UK UK - Baldock, Herts, WhtFem, 17-25, hit by car on A1, Afghan coat, Feb'75

[dotr]

I can't access the link posted above, so here a refreshed link for this girl. UK Missing Persons Unit

Just some random thoughts.
It's possible the girl recognized by this lovely couple is this Jane Doe. Maybe she was using a fake name (she wasn't very open to them about her background) or she wasn't originally from France.

IMO the Odile Ludic angle is a bit odd. With all the publicity in the beginning and after reopening the case and your name was Odile Ludic wouldn't you come forward? If not, why not? IMO LE would have found the family by now if the name was real and she was from France, or at least some genealogical traces. It's also possible she and her family were not from France at all but were living there under the radar.

I find it strange that after all this years nobody "claimed" her.

Thanks for the fresh link..
"Hair
fair - shoulder length
Eye colour
hazel
Distinguishing features
Mark - wart - Right abdomen

Mark - wart - Left leg

Scar - unspecified - Right leg

Pierced - unspecified - Right ear

Clothing
overcoat - three quarter - brown - unknown - afghan

waistcoat - leather - brown - unknown

shirt/blouse - blouse - blue - unknown - and white cotton by chelsea girl

shirt/blouse - blouse - white - floral - smock cotton immitation lace and floral on neck and shoulders.

trousers - jeans - black - unknown - french make "prisu"

dress - mini - unknown - unknown - denim levi make with label "reserved seat" on right hip pocket.

scarf - unknown - unknown - unknown - chiffon lace scarf as wrap.

hose - tights - unknown - unknown - prova - british homes stores make 4-5yrs"

 

[LucyOso]

Did she only have one ear piercing?

 

[dotr]

Did she only have one ear piercing?

The description of one pierced ear caught my attention too, had wondered if that was an error or if the other ear was damaged when the victim was hit, or something else..
Although i did not get my ears pierced until i was in my 20s, in the 80's i usually only wore one "statement" earring, i thought it was a more "rock n roll" look at that time, the other ear's opening essentially, but not fully closed eventually ,fwiw, imo.
Curious why this girl started with only one pierced ear, did she have one done, perhaps as a child she freaked out over the needle and refused to get the other ear pierced too?

 

[PropaneYeeter]

I'm iffy on the Odile Ludic lead. The unidentified lady hitched a ride from a milkman within an hour of her death, and she told him her name was Ann(e?). Ann and Odile sound nothing alike. Of course, she could've been using a false name, but still. Furthermore, Odile had a boyfriend, friends, a mother, a sister, she was enrolled in a school as of 1973...why would no one report her missing?

 

[BethAnn777]

snipped

He sent her away but a milkman later spoke to her. She told him her name was Ann and she wanted a lift to London.

The woman is believed to be aged between 23 and 25 years. She stood just five feet, four inches tall with a slim, boyish figure.
'

She told the milkman her name was Ann. Long shot, could she be Marianne Decker missing from Germany as of 1971? Marianne was 15 in 1971 so she would have been 18 or 19 in 1974. She is described as having dark blond hair and brown eyes.

The Doe Network: Case File 714DFDEU Here is a link to Marianne’s Doe Network page.

 

[Bit of hope]

She told the milkman her name was Ann. Long shot, could she be Marianne Decker missing from Germany as of 1971? Marianne was 15 in 1971 so she would have been 18 or 19 in 1974. She is described as having dark blond hair and brown eyes.

The Doe Network: Case File 714DFDEU Here is a link to Marianne’s Doe Network page.

Yes, maybe... I read something about her missing case in the past. I found it again.

Mönchengladbach: Spurlos verschwunden

At some point there was talk of Marianne Decker went to Turkey and married there. "But there has never been any evidence of this," says Ulrich Lehmann, Head of Commissioner 12, whose staff deals with missing persons cases, sexual crimes in the field of child and youth crime.

There is a little more in a forum, so not confirmed and I'm not sure if it's allowed to take it over to here.

 

[PropaneYeeter]

She told the milkman her name was Ann. Long shot, could she be Marianne Decker missing from Germany as of 1971? Marianne was 15 in 1971 so she would have been 18 or 19 in 1974. She is described as having dark blond hair and brown eyes.

The Doe Network: Case File 714DFDEU Here is a link to Marianne’s Doe Network page.

