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

[Mysteries1974]

I’ve been told that the alignment of her teeth was flawless, as if she had previously worn braces, but there was no evidence that she had worn braces.

Thanks but I realized that the girl who I was referring to vanished 5 years after this Jane Doe was found

 

[carbuff]

Is it just me or has DNA Doe taken a bit of wind out of our sails? I love what they are doing but it has sort of left me short of inspiration and I just kind of want them to do all the work that I used to love to try to do. I need to get it back in gear!!

Me too. Not just DDP and the other genetic researchers doing such great work, but the realization that nearly all the many recent matches that mean so much to the families were to people who were never reported missing, and in many cases who had caring family who did not even know they were missing. It seems like poking in missing persons files and newspaper articles for clues is just going about it the wrong way. Finding families and getting publicity seems to be the more useful thing to do.

 

[Alleykins]

Me too. Not just DDP and the other genetic researchers doing such great work, but the realization that nearly all the many recent matches that mean so much to the families were to people who were never reported missing, and in many cases who had caring family who did not even know they were missing. It seems like poking in missing persons files and newspaper articles for clues is just going about it the wrong way. Finding families and getting publicity seems to be the more useful thing to do.

Agreed. A lot of the matches were some of the cases I followed and spent hours searching. I'm glad their cases are being solved, but I've noticed the trend of the under reporting/possibly not reported. Wish there was a way to reach people and ask them if they're missing someone.

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

Agreed. A lot of the matches were some of the cases I followed and spent hours searching. I'm glad their cases are being solved, but I've noticed the trend of the under reporting/possibly not reported. Wish there was a way to reach people and ask them if they're missing someone.

I've been having similar feelings, but to some extent, these especially well-publicized cases where someone is still unidentified, it makes sense that the person was never reported missing--otherwise the case would not have required DDP to be solved. And as more and more people are added to NamUs, with DNA, many cases will solve themselves, so to speak. But DDP and LE can't always investigate every case in the same way. Look at Lina Izaguirre Reyes's identification recently--there is such a backlog of older cases, not always with DNA available, not always with family present locally or otherwise to push LE for ongoing investigation, that there is still room for forums like this. I've also noticed some people moving to strategies of searching old newspapers, Ancestry, etc., for the missing that are not in NamUs--I myself have been taking note when I see posts shared on Facebook of family looking for someone that is missing or with whom they have lost contact, but perhaps has not been reported missing for various reasons--I think this is another strategy that may eventually bear fruit.

 

[Alleykins]

I've been having similar feelings, but to some extent, these especially well-publicized cases where someone is still unidentified, it makes sense that the person was never reported missing--otherwise the case would not have required DDP to be solved. And as more and more people are added to NamUs, with DNA, many cases will solve themselves, so to speak. But DDP and LE can't always investigate every case in the same way. Look at Lina Izaguirre Reyes's identification recently--there is such a backlog of older cases, not always with DNA available, not always with family present locally or otherwise to push LE for ongoing investigation, that there is still room for forums like this. I've also noticed some people moving to strategies of searching old newspapers, Ancestry, etc., for the missing that are not in NamUs--I myself have been taking note when I see posts shared on Facebook of family looking for someone that is missing or with whom they have lost contact, but perhaps has not been reported missing for various reasons--I think this is another strategy that may eventually bear fruit.

I ran into that FB, where someone mentioned a missing relative, and I meant to reach out to them and ask if they needed help getting him into NamUs, etc. I will have to be more conscientious of that.

 

[sloane7777]

I have always been interested in her footwear...dont think she intended to hitchhike. Maybe she got into an arguement with her original ride and got out of the car at the diner...could be the reason she made the comment..no one cares..to the waitress. The brutality of the crime and the use of a blunt object to commit, along with the use of her own pantyhose is curious.

BBM if she had jeans and a long sweater why on earth would she have pantyhose on especially here in Texas I wouldn't think it would be that cold on Halloween? do we have a clue how to find out the temp for that day?? , but I am with you guys on the Samuel Little bit , as soon as I read about him I thought of our WCJD! Now hes a guy who would carry pantyhose around !

 

[Paul B.]

the pantyhose and the heels = Carl said she was wanting to look sexy for somebody. We just don't know who that somebody was.

 

[sloane7777]

the pantyhose and the heels = Carl said she was wanting to look sexy for somebody. We just don't know who that somebody was.

But pantyhose are only sexy under a skirt not pants where they are just making you sweat you know where *cough cough* especially walking or traveling how uncomfortable ! just sayin !

