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

[Richard]

Murdered 42 years ago...

Sherri Ann “Tati” Jarvis​

BIRTH 9 March 1966
DEATH 1 Nov 1980 (aged 14)
Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, USA
BURIAL
Oakwood Cemetery
Huntsville, Walker County, Texas

Sherri Jarvis from Forest Lake, MN, was found deceased from a brutal assault on the morning of November 1, 1980 in Huntsville, Texas. Despite extensive investigation she remained known as a Jane Doe until November 2021 when forensic genealogy helped identify her.
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Sherri had been placed temporarily at a shelter in Stillwater, MN, while awaiting appearance before the juvenile court for habitual truancy. In March 1980, she ran away from the Washington County Courthouse in Stillwater, where she was supposed to appear for a detention hearing.
She apparently ran off to Green Bay, WI, with two local sisters. The sisters then returned but Sherri refused to come back home and was never seen again.
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Family statement: "Sherri Ann Jarvis was a daughter, sister, cousin and granddaughter. She loved children, animals and horseback riding."
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If you have any information about the brutal murder of Sherri Ann Jarvis, please contact: Walker County Sheriff's Office: 936-435-2400

LINK:

Sherri Ann “Tati” Jarvis (1966-1980) - Find a...

Sherri Jarvis from Forest Lake, MN, was found deceased from a brutal assault on the morning of November 1, 1980 in Huntsville, Texas. Despite extensive investigation she remained known as a Jane Doe until November 2021 when forensic genealogy helped identify her. ∼ Sherri had been placed...

www.findagrave.com

 

[vermontaigne]

My stepfather was a truckdriver, and we had a CB radio in the finished basement of our home. It was a pretty common thing for people to own in the 70s/80s, both in homes and vehicles, prior to cellphones. My father had one too, and he was not a trucker, or anything remotely close.

Anyway, like FridayFan, my friends, sisters, etc and I used to sneak on. Mostly we would "sandbag", but we would also do the CB radio equivalent of prank calls. I'm wondering now if Sherry could have befriended a trucker--or someone else--via CB while she was still in Minnesota? It could have functioned a bit like young girls meeting people online and running away today.

Her parents believe that she left with a couple peer aged friends and went to Green Bay, WI, first. When the friends told her they were going home, she said she wasn't returning and walked away. The friends returned without her.

The next definite thing we know about her is that she mails her mom a letter from Denver saying they won't see her again till she's 18 or 21. That's in August. She's killed in TX a couple months later.

 

[Beekarina]

Her parents believe that she left with a couple peer aged friends and went to Green Bay, WI, first. When the friends told her they were going home, she said she wasn't returning and walked away. The friends returned without her.

The next definite thing we know about her is that she mails her mom a letter from Denver saying they won't see her again till she's 18 or 21. That's in August. She's killed in TX a couple months later.

Right, I've heard this as well now. This was an old comment, when people were discussing ways Sherri may have connected with people in other locations--i.e. how such a young girl might come to know someone in a prison, how she might end up traveling such a distance, that type of thing. One possibility among many. We can be reasonably certain she was not driving herself around after separating from the original group of young friends.

 

[hafom8840]

Right, I've heard this as well now. This was an old comment, when people were discussing ways Sherri may have connected with people in other locations--i.e. how such a young girl might come to know someone in a prison, how she might end up traveling such a distance, that type of thing. One possibility among many. We can be reasonably certain she was not driving herself around after separating from the original group of young friends.

Has there ever been any established or widely agreed upon account of what all she was doing during the rough 7 months she was M.I.A.? I've heard multiple speculations ranging from simple sightseeing of things like ranches because she liked horses, to a few rather upsetting and unfortunate speculations (i think you can guess).

And of course the varied speculations of shelter methods such as temporarily staying in trucks on a perennial basis and living temporarily with elderly couples

 

[Beekarina]

Has there ever been any established or widely agreed upon account of what all she was doing during the rough 7 months she was M.I.A.? I've heard multiple speculations ranging from simple sightseeing of things like ranches because she liked horses, to a few rather upsetting and unfortunate speculations (i think you can guess).

And of course the varied speculations of shelter methods such as temporarily staying in trucks on a perennial basis and living temporarily with elderly couples

Good question.

The last updates I remember seeing were a bit vague, especially pertaining to the time period when the letter was sent to her mom, and a photo from the same time. If I recall correctly, she was said to be dressed as if she was going out/looked older? My impression was everything was being held close to the vest, possibly due to leads? Maybe others have more info.