Could be! It won't hurt to submit her for comparison if you haven't already.

 

[dotr]

She told the milkman her name was Ann. Long shot, could she be Marianne Decker missing from Germany as of 1971? Marianne was 15 in 1971 so she would have been 18 or 19 in 1974. She is described as having dark blond hair and brown eyes.

The Doe Network: Case File 714DFDEU Here is a link to Marianne’s Doe Network page.

Interesting suggestion for this uid, but also thinking of another uid found in the Netherlands, checking it out!
From link..
714DFDEU

Marianne Decker
Missing since January 1971 from Moenchengladbach, Germany.

Posted link on this thread, thanks..
Netherlands - Schiedam, WhtFem, 16-24, 5'3'', 12 Oct 2005

 

[Bit of hope]

I find it incredible that this girl/woman is still not identified after so many years. Her file is still up. Maybe it's time for a new recon, DNA subtraction and genealogical research. No way, I think this girl is Odil. They would have found out/confirmed that by now.

 

[PropaneYeeter]

I find it incredible that this girl/woman is still not identified after so many years. Her file is still up. Maybe it's time for a new recon, DNA subtraction and genealogical research. No way, I think this girl is Odil. They would have found out/confirmed that by now.

From what I can glean, law enforcement use of genetic genealogy isn't legally approved in the UK. Correct me if I've misinterpreted something.

 

[Bit of hope]

From what I can glean, law enforcement use of genetic genealogy isn't legally approved in the UK. Correct me if I've misinterpreted something.

Yes, I believe you are right. @Al Ka told me something about it a long time ago. I thought maybe things were changing a bit.

 

[dotr]

Nov 5 2022

Cold-case investigators launch bid to identify woman killed in 1975

The woman 'seemingly vanished' out the lives of her family and friends.

metro.co.uk

''The young woman – who Locate International are naming the Baldock Woman – was thought to be between the age of 17 and 25.
She had fair hair and hazel eyes and a few distinguishing features: a scar on her right leg and a piercing in her right ear.''

The young woman was seen just 45 minutes before she was killed (Picture: Locate International)

''Now, a major international appeal has been launched by Locate International to finally find the woman’s ‘vanished’ identity.''

''She had friends in Newquay, Cornwall, and would often hitch-hike to visit them.

When she wasn’t visiting friends there, she could regularly be found in the Stotfold Social Club sipping on a cider. She also worked manufacturing souvenirs on an industrial estate in Henlow, Bedfordshire.''

''So if she bears any resemblance, no matter how small, to someone you knew or have lost touch with, please get in contact with us.''

She wore:
· a distinctive brown Afghan coat
· a brown leather waistcoat
· a white cotton ‘Chelsea Girl’ blouse
· a white cotton smock with a floral pattern and imitation lace
· black Prisu jeans
· a chiffon lace scarf.
‘Your information alone can help us identify her.’''

If you have any information, please contact Locate International by emailing [email protected], by calling 0300 102 1011 or by visiting this link.''

 

[Bit of hope]

Nov 5 2022

Cold-case investigators launch bid to identify woman killed in 1975

The woman 'seemingly vanished' out the lives of her family and friends.

metro.co.uk

''The young woman – who Locate International are naming the Baldock Woman – was thought to be between the age of 17 and 25.
She had fair hair and hazel eyes and a few distinguishing features: a scar on her right leg and a piercing in her right ear.''

The young woman was seen just 45 minutes before she was killed (Picture: Locate International)

''Now, a major international appeal has been launched by Locate International to finally find the woman’s ‘vanished’ identity.''

''She had friends in Newquay, Cornwall, and would often hitch-hike to visit them.

When she wasn’t visiting friends there, she could regularly be found in the Stotfold Social Club sipping on a cider. She also worked manufacturing souvenirs on an industrial estate in Henlow, Bedfordshire.''
View attachment 378062
''So if she bears any resemblance, no matter how small, to someone you knew or have lost touch with, please get in contact with us.''

She wore:
· a distinctive brown Afghan coat
· a brown leather waistcoat
· a white cotton ‘Chelsea Girl’ blouse
· a white cotton smock with a floral pattern and imitation lace
· black Prisu jeans
· a chiffon lace scarf.
‘Your information alone can help us identify her.’''

If you have any information, please contact Locate International by emailing [email protected], by calling 0300 102 1011 or by visiting this link.''

