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

[rosesfromangels]

I also think that the most likely scenario is that she accidentally encountered a serial killer, possibly at the truck stop. The way her body was later found strongly suggests that. In this case, you are correct that we will get no closer to finding the killer, no matter what information we uncover.

However, the police clearly seem to think otherwise, as evidenced by some of the statements made by the lead investigator. I don't know what they base their assessment on, but the police usually have much more information than they let on.

Purely a guess, but perhaps the info her family has provided has sparked a solid lead. This little gal surprised most of us on her background and hometown, and perhaps the revelation of the Perp will too. I have my speculation on the one trucker I have mentioned, but it could end up being a completely different outcome. Everything about Sherry has been a surprise to me, except her age.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[Beekarina]

Where it was also Halloween, and a Friday night, the theory mentioned previously by several people that Sherry(Sherri?) may have gone to a party for awhile before either meeting her murderer(s), or being killed leaving a party also remains possible as an explanation for the missing hours of the evening.

If she was last seen by witnesses around 9 pm (?) (and for some reason,I always thought it was much later than this that she was in the truck stop?), was possibly seen getting into a vehicle with people, and then was murdered sometime around 3 am, those are prime party hours.

 

[Beekarina]

One thing nags at me: Witnesses saw Sherry exit a blue car at the gas station where she first asked for directions to Ellis. She then asked the waitress for directions to Ellis not long after. Is it not a bit curious that such a young girl, who managed to get from Minnesota to Texas was asking so many people for directions like this in such a short time span?

The directions do not seem complicated. I'm somewhat perplexed why the original ride in the blue car wasn't able to provide her the info, assuming they were local? (Maybe not?)

Not really sure what this could mean, if anything, it just stands out to me as odd.

 

[worldwatcher]

Nothing new to add,and is discussed before..
As other fellow posters stated before,it could be that Sherry wore pantyhose under her jeans to stay warm,or to carry less

“The young girl was found without clothes and there were few items recovered at the crime scene,” Othram Labs said in their statement. “There was a necklace found around her neck, a pair of red leather sandals, and some pantyhose that were likely used to strangle her. A forensic investigation revealed that she was viciously sexually assaulted, beaten, and then strangled — likely only hours before her discovery.”

After 41 Years, Texas Deputies Have Identified Slain 'Jane Doe.' Now, They Have to Find Her Killer.

Unlike the Sumter mystery couple,(ID-ed as James Paul Freund and Pamela Mae Buckley),there is no publication of the autopsy revealed,what Sherry had eaten that day..
Unless I missed it,thought she only asked directions to Ellis Prison Farm.

Btw,just out of curiosity..is it true that the necklace was never photographed and got lost...?
ETA: Isn’t that odd,to dump her naked and leave a necklace on?

 

[rosesfromangels]

I wish we could figure out if this miscreant had a haul in the Huntsville area when Sherry was murdered. This SK is #1 on my POI list
Disturbing And Fascinating Facts About Robert Ben Rhoades, The Trucker With A Mobile Torture Chamber

I am thinking injuries might have lined up with his MO, and consistent with his torture chamber. God Bless this child.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[fhesse]

Where it was also Halloween, and a Friday night, the theory mentioned previously by several people that Sherry(Sherri?) may have gone to a party for awhile before either meeting her murderer(s), or being killed leaving a party also remains possible as an explanation for the missing hours of the evening.

If she was at a party, why didn't anyone come forward and tell the police about it in the weeks after she was murdered? There should have been a number of people who saw her. Why did they all keep quiet?

 

[sunnynz]

So maybe the blue car she was seen exiting was the person she’d been living with, hanging out with. They have a fight, she gets out suddenly, shoes in hand because she’d had them off in the car. Because the blue car driver knew the way to Ellis but she didn’t, now she has to suddenly start asking for directions. That’s why she has no change of clothes.

the reveal of sherry’s identity seems to have quickly led police to a possible suspect or witness. So maybe they went back and reviewed names of people they spoke to during the initial investigation in light of now knowing sherrys name and they see a connection. Possibilities in my head - an employee of the prison or someone else local to Huntsville that has a connection by family, or connected to the facility sherry fled from. Like previously they seemed inconsequential but now it’s clear they were connected.

maybe one of those people also drive a blue car and it’s now clear they would likely have been driving sherry.

 

[Kiranerys]

Nothing new to add,and is discussed before..
As other fellow posters stated before,it could be that Sherry wore pantyhose under her jeans to stay warm,or to carry less

“The young girl was found without clothes and there were few items recovered at the crime scene,” Othram Labs said in their statement. “There was a necklace found around her neck, a pair of red leather sandals, and some pantyhose that were likely used to strangle her. A forensic investigation revealed that she was viciously sexually assaulted, beaten, and then strangled — likely only hours before her discovery.”

After 41 Years, Texas Deputies Have Identified Slain 'Jane Doe.' Now, They Have to Find Her Killer.

