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WESTBY VERNON COUNTY WISCONSIN UNIDENTIFIED
Located:05/05/1984
Age:
Middle Age (50 - 63)
Location Found:
Westby, WI
WHO AM I?
VIEW POSTER: WestbyVernonCoUnidentified_2022.pdf
WI WI - Vernon Co, WhtFem 50-65,261UFWI, severed hands, dentures, May'84
- Thread starter masnitram
- Start date
05/05/1984
Age:
Middle Age (50 - 63)
Location Found:
Westby, WI
WHO AM I?
VIEW POSTER: WestbyVernonCoUnidentified_2022.pdf
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"Body found near Westby; woman's hands severed," Wisconsin State Journal [Madison, WI], 6 May 1984, 3.
Authorities said a passing motorist spotted the body lying along the side of Esofea Road, a gravel road in the Town of Coon, approximately five miles west of Westby and seven miles northwest of Viroqua.
[...]
Hanson said the woman received head injuries but that few other details were available.
"Many of the results of our tests won't be known until Monday," he said. "It's just too early to tell what may have been the cause of death. About the only thing I can say is she probably died within the last 48 hours."
Monte Hanson, "Slaying baffles Vernon officials," La Crosse Tribune, 7 May 1984, 1, 12.
[part 1] [part 2]
"We have checked numerous, numerous people -- ladies living alone in the area," Banta said.
This murder seemed particularly brutal because the woman's hands were chopped off and her face badly beaten. The body was found face down in the grass beside a gravel road near the Milan and Alice Dunnum farm, R. 2, Westby.
[...]
Coroner James Hanson ruled the death was a homicide and caused by head injuries within 48 hours of when the body was found. The body has been taken to the State Crime Laboratory in Madison.
Some 30 to 40 calls were received over the weekend from residents offering possible tips in the case. As a result of one of those calls, police are looking for a yellow compact car that was seen in the area.
[...]
"We've never had an unsolved murder in Vernon County. And I'm not sure we've got one now because I'm not even sure it happened here," Banta said.
The fact that no one reported a missing person is an indication the crime didn't occur locally, according to Banta. In addition, blood was not found at the scene, though the woman had lost most of the blood in her system.
And there are indications that whoever killed the woman did not know the area. Tracks in the gravel indicate the driver turned around after dumping the body, leaving the scene on the same route that was taken to get there. Continuing in the same direction on the road would have placed the driver on nearby county Hwy. B, a paved road which leads directly to Hwy. 14 and 61.
"It was like he didn't want to get lost," said Undersheriff Jerry Fredrickson.
Susan Lampert Smith, "Despite tips to police, body of woman still unidentified," Wisconsin State Journal [Madison, WI], 18 May 1984, 1.
For one thing, the sheriff thinks the man killed her somewhere in a 150-mile radius of Vernon County and drove the body into the county via Highway 14 from La Crosse. It's only a hunch, but the road where the man was spotted is only visible to a motorist coming southeast on Highway 14. It's also probably the first gravel road after La Crosse that doesn't have a home or farm at the turn-off.
The man turned off on Holte Road about 9:45 p.m. May 5. Banta said the man had pulled the woman's body out of [the] car when he was surprised by a Westby couple who were taking the shortcut to Highway 14.
"He must have gotten her back into the car, because when they saw him, he was running around the back of the car," Banta said. "He got in and took off."
Banta knows the man had the woman out of the yellow compact car on Holte Road because he found some of the woman's belongings along the road. He won't say which belongings, just as he won't say exactly what was used to beat the woman, because he'll need these details to separate the true murderer from compulsive confessors.
"Vernon officials widen probe of slain woman," La Crosse Tribune, 2 June 1984, 8.
The woman is described as being in her late 60s, 5-foot-6 and 150 pounds. She had a 4 3/4-inch surgical scar on her abdomen and was wearing dentures with the following numbers on the upper denture: "420" inscribed and "P85" or "289" in raised lettering.
[...]
