VA VA - Zuni, WhtFem 50-55, UP136606, passenger in MVA, Jul'49

[Romulus]

Unidentified Person/NamUs #UP136606
Female, White/Caucasian
Date Body Found: July 10, 1949
Location Found: Zuni, Virginia
Estimated Age Range: 50-55 Years
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 60
Estimated Age Range (Years): 50-55
Estimated Year of Death--
Estimated PMI: 15 Minutes
Height: Cannot Estimate
Weight: Cannot Estimate

Location: Zuni, Virginia
County: Southampton County

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Circumstances of Recovery: Passenger of a tractor trailer involved in a motor vehicle accident.

 

[DS2021]

This article claims she was a hitchiker picked up in petersburg, about 40 miles from Zuni

This article estimates she was between the ages of 18 and 25.

Im not seeing any strong potentials in namus

Zuni Jane Doe

Clipping found in The Virginian-Pilot published in Norfolk, Virginia on 7/12/1949. Zuni Jane Doe

www.newspapers.com

 

[victoriarobinson642]

This article claims she was a hitchiker picked up in petersburg, about 40 miles from Zuni

This article estimates she was between the ages of 18 and 25.

Im not seeing any strong potentials in namus

Zuni Jane Doe

Clipping found in The Virginian-Pilot published in Norfolk, Virginia on 7/12/1949. Zuni Jane Doe

www.newspapers.com

I'm no anthropologist but I feel like there's a pretty big difference between young adult vs middle aged.

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

I’ve read as many newsarticles as I could find. She was a hitchhiker going to Norfolk and was picked up by a 23-year old trucker at the intersection of Route 301 and 460. He picked her up at around 3:30am and they had a short conversation but she fell asleep before he learned her name or what she was going to do in Norfolk. Unfortunately the trucker fell asleep while he was driving and rear-ended a car, the truck flipped over and caught on fire. He made it out, she didn’t, though he tried to go back and save her.

While Namus estimates her as 50 - 55, the medical examiner estimated her to be 18 - 25 (as mentioned earlier by someone else), and the trucker said she seemed to be 30 - 35. The newspapers also give a physical description:

Race: White
Hair: Brown
Height: 5 ft 2 in
Age: early 30’s?
Clothes: White blouse and black skirt
Other: she seemed to have a problem with her right leg, she walked as if it was stiff at the joint. She said it was due to a broken leg. She had a small frame

I hope she gets identified, despite the case being 76 years old there might still be living people who knew her and wonder where she went

 

[Nate_Bro]

I’ve read as many newsarticles as I could find. She was a hitchhiker going to Norfolk and was picked up by a 23-year old trucker at the intersection of Route 301 and 460. He picked her up at around 3:30am and they had a short conversation but she fell asleep before he learned her name or what she was going to do in Norfolk. Unfortunately the trucker fell asleep while he was driving and rear-ended a car, the truck flipped over and caught on fire. He made it out, she didn’t, though he tried to go back and save her.

While Namus estimates her as 50 - 55, the medical examiner estimated her to be 18 - 25 (as mentioned earlier by someone else), and the trucker said she seemed to be 30 - 35. The newspapers also give a physical description:

Race: White
Hair: Brown
Height: 5 ft 2 in
Age: early 30’s?
Clothes: White blouse and black skirt
Other: she seemed to have a problem with her right leg, she walked as if it was stiff at the joint. She said it was due to a broken leg. She had a small frame

I hope she gets identified, despite the case being 76 years old there might still be living people who knew her and wonder where she went

Have you got links for the articles still?

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

Have you got links for the articles still?

Yes! I only kept some of them, but I made sure they had all info that was available in the other articles. Sorry for late reply, I haven’t been on this site in a while

Newspaper articles:

Jul 11, 1949, page 2 - Richmond Times-Dispatch at Newspapers.com™

Jul 11, 1949, page 3 - Suffolk News-Herald at Newspapers.com™

Jul 11, 1949, page 15 - The Richmond News Leader at Newspapers.com™

Jul 11, 1949, page 11 - Ledger-Star at Newspapers.com™

Jul 12, 1949, page 13 - The Virginian-Pilot at Newspapers.com™

Jul 17, 1949, page 1 - Suffolk News-Herald at Newspapers.com™

Jul 19, 1949, page 13 - The Virginian-Pilot at Newspapers.com™

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

On a few occassions I have gone through missing persons to try and find a match, I’ve looked on NAMUS, The Doe Network, and The Charley Project, but all of the people who look similar to the description given in newspapers are (in my opinion) unlikely. I looked at people who went missing 1947 - 1949, and then a few more years before and after when I didn’t find anything.