 

[carbuff]

We used to wear pantyhose under jeans all the time for the slimming effect. Also no panty line. But that wasn't Texas.

 

[Alleykins]

I didn't like wearing nylons under jeans for the same reason I don't like spanks, they don't slide but stick to the fabric. Or have friction, not sure how to describe it, really, but I found it uncomfortable.

 

[Sweetluv]

You would think the sweater would be just as hot as the pantyhose, esp in texas. I agree though with Carbuff.
Sounds too that she was trying to look nice....for who or what is the question.

 

[detective24-7]

it's gotten a bit quiet in this thread in the last few days. And, I'm sorry, TE, but i just can't see WCJD being killed by a dirty cop.

With how little we know about the case and her, I feel anything is possible - but I agree that I just can't see it being a shady cop or a shady circumstance that LE covered up for. I wonder why so little information of this case is shared; I wonder if there is a specific reason or just no effort made into keeping the public updated (sharing investigation updates even if no success/leads). The two things that don't sit right with me are the missing necklace after it was in LE possession and no mention from LE that the blue Chevy she was dropped off from was ever looked into or sought after.

 

[detective24-7]

BBM if she had jeans and a long sweater why on earth would she have pantyhose on especially here in Texas I wouldn't think it would be that cold on Halloween? do we have a clue how to find out the temp for that day?? , but I am with you guys on the Samuel Little bit , as soon as I read about him I thought of our WCJD! Now hes a guy who would carry pantyhose around !

Wasn't is said that the pantyhose were suspected to be hers as if they didn't know for sure? Since it was mentioned she was seen carrying her shoes the night prior, not wearing them, I can't imagine walking with no shoes with pantyhose on, that would make them get tons of holes on the bottom and look ragged/bad - something you would think she would be aware of and try to avoid if she was trying to look fancy/nice for a potential lover she was trying to get to. Between that and what she was wearing, it's always seemed to me the pantyhose were something the killer had, not something of hers.

 

[detective24-7]

My theory I keep landing on is her killer was truck driver in the Hitch'n'post and overheard her talking to the waitress. He probably found her attractive, then overheard the little details that made her super vulnerable: asking for directions to a prison (showing she's not familiar with the area and whoever was waiting for her was immobile), hearing she seemed disconnected from parents/had no one looking for her ("who cares"), and then saw she left on foot at nighttime. I'm betting he drove the direction she went/towards the prison unit, offered her a ride, perhaps mentioned she could sleep in his truck, then took full advantage and did those unthinkable acts. That would also align with the theory why she had her underwear inside her to prevent any bleeding/dna leaving a trail while she was in transport to be dumped. Ugh, this breaks my heart typing this out. Even if it wasn't in that exact sequencing or scenario, I feel it was a truck driver who killed her.

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

That would also align with the theory why she had her underwear inside her to prevent any bleeding/dna leaving a trail while she was in transport to be dumped.

IIRK, the use of DNA as a forensic tool was rather sci-fi in 1980, and *probably* not what a trucker at the time would consider would lead back to him... DNA profiling began about 1983-84, and the first conviction based on DNA occurred in 1988 (the Colin Pitchfork case).

 

[BayouGypsy]

I remember watching my Aunt and older friends of the family get dressed for dates or just to look nice and they would wear pantyhose under jeans so there wouldn't be panty lines and to make everything look toned. Sometimes they would wear open toe heels. I've followed her story for a little while now and I still feel like she rode with someone she knew and maybe she was asking directions for whomever she rode with, not necessarily for herself. Maybe that's why nobody at the prison recognized her? ** Edited to add--I'm from Louisiana so even with the heat and humidity the ladies would still try to "dress to impress".

 

[Sweetluv]

If our victim is on the young side, at that age, your not so concerned with your attire being too hot for the weather or nylons not going together with jeans. Its more about appearance and how you look. I was always intrigued though that nylons were used to strangle her......just like a blunt object was used and not a male (part). The theory of a woman killer is interesting.
Do we know if the waitress was ever shown her autopsy photo to ever confirm that was def the girl she seen and talked to?

 

[Finders]

Do we know that they were her panty hose? The killer could have had them in his vehicle, maybe he was a burglar that used them for break ins.

 

[carbuff]

I didn't like wearing nylons under jeans for the same reason I don't like spanks, they don't slide but stick to the fabric. Or have friction, not sure how to describe it, really, but I found it uncomfortable.

You're perfectly right about the comfort, but comfort wasn't the issue, appearance was.

 

[Alleykins]

You're perfectly right about the comfort, but comfort wasn't the issue, appearance was.

LOL!!