A bright yellow compact car was seen in the area shortly before the body was discovered. It was described in the poster as being similar in design to a Toyota or Datsun.
Ron Seely, "Mystery murder victim to be buried soon," Wisconsin State Journal [Madison, WI], 27 July 1984, 1.
Earlier on the evening of May 4, investigators found out later, someone had seen a man in a yellow or green compact car acting suspiciously on nearby Holte Road.
From this and from the location where the body was found, Banta has pieced together the following scenario:
The murderer, with the body of his victim in the car, drove into the county on Highway 14 from La Crosse. Holte Road is one of the first relatively isolated rural roads outside of La Crosse off Highway 14. At about 9:45 p.m., the man was pulling the woman's body from the car when he was spotted by a couple from Westby. He shoved the body back in the car. Later, Banta said, some of the woman's belongings were discovered here.
The murderer turned right off Holte onto Esofea, drove about three miles and pushed the body out of the car and into the ditch.
Monte Hanson, "Funeral rites planned for mystery woman," La Crosse Tribune, 9 August 1984, 17.
He said the woman likely was murdered by a relative or a close friend, since she was not reported missing. The victim had long toenails, indicating she was unkempt while alive, he said.
Monte Hanson, "Unidentified woman buried," La Crosse Tribune, 30 August 1984, 11.
The main clue that may someday help identify the woman was the discovery of dentures near the body. Banta said numbers inscribed on the teeth have been circulated to more than 300 dental laboratories in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
[...]
Hanson said the woman was buried in a water-tight and air-tight casket and vault in case the body has to be exhumed someday for relatives to identify.
Authorities said a passing motorist spotted the body lying along the side of Esofea Road, a gravel road in the Town of Coon, approximately five miles west of Westby and seven miles northwest of Viroqua.
[...]
Hanson said the woman received head injuries but that few other details were available.
"Many of the results of our tests won't be known until Monday," he said. "It's just too early to tell what may have been the cause of death. About the only thing I can say is she probably died within the last 48 hours."
Monte Hanson, "Slaying baffles Vernon officials," La Crosse Tribune, 7 May 1984, 1, 12.
[part 1] [part 2]
"We have checked numerous, numerous people -- ladies living alone in the area," Banta said.
This murder seemed particularly brutal because the woman's hands were chopped off and her face badly beaten. The body was found face down in the grass beside a gravel road near the Milan and Alice Dunnum farm, R. 2, Westby.
[...]
Coroner James Hanson ruled the death was a homicide and caused by head injuries within 48 hours of when the body was found. The body has been taken to the State Crime Laboratory in Madison.
Some 30 to 40 calls were received over the weekend from residents offering possible tips in the case. As a result of one of those calls, police are looking for a yellow compact car that was seen in the area.
[...]
"We've never had an unsolved murder in Vernon County. And I'm not sure we've got one now because I'm not even sure it happened here," Banta said.
The fact that no one reported a missing person is an indication the crime didn't occur locally, according to Banta. In addition, blood was not found at the scene, though the woman had lost most of the blood in her system.
And there are indications that whoever killed the woman did not know the area. Tracks in the gravel indicate the driver turned around after dumping the body, leaving the scene on the same route that was taken to get there. Continuing in the same direction on the road would have placed the driver on nearby county Hwy. B, a paved road which leads directly to Hwy. 14 and 61.
"It was like he didn't want to get lost," said Undersheriff Jerry Fredrickson.
Susan Lampert Smith, "Despite tips to police, body of woman still unidentified," Wisconsin State Journal [Madison, WI], 18 May 1984, 1.
For one thing, the sheriff thinks the man killed her somewhere in a 150-mile radius of Vernon County and drove the body into the county via Highway 14 from La Crosse. It's only a hunch, but the road where the man was spotted is only visible to a motorist coming southeast on Highway 14. It's also probably the first gravel road after La Crosse that doesn't have a home or farm at the turn-off.