Based on this I personally think this might unfortunately be a woman who was never reported missing. I have had trouble fully believing that - she wanted to go to Norfolk for a reason, I think that surely she must’ve known someone there. But for some reason she might never have been reported missing. Then there’s the possibility that she was missing but declared dead and her case was closed, when I have more free-time I’ll try to look at missing persons cases from this time with people matching this woman’s description, and see if I find any cases that were closed without the missing person being found.

In my opinion, the most likely is that she was simply never reported missing. In the 40’s people didn’t keep contact like today, so this woman’s family might not have been alarmed as quickly as we would be today (if she had a family).

Honestly I just have so many questions about this woman, and it breaks my heart that she might never be identified.

 

[Nate_Bro]

Yes! I only kept some of them, but I made sure they had all info that was available in the other articles. Sorry for late reply, I haven’t been on this site in a while

Newspaper articles:

Jul 11, 1949, page 2 - Richmond Times-Dispatch at Newspapers.com™

Jul 11, 1949, page 3 - Suffolk News-Herald at Newspapers.com™

Jul 11, 1949, page 15 - The Richmond News Leader at Newspapers.com™

Jul 11, 1949, page 11 - Ledger-Star at Newspapers.com™

Jul 12, 1949, page 13 - The Virginian-Pilot at Newspapers.com™

Jul 17, 1949, page 1 - Suffolk News-Herald at Newspapers.com™

Jul 19, 1949, page 13 - The Virginian-Pilot at Newspapers.com™

Here is an AI consolidation of all the details in the articles.

Unidentified Woman Hitchhiker Killed in Fiery Route 460 Crash Near Zuni

State police are continuing efforts to identify an unidentified woman hitchhiker who was burned to death early Sunday morning in a highway collision on Route 460 near Zuni, Virginia.

The woman was traveling as a passenger in a Norfolk-bound tractor-trailer when the truck struck the rear of a slow-moving automobile at approximately 5:15 a.m., about three-quarters of a mile west of Zuni. Both vehicles overturned, and the truck’s cab immediately burst into flames. The woman, who had been asleep inside the cab, was trapped and died in the fire.

The truck was driven by James William McKinney of Taneytown, who told police he had picked up the woman around 3 a.m. outside Petersburg at the intersection of Routes 301 and 460 after she asked for a ride to Norfolk. McKinney said he spoke briefly with her but did not learn her name, as she soon fell asleep. He stated he was not accustomed to stopping for hitchhikers but did so because the woman appeared tired.

McKinney escaped the wreck with second-degree burns to one arm and was treated at Lakeview Hospital in Suffolk. He later admitted at a hearing that he had fallen asleep at the wheel shortly before the collision.

The automobile struck by the truck was driven by Navy enlisted man Eddy B. Coppage of the U.S.S. Spokane, then stationed at Norfolk. Three other sailors were riding in the car. Although the automobile was demolished, all four occupants escaped with minor injuries. The manslaughter charge against Coppage was later dismissed.

Police described the woman as brown-haired, small-framed, and approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall. Estimates of her age ranged from 18 to 35. She was wearing a white blouse and black skirt and walked with a limp in her right leg, which she reportedly said was due to a previously broken leg.

No personal effects were found that could aid in identification. Examination by the chief medical examiner revealed no dental fillings or bridgework. Her remains were taken to the Harcum Funeral Home in Waverly.

State police said they have received between ten and fifteen inquiries from persons seeking missing women who might match the description, but photographs submitted for comparison have so far failed to establish her identity.

Court action against McKinney has been continued pending identification of the woman. Despite ongoing investigation, her identity remains unknown.

 

[libraryg]

Following as I have traveled this road numerous times recently. Hoping for a resolution.

 

[Nate_Bro]

June Pauline Stevens - Please Bring Me Home

June Pauline Stevens was born July 8th 1930 in Cadillac, Saskatchewan. In the Summer of 1948 she either left, or was taken fro Cadillac. There is a

pleasebringmehome.com

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

June Pauline Stevens - Please Bring Me Home

June Pauline Stevens was born July 8th 1930 in Cadillac, Saskatchewan. In the Summer of 1948 she either left, or was taken fro Cadillac. There is a

pleasebringmehome.com

I checked out her profile before, and while I don't think it's impossible, I think it's unlikely that this woman is her. The thing that stands out to me the most is her age, she was a teenager - and looks like a teenager in the photos. In 1949 she would've been 19. The medical examiner estimated her to be 18 - 25, but I just don't see how someone would mistake a 19-year old for a 35 year old, especially when James McKinney (the truck driver) was 23 and would know what people around his age look like.

