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

[Flonite]

I did some googling, found a way to search MacNeil Lehrer report archives to see if the documentary is still available. I didn't find anything, but I sent an email to the VP of news hour productions to see if the documentary still exists. We'll see if I get a response.

 

[carbuff]

Probably not a good idea to post links to people who aren't involved in a crime...they tend to get innundated with crazies.

 

[TooCurious]

Unless you guys are seeing something I am not, the article says she ran away from home and found everything that she was missing at the shelter. She didn't run away from the shelter, the shelter was her salvation.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

Probably not a good idea to post links to people who aren't involved in a crime...they tend to get innundated with crazies.

Thanks, I deleted it. Anyway, I can send a message to either profile asking if she was the director mentioned in that article.

 

[Onfortuneswheel]

Thanks, I deleted it. Anyway, I can send a message to either profile asking if she was the director mentioned in that article.

My first thought was to try and contact Dr. Bucy. I thought she'd probably have stayed in touch with Kitty since they traveled to Washington DC together for the Congressional hearings. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2006.

In the minutes of the hearing (pertinent part starts on page 185 of the pdf), Kitty talks about how the Galveston Youth Center paid for her hospital bills at one point. They might have an accounting record but confidentiality/HIPAA would likely be an issue. Kitty's hospital stay was related to malnutrition and Hepatitis. The Jane Doe was described as being healthy. Would they still be able to detect Hepatitis after someone has gone through treatment (I realize this also depends on the type of Hepatitis)?

 

[Flonite]

I heard back from the VP. She hasn't heard of the documentary and she says a search didn't yield any results. She did say she that her office only handles PBS news hour requests though. Maybe more digging would turn up the documentary. :sigh:

 

[Flonite]

Maybe she ventured out to visit her friend in the prison, with the intention to return to the shelter afterwards? I'm not sure how the shelter worked but maybe they were afforded some freedom to come and go.

 

[Onfortuneswheel]

Does anyone live near Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA? It looks like they have a VHS copy of the documentary.

I've continued digging through the newspaper. I found another article that says that kids can stay at the shelter for up to 30 days. That hardly seems long enough for someone to get on their feet.

 

[Kimm11]

That's amazing I definitely see a resemblance! Do you guys think it'll help if I ask around the youth shelter if anybody remembers her maybe a staff member, I'm in houston so I'm very close.

 

[rats]

Does anyone live near Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA? It looks like they have a VHS copy of the documentary.

I can request it through my uni if I can find a VHS player...

 

[Kimm11]

Do any of you think that "kitty" might be "kathy"?

 

[Laughing]

I was looking through old newspapers and saw an article in the Galveston Daily News from May 1980 that mentions a runaway girl at a local youth shelter named 'Kitty.' She was featured in a documentary about runaways and testified at congressional hearings on the "Runaway and Homeless Youth Act."

The image isn't the best and she's wearing sunglasses, but I can see some similarities in the nose, lips, and low hairline. I couldn't find anything else about Kitty or a better image of what, I believe, is Kitty testifying before Congress. Does anyone else see similarities?

The turned-up nose reminds me of "An-drey-ah" who stepped into traffic in California. IIRC, she told a tale of adoption gone awry.

Gotta find that thread, check her timeline....

:seeya:, Laughing

 

[Owutatangledweb]

While working on another case, I came across this picture of Lisa Sanders, murdered in FLA. To me she looks like an older version of Kathy,

http://floridakeyssheriff.blogspot.com/2012/10/sheriffs-office-features-missing.html

 

[rats]

Whether or not she's WCJD, I requested the VHS because I found a VHS player!! Will update.

 

[Lyssav]

I was looking through old newspapers and saw an article in the Galveston Daily News from May 1980 that mentions a runaway girl at a local youth shelter named 'Kitty.' She was featured in a documentary about runaways and testified at congressional hearings on the "Runaway and Homeless Youth Act."

The image isn't the best and she's wearing sunglasses, but I can see some similarities in the nose, lips, and low hairline. I couldn't find anything else about Kitty or a better image of what, I believe, is Kitty testifying before Congress. Does anyone else see similarities?

This article sounds like it could coincide with the story and picture at the motel, if I remember correctly they said "Kathy" was with a man and a woman at the motel..kitty was said to have been adopted at age 6 and suffered abuse from her adoptive parents, plausible she was looking for a biological parent at the prison. The article about kitty is dated 1980 and says she was 13, thats not old enough for high school, which would possibly place her in the 8th grade(middle school), if she was in school it is likely she would have attended central as it is only a couple blocks from the youth home. I am in Galveston, so I can rummage through school year books if they are available, but I'm not convinced i would find her in one of she only spent a short amount of time at the home. From what I understand it was a safe haven for runaways, and parents were notified if a child was there..from what I've read they were allowed up to a 30day stay.

 

[Lyssav]

I'm going to the library tomorrow to see if the microfiche will produce a clearer image.

 

[Lyssav]

Unless you guys are seeing something I am not, the article says she ran away from home and found everything that she was missing at the shelter. She didn't run away from the shelter, the shelter was her salvation.

At this point, I think we are looking for someone who hasn't been reported missing; considering the rule out list - one can only assume WCJD isn't listed as a missing person yet. There are also some striking similarities between Kitty and WCJD, the timeline is good and the location is too. I think the real question is where did Kitty runaway from? It is very possible Kitty could have come from the Rockport area, Galveston is just a few hours up the coast, and if you travel the Blue Water highway; it's a straight shot up the coast.

 

[rats]

Whether or not she's WCJD, I requested the VHS because I found a VHS player!! Will update.

so update: unfortunately, they can't send it... I don't know when the next time I can go out to PA is though.

 

[Kimm11]

At this point, I think we are looking for someone who hasn't been reported missing; considering the rule out list - one can only assume WCJD isn't listed as a missing person yet. There are also some striking similarities between Kitty and WCJD, the timeline is good and the location is too. I think the real question is where did Kitty runaway from? It is very possible Kitty could have come from the Rockport area, Galveston is just a few hours up the coast, and if you travel the Blue Water highway; it's a straight shot up the coast.

Maybe the shelter still has some paperwork on kitty. I'm not sure if they'll disclose any info though. I've been wanting to check that out.

 

[Lyssav]

Maybe the shelter still has some paperwork on kitty. I'm not sure if they'll disclose any info though. I've been wanting to check that out.

I passed on the article to WCJDs case manager, and to say that she is interested would be an understatement. The case manager is going to try to contact the youth home to see if she can find out some info. on Kitty, however; that paperwork is nearly 36years old, I would expect the youth center to keep all of the paperwork, but we had a major hurricane in 2008, so there is no guarantee those papers weren't waterlogged and thrown out. I still think someone that worked in the youth home would remember Kitty.