The man turned off on Holte Road about 9:45 p.m. May 5. Banta said the man had pulled the woman's body out of [the] car when he was surprised by a Westby couple who were taking the shortcut to Highway 14.
"He must have gotten her back into the car, because when they saw him, he was running around the back of the car," Banta said. "He got in and took off."
Banta knows the man had the woman out of the yellow compact car on Holte Road because he found some of the woman's belongings along the road. He won't say which belongings, just as he won't say exactly what was used to beat the woman, because he'll need these details to separate the true murderer from compulsive confessors.
"Vernon officials widen probe of slain woman," La Crosse Tribune, 2 June 1984, 8.
The woman is described as being in her late 60s, 5-foot-6 and 150 pounds. She had a 4 3/4-inch surgical scar on her abdomen and was wearing dentures with the following numbers on the upper denture: "420" inscribed and "P85" or "289" in raised lettering.
[...]
A bright yellow compact car was seen in the area shortly before the body was discovered. It was described in the poster as being similar in design to a Toyota or Datsun.
Ron Seely, "Mystery murder victim to be buried soon," Wisconsin State Journal [Madison, WI], 27 July 1984, 1.
Earlier on the evening of May 4, investigators found out later, someone had seen a man in a yellow or green compact car acting suspiciously on nearby Holte Road.
From this and from the location where the body was found, Banta has pieced together the following scenario:
The murderer, with the body of his victim in the car, drove into the county on Highway 14 from La Crosse. Holte Road is one of the first relatively isolated rural roads outside of La Crosse off Highway 14. At about 9:45 p.m., the man was pulling the woman's body from the car when he was spotted by a couple from Westby. He shoved the body back in the car. Later, Banta said, some of the woman's belongings were discovered here.
The murderer turned right off Holte onto Esofea, drove about three miles and pushed the body out of the car and into the ditch.
Monte Hanson, "Funeral rites planned for mystery woman," La Crosse Tribune, 9 August 1984, 17.
He said the woman likely was murdered by a relative or a close friend, since she was not reported missing. The victim had long toenails, indicating she was unkempt while alive, he said.
Monte Hanson, "Unidentified woman buried," La Crosse Tribune, 30 August 1984, 11.
The main clue that may someday help identify the woman was the discovery of dentures near the body. Banta said numbers inscribed on the teeth have been circulated to more than 300 dental laboratories in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
[...]
Hanson said the woman was buried in a water-tight and air-tight casket and vault in case the body has to be exhumed someday for relatives to identify.
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Important takeaways from the articles above:
- The woman was not killed where her body was found, since no blood was found at the scene
- The woman was killed by a blow to the head
- She wore dentures with the numbers "420" inscribed and "P85" or "289" in raised lettering
- She was likely killed less than 48 hours before her body was found
- Officials believe she was killed within a 150-mile radius of Vernon County
- The killer was spotted by a couple on Holte Road at around 9:45 p.m. as he was attempting to dump the body. Some of the woman's belongings were found on Holte Road
- The killer drove a yellow compact car, possibly a Toyota or Datsun
- The killer most likely drove to the area on Highway 14 from La Crosse
ETA: I wonder if the couple got a good enough look at the man to provide a description or if it was too dark out for them to see anything. It's remarkable that witnesses saw the body being dumped and yet neither the victim nor her killer have been identified.
- The woman was not killed where her body was found, since no blood was found at the scene
- The woman was killed by a blow to the head
- She wore dentures with the numbers "420" inscribed and "P85" or "289" in raised lettering
- She was likely killed less than 48 hours before her body was found
- Officials believe she was killed within a 150-mile radius of Vernon County
- The killer was spotted by a couple on Holte Road at around 9:45 p.m. as he was attempting to dump the body. Some of the woman's belongings were found on Holte Road
- The killer drove a yellow compact car, possibly a Toyota or Datsun
- The killer most likely drove to the area on Highway 14 from La Crosse
ETA: I wonder if the couple got a good enough look at the man to provide a description or if it was too dark out for them to see anything. It's remarkable that witnesses saw the body being dumped and yet neither the victim nor her killer have been identified.