 

[vermontaigne]

Right, I've heard this as well now. This was an old comment, when people were discussing ways Sherri may have connected with people in other locations--i.e. how such a young girl might come to know someone in a prison, how she might end up traveling such a distance, that type of thing. One possibility among many. We can be reasonably certain she was not driving herself around after separating from the original group of young friends.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you should have known what was unclear at the time, just that anyone reading the old thread, as I was, might want to have this info before reading too far in the thread.

 

[Beekarina]

No, it's ok. We still have no idea how Sherri moved around. She travelled quite far for someone so young.

Hoping there will be justice for her one day.

 

[hafom8840]

Good question.

The last updates I remember seeing were a bit vague, especially pertaining to the time period when the letter was sent to her mom, and a photo from the same time. If I recall correctly, she was said to be dressed as if she was going out/looked older? My impression was everything was being held close to the vest, possibly due to leads? Maybe others have more info.

I remember hearing the thing about the being dressed up in the Colorado pic too. Now thinking about it, I do understand why theyd keep it to the vest because of the possibility of dorks wasting the investigators' time with meaningless tips after hearing one bit of information that catches their attention.

 

[Wossy]

Really hoping in 2023 they can get enough DNA off those Sandals to ID the killer.

Your case isnt over yet. RIP Sherri!

 

[hafom8840]

Really hoping in 2023 they can get enough DNA off those Sandals to ID the killer.

Your case isnt over yet. RIP Sherri!

I eagerly await some kind of update from those with authority of doing so.

 

[Vital Forces]

There are some similarities to the murder of Amber Hagerman (who AMBER alters are named after) 16 years later. Has this ever been discussed?

 

[hafom8840]

There are some similarities to the murder of Amber Hagerman (who AMBER alters are named after) 16 years later. Has this ever been discussed?

I personally disagree. Amber's kidnapper seems to have just cut to the chase and kidnapped her, while Sherri's is often speculated to have been charismatic and able to convince her to enter a secluded area, possibly a big rig truck.

 

[hafom8840]

bump

 

[pecansandies]

Newcomer here.

Has anyone here thought about the backstory of the Denver letter/photo? With what little information was provided about the photo, I think its possible something bad was going on behind the scenes. Specifically, human trafficking.

I hope that doesn't turn out to be the case.

 

[HmmMysterious]

Newcomer here.

Has anyone here thought about the backstory of the Denver letter/photo? With what little information was provided about the photo, I think its possible something bad was going on behind the scenes. Specifically, human trafficking.

I hope that doesn't turn out to be the case.

I've been thinking about it a lot too. I even had a dream that Sherri was trafficked.

There's another photo of Sherri in which she looks ready to go out to a party. I thought LE would've released it by now-maybe there's a person of interest in that photo.

 

[hafom8840]

Newcomer here.

Has anyone here thought about the backstory of the Denver letter/photo? With what little information was provided about the photo, I think its possible something bad was going on behind the scenes. Specifically, human trafficking.

I hope that doesn't turn out to be the case.

I've been thinking about it a lot too. I even had a dream that Sherri was trafficked.

There's another photo of Sherri in which she looks ready to go out to a party. I thought LE would've released it by now-maybe there's a person of interest in that photo.

If it's true I hope they identify and/or catch everyone responsible.

 

[pecansandies]

If it's true I hope they identify and/or catch everyone responsible.

I really hope they know what they're doing.

 

[ohbeeeans]

I've been thinking about it a lot too. I even had a dream that Sherri was trafficked.

There's another photo of Sherri in which she looks ready to go out to a party. I thought LE would've released it by now-maybe there's a person of interest in that photo.

I remember hearing about that photo! I’m surprised LE hasn’t released it yet.
I remember reading that in her letter to her mother, Sherri said that her parents wouldn’t hear from her / see her until she was at least “18 or 21”. Someone ( I unfortunately can’t remember who, I think it was on Facebook??) said that it’s very common for trafficking victims to be manipulated into saying that kind of thing to their parents / relatives, to dissuade their family from looking for them. I thought that was really interesting. It really makes you think. Obviously this is just me thinking out loud.

 

[bringherhome]

I remember hearing about that photo! I’m surprised LE hasn’t released it yet.
I remember reading that in her letter to her mother, Sherri said that her parents wouldn’t hear from her / see her until she was at least “18 or 21”. Someone ( I unfortunately can’t remember who, I think it was on Facebook??) said that it’s very common for trafficking victims to be manipulated into saying that kind of thing to their parents / relatives, to dissuade their family from looking for them. I thought that was really interesting. It really makes you think. Obviously this is just me thinking out loud.

Never thought of that,wow makes sense.

 

[Richard]

Sherri Ann “Tati” Jarvis​

BIRTH 9 March 1966
DEATH 1 Nov 1980 (aged 14)