This is such a mysterious case. I would love to see her identified, but sorry for saying I'm not very confident this will be solved without the use of genealogical DNA analyse. Sigh....

 

[dotr]

Very lengthy article.. re-posted in associated threads.
April 2 2023 rbbm.

How a UK missing persons charity solves cold cases using expert volunteers

Locate International, founded by a retired detective, has one ultimate goal: to investigate every cold case in the UK

www.theguardian.com

''Despite international appeals for help, the identity of the young woman killed on a motorway in the early hours of 18 February 1975 remains a mystery. She is known only as the Girl in the Afghan Coat. Her anonymity is not unusual: the UK Missing Persons Unit has a database of 13,000 names, a figure that has risen sharply in recent years.

The devastation of families left behind is lifelong. Misha, whose relative went missing 20 years ago, said it never stopped. “You’re always searching,” he said. “It’s emotionally as well as physically and mentally exhausting – you have to think of new ways to search all the time.”


This is where Locate International comes in. The charity is the brainwave of Dave Grimstead, a retired detective, and its ultimate goal is to investigate every cold case in the UK – finding loved ones if possible, or if not then providing a degree of peace to friends and families with the reassurance that every lead has been exhaustively scrutinised.

Locate International is still only a pilot scheme but nevertheless it investigated 128 missing person cases last year, including the Girl in the Afghan Coat. They identified 26 people – one in five.
The success has taken Grimstead by surprise. “It amazes me that our volunteers are able to find answers to cases that have remained unsolved, sometimes for decades,” he said.''

Baldock Woman | Help Identify Missing Persons — Locate International

Discover the story of Baldock Woman, missing since 1975. Learn about her case and how you can help identify her and bring closure.

locate.international

''Can you help us identify ‘Baldock Woman’?​

In the early hours of February 18th 1975, a young woman was struck by one or more vehicles on the A1 near Baldock, North Hertfordshire.
The person who was driving the vehicle that killed her has never been identified and they have never come forward.

A witness stated that she had said that she was heading for London and that she spoke with a foreign accent. We believe her name may have been Odile and she may have been from France – either Paris or the north of the country.

She had fair hair and hazel eyes and a few distinguishing features: a scar on her right leg and a piercing in her right ear.

She wore:

• a distinctive brown Afghan coat
• a brown leather waistcoat
• a white cotton ‘Chelsea Girl’ blouse
• a white cotton smock with a floral pattern and imitation lace
• black Prisu jeans – a French brand
• a chiffon lace scarf


''Did you ever meet her while she was hitch-hiking, or did she stay with you?

Did you study at a language school with her?

Did she ever tell you her name, or where she was from?''
We’re confident that after close to 48 years, Baldock Woman’s identity can be found thanks to just one person with one piece of information.

Did you ever see her at the Stotfold Social Club in Bedfordshire, where she was known to enjoy drinking cider?

Did you ever work at an industrial estate in Henlow, Bedfordshire? We believe she worked at a factory that made souvenirs there in the early 70s.

Did you ever spend time with her in Cornwall in the 1970s? If you met her, can you remember anything she told you about herself?''

 

[Bit of hope]

Very lengthy article.. re-posted in associated threads.
April 2 2023 rbbm.

How a UK missing persons charity solves cold cases using expert volunteers

Locate International, founded by a retired detective, has one ultimate goal: to investigate every cold case in the UK

www.theguardian.com

''Despite international appeals for help, the identity of the young woman killed on a motorway in the early hours of 18 February 1975 remains a mystery. She is known only as the Girl in the Afghan Coat. Her anonymity is not unusual: the UK Missing Persons Unit has a database of 13,000 names, a figure that has risen sharply in recent years.

The devastation of families left behind is lifelong. Misha, whose relative went missing 20 years ago, said it never stopped. “You’re always searching,” he said. “It’s emotionally as well as physically and mentally exhausting – you have to think of new ways to search all the time.”


This is where Locate International comes in. The charity is the brainwave of Dave Grimstead, a retired detective, and its ultimate goal is to investigate every cold case in the UK – finding loved ones if possible, or if not then providing a degree of peace to friends and families with the reassurance that every lead has been exhaustively scrutinised.