Unlike the Sumter mystery couple,(ID-ed as James Paul Freund and Pamela Mae Buckley),there is no publication of the autopsy revealed,what Sherry had eaten that day..
Unless I missed it,thought she only asked directions to Ellis Prison Farm.

Btw,just out of curiosity..is it true that the necklace was never photographed and got lost...?
ETA: Isn’t that odd,to dump her naked and leave a necklace on?

I have often wondered if the necklace belonged to Sherry or if it was actually placed on her body by her killer,like some kind of signature. Could it have come from a different victim and he put it on her when he left her,and maybe took something of hers,earrings perhaps, and that was part of his M.O,to take an item of jewelry from one victim and leave it with another?

 

[fhesse]

I am thinking injuries might have lined up with his MO, and consistent with his torture chamber. God Bless this child.

But is it? Personally, I can't see his signature at all. No shaving of body hair, no piercing of body parts, no captivity for an extended period of time. I'm no expert, but this looks like a different serial killer to me.

 

[Kiranerys]

I wish we could figure out if this miscreant had a haul in the Huntsville area when Sherry was murdered. This SK is #1 on my POI list
Disturbing And Fascinating Facts About Robert Ben Rhoades, The Trucker With A Mobile Torture Chamber

I am thinking injuries might have lined up with his MO, and consistent with his torture chamber. God Bless this child.

Amateur opinion and speculation

I'm sure I read somewhere that the trucker who found her had a very similar name,this is speculation and MOO as I can't find a reliable source anywhere. What an odd coincidence if so though.....

 

[pukasonqo2]

She looks so full of life in her photo, glad that Sherry has her name back

 

[worldwatcher]

I came across an old article,but after some WS search...-was it posted before?-
TX - TX - Huntsville, 'Walker County Jane Doe', WhtFem 14-16, 91UFTX, Nov'80 #2 *NAME NOT RELEASED*
It was!!

Guess,it is better to read back ,a little to avoid -chasing old rabbit holes!

Re-posting link:
Cold case | Port Aransas South Jetty

 

[rosesfromangels]

But is it? Personally, I can't see his signature at all. No shaving of body hair, no piercing of body parts, no captivity for an extended period of time. I'm no expert, but this looks like a different serial killer to me.

We don't know whether any of these things happened or not....

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[fhesse]

I came across an old article,but after some WS search...-was it posted before?

Thanks. That's exactly the article I was looking for.

 

[fhesse]

We don't know whether any of these things happened or not

We know that her hair wasn't cut, as Rhoades often did and we know that he didn't keep for an extended period of time. But you are right that we don't know about the piercing. Still, nobody has mentioned this detail over the decades. Plus, all the things we do know about the MO of the killer (assaulted with a blunt object, left nude at the side of the rode) doesn't fit with Rhoades.

Again, I'm no expert but Rhoades doesn't seem to be our man here.

 

[angiemeyer95]

Is her name Sherry or Sherri?

 

[Beekarina]

If she was at a party, why didn't anyone come forward and tell the police about it in the weeks after she was murdered? There should have been a number of people who saw her. Why did they all keep quiet?

That's a good point.

There are different ideas of a party too. Most of us reading along here think of a house party out of a John Hughes film, and not something seedier. Either end of the spectrum though, she could have gone somewhere with people she just met--say the people in the car--not stayed long, and no one gave her another thought. They could have been intoxicated, they could have been oblivious, they could have simply not cared.

Even if it was just a standard party, I know I went to parties as a teen, tagging along with friends in a different town, didn't stay long, we would might stop in have a drink, pick someone up, and on to the next destination. Parties on Halloween, parties during football season? So many people.

IF she was ever in a car with people after speaking with the waitress, and they were not involved in her death, maybe they have, or will come forward now?

As for her not having marks on her wrists, and that kind of thing, she was a young girl. Fairly small, and badly beaten. Without being too graphic, we do not know the order of the terrible injuries inflicted upon her.

 

[fhesse]

There are different ideas of a party too. Most of us reading along here think of a house party out of a John Hughes film, and not something seedier. Either end of the spectrum though, she could have gone somewhere with people she just met--say the people in the car--not stayed long, and no one gave her another thought. They could have been intoxicated, they could have been oblivious, they could have simply not cared.

But who killed her then?

 

[Beekarina]

But who killed her then?

I have no attachment to any theory. I lean towards someone who overheard her asking for directions, but if we are discussing possible explanations for how she spent the time between speaking with the waitress, and the horrible end of her life, I think pretty much anything is possible.

We have a possible sighting of her getting into a car with people after the waitress. If that was her, those people certainly could have harmed her. They may have also brought her somewhere else.

Two things nag at me a bit:

1. Sherri asking multiple people for directions to Ellis in a short time frame.
2. How quickly she was found after her death.

Did she really need directions to Ellis, or was she trying to make sure multiple people were aware of her presence and that she was headed to Ellis in case something happened to her?

 

[Sierras]

Is her name Sherry or Sherri?

Carl said up thread that her brother has spelled it Sherry, and their father's obituary shows it spelled Sherry. So he's going with that. That's my understanding.