Unfortunately I think this woman was never reported missing, but it's also something I've been confused over. Since she was going to Norfolk for a reason I thought that she must've known someone there. It could be family, friends, or even a neighbor... and no one noticed she was gone? I wonder if maybe she WAS reported missing but that her case was closed without her ever being found. However, I personally think the most likely thing is that she was never reported missing.

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

Following as I have traveled this road numerous times recently. Hoping for a resolution.

I was very glad logging in today to see multiple new posts on this thread so I want to thank everyone who spends their time trying to help this woman. She deserves to have her name back, and the people who knew her and are still with us deserve to know what happened.

The articles mentioned she was taken to a funeral home, is there a way to find out where she is buried/where her remains are now? Unless she was reported missing or gets reported missing now decades later, the only way to find out her identity would be DNA.

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

I just checked her death certificate, there is no name given for a cemetery or crematory, but since they were still trying to identify her (the death certificate was signed on the 12th) they might not have decided yet. I might look further and see if a later version exists of the certificate. For birth and marriage certificates I've seen second versions be made to correct a mistake or add a name. Maybe another death certificate exists?

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

Something I personally think is important is the fact that she had no baggage with her. She was out hitch-hiking at 3AM, was planning on going on a multiple-hour carride, but didn't bring any belongings?

Jul 13, 1949, page 10 - The Virginian-Pilot at Newspapers.com™

View the digital scanned newspaper from The Virginian-Pilot dated Jul 13, 1949, page 10.

www.newspapers.com

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

A couple of days ago I made a post about this woman on r/gratefuldoe on Reddit; as this is an old and mostly forgotten case, a big priority is making people aware of her. Nothing groundbreaking came of the post, but people gave some suggestions which I feel are worth discussing.

I saw three missing women mentioned by people in the comments: Beverly Sharpman, Thelma Jean Cobb, and Lora Skaggs. While they mostly match the descriptions, the circumstances around their disappearances and some parts of their descriptions make me doubt the woman is one of them. For Beverly it's her age, I just don't think the truck driver would mistake a teenager for a 35-year old. For Lora it's her hair color (red/auburn). Something that puts doubt about all three is that I haven't heard anything about any of them having broken a leg or having problems with their leg. While it's not impossible one of them is this Jane Doe, I still think it's more likely she was someone who was never reported missing.

Because of this Doe's lack of baggage, me and another person wondered if this woman lived in Norfolk or atleast knew someone who lived there. In my personal opinion, her having no baggage tells me she knew she would have access to clothes and a roof over her head in Norfolk. The person I talked/wrote to suggested that maybe whoever this woman was traveling to didn't know she was coming, I think this could explain why she wouldn't be reported missing.

While nothing groundbreaking came of it, I'm glad that a good number of people saw my post. That means there's more people that know about this case now! I will continue to spread awareness about this woman, I really want her to get her name back. I'm unsure where I'll go next, if anyone here has suggestions on where to post about her case next, please tell me! And if you want to, please post about it yourself!

I would also really like to know where/if she is buried, is there a way to find that out? I couldn't find anything on findagrave, and her death certificate has no cemetery or crematorium listed, and the last thing the newspapers say is that she was sent to a funeral home in Waverly (a town by route 460) which seems to not exist anymore. If anyone knows how to find out more info, please do that or tell me how!


NAMUS Links
Thelma Jean Cobb: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Beverly Sharpman: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Lora Skaggs: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

I took some time to look for missing-person cases in the newspaper articles that I couldn't find were solved. I found some people who either didn't have a description or mostly matched; but the cases were either solved, or they were people who aren't in NAMUS or any other place I checked - so their cases might've been solved quietly or I just didn't look far enough. I looked at newspaper-articles from July 1949 and have looked in a bit in June 1949.

Something that surprised me when I looked further into this case is that it really doesn't seem to exist outside of NAMUS and the newspaper-articles. I went to check the Doe Network, but she's not there. I also went to official websites from Virginia about cold cases (the ones that weren't regionally blocked), and this woman wasn't mentioned anywhere that I looked - even though many other old Does were listed there.

I still don't know where/if she was buried. I couldn't find another death certificate apart from the one signed on the 12th, so it seems my theory about the second death certificate was wrong. Unfortunately this means it will be a lot harder to find out where she is now. I also still don't know where the big age discrepancy comes from; NAMUS' estimation of 50 - 55 is very different from the estimate by the medical examiner (18 - 25) and the estimate by the truck-driver (30 - 35), the death certificate writes her age as "35???". When and how was the new estimation done?

I've attached pictures of the death certificate and information from a newsarticle from 1949