nov'80 *NAME NOT RELEASED*

 

[sunnynz]

Some more rodeo chat in this thread from 2019. Sorry guys, I am useless at being forward the actual posts. TX - TX - Huntsville, 'Walker County Jane Doe', WhtFem 14-16, 91UFTX, Nov'80 #2 *NAME NOT RELEASED*