Locate International is still only a pilot scheme but nevertheless it investigated 128 missing person cases last year, including the Girl in the Afghan Coat. They identified 26 people – one in five.
The success has taken Grimstead by surprise. “It amazes me that our volunteers are able to find answers to cases that have remained unsolved, sometimes for decades,” he said.''

Baldock Woman | Help Identify Missing Persons — Locate International

Discover the story of Baldock Woman, missing since 1975. Learn about her case and how you can help identify her and bring closure.

locate.international

View attachment 412615

''Can you help us identify ‘Baldock Woman’?​

In the early hours of February 18th 1975, a young woman was struck by one or more vehicles on the A1 near Baldock, North Hertfordshire.
The person who was driving the vehicle that killed her has never been identified and they have never come forward.

A witness stated that she had said that she was heading for London and that she spoke with a foreign accent. We believe her name may have been Odile and she may have been from France – either Paris or the north of the country.

She had fair hair and hazel eyes and a few distinguishing features: a scar on her right leg and a piercing in her right ear.

She wore:

• a distinctive brown Afghan coat
• a brown leather waistcoat
• a white cotton ‘Chelsea Girl’ blouse
• a white cotton smock with a floral pattern and imitation lace
• black Prisu jeans – a French brand
• a chiffon lace scarf


''Did you ever meet her while she was hitch-hiking, or did she stay with you?

Did you study at a language school with her?

Did she ever tell you her name, or where she was from?''
We’re confident that after close to 48 years, Baldock Woman’s identity can be found thanks to just one person with one piece of information.

Did you ever see her at the Stotfold Social Club in Bedfordshire, where she was known to enjoy drinking cider?

Did you ever work at an industrial estate in Henlow, Bedfordshire? We believe she worked at a factory that made souvenirs there in the early 70s.

Did you ever spend time with her in Cornwall in the 1970s? If you met her, can you remember anything she told you about herself?''

I would love to see her identified.

 

[DSCrime]

Locate International's video on her case

 

[DSCrime]

Did a search of Canadian missing persons b/c I thought, what if Baldock Woman were French-Canadian? But found no cases that really matched her stats.

National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Locate International found a news item from the Cambridge Evening News on 25 November 1972 that mentions an Odile Ledoux, a 20-year-old French woman studying English in Cambridge, who was involved in a house fire.

They believe she could also be found in the Stotfold Social Club, sipping cider.

Mark Greenhalgh, Locate International’s chief executive, said: "If she was alive today, she would be in her late 60s to mid 70s, so we are eager for people to come forward before it's too late."

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2025-02-18/new-details-offer-clue-to-identity-of-woman-hit-and-killed-50-years-ago

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The article stated Odile Ledoux was an English student at Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, now Anglia Ruskin University, and lived on Sturton Street in Cambridge. The team working on the case believe she was from or had lived in the north of Paris and had friends in Newquay, Cornwall.

Mark Greenhalgh, the charity’s chief executive officer, said: “Even after 50 years, we are confident that someone out there can help provide the one important clue that can help us reunite Baldock Woman with her identity.

The charity is now actively investigating the name Odile Ledoux along with the name Anne, Anna or a variation thereof and ask for anyone with information to get in touch by emailing [email protected], calling 0300 102 1011 or visiting Baldock Woman — Locate International.

Missing 'barefoot' woman killed 50 years ago linked to Cornwall

It is thought she was hit by at least one car

www.cornwalllive.com

 

[anijs6]

25-year-old French woman deceased on a motorway near London on February 18, 1975

Distinguishing features:​

• 25-year-old woman
• Brown hair
• Brown eyes
• Scar on right leg
• Single earring in right ear

Clothing:​

• Coat – three-quarter length – Afghan style
• Blouse – smocked cotton, lace-like pattern with floral detail on collar and shoulders
• Trousers – jeans – French brand “Prisu”
• Dress – denim mini dress with label “place reserved” on the upper right pocket

---

1 – Her name was Anna, but she preferred to be called Odile.

2 – Her last name could have been Ledig / Ludig / Ledoux / Leduc.

3 – She lived with her mother and younger sister “north of Paris” or “in a small town north of Paris.”

4 – She had already spent a few months in the U.K., in 1972, staying with an English couple named David and Barbara.

---

We need your help to identify this young woman. Please contact A.R.P.D. (ANONYMITY RESPECTED)

+33 7 84 52 58 20
[email protected]
Assistance and Research for Missing Persons
www.arpd.fr