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Thanks for sharing the articles, and condensing some important takeaways for us.
I would guess that it was probably too dark to see well, but some clarification on if that's correct would be helpful. Pretty surprising that some witnesses did manage to see anything to begin with!
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Vernon County Jane Doe | DNA Doe Project
dnadoeproject.org
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Has Grace Loretta Zoeller been considered a possible match for the Vernon County Jane Doe?
Grace Loretta Zoeller – The Charley Project
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
3637DFAZ - Grace Loretta Zoeller
Missing: Grace Zoeller | Phoenix, AZ | Uncovered
Grace Zoeller would have been around 53 years old in 1984.
Grace Loretta Zoeller – The Charley Project
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
3637DFAZ - Grace Loretta Zoeller
Missing: Grace Zoeller | Phoenix, AZ | Uncovered
Grace Zoeller would have been around 53 years old in 1984.
I don't think this is a match. Visually they don't look the same, and Grace had a prominent birthmark and there is no mention of any birthmarks on JD. I doubt she was ever reported missing but she is probably semi-local to the area she was found.
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I wonder how accurate the pollen isotope analysis in this case was stating that she was from AZ/NM.
I don't trust isotope analysis AT ALL. I can't think of a case where it was accurate.
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Yeah, there have been some that are fairly accurate that I can recall, but many more that were wildly off. I'll always think about Evelyn Colon's isotopes saying that she was from Europe when she was from New Jersey and AFAIK never even set foot in Europe. Granted, those were dental isotopes, but still.
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According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, new evidence suggests the woman found murdered in the ditch of a rural county road in May, 1984, is most likely from Arizona or New Mexico.
Recently, all of the clothing found with the victim was submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Chicago for pollen testing. The pollen profile suggests the victim is most likely from an urban area in the Semi-Arid Highlands or lowest elevation zone of the Temperate Sierra found in the states of Arizona or New Mexico.
By some it has been called the perfect murder because in a time when fingerprints were the best method of identification, this Jane Doe had no hands. They had been severed at the wrist.
In 31 years, technology has drastically changed and investigators are hoping that change will mean they can soon give Jane Doe her name back.
“It was dumped like a bag of garbage,” said Lt. Scott Bjerkos of the Vernon County Sheriff’s Department.
Her body has recently been exhumed by investigators and sent for testing with the hope that new technology can shed some light on the case.
“There was no procedure for DNA. I mean, DNA (testing) did not exist 31 years ago. You’re concentrating on a blood type, type of hair, other things that we would say are old school type of technology,” Bjerkos said.
Bjerkos said the tests being done on Jane Doe will create a more accurate “likeness” or facial reconstruction photo, and the DNA testing should hopefully give Jane Doe back her true identity.
“In our Jane Doe case we know the hair color, we know the color (of her) eyes, and along with the precision measurements that the forensic artist is going to be doing, we feel very confident that the likeness is going to be a life-like likeness,” Bjerkos said.
www.news8000.com
Recently, all of the clothing found with the victim was submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Chicago for pollen testing. The pollen profile suggests the victim is most likely from an urban area in the Semi-Arid Highlands or lowest elevation zone of the Temperate Sierra found in the states of Arizona or New Mexico.
By some it has been called the perfect murder because in a time when fingerprints were the best method of identification, this Jane Doe had no hands. They had been severed at the wrist.
In 31 years, technology has drastically changed and investigators are hoping that change will mean they can soon give Jane Doe her name back.
“It was dumped like a bag of garbage,” said Lt. Scott Bjerkos of the Vernon County Sheriff’s Department.
Her body has recently been exhumed by investigators and sent for testing with the hope that new technology can shed some light on the case.
“There was no procedure for DNA. I mean, DNA (testing) did not exist 31 years ago. You’re concentrating on a blood type, type of hair, other things that we would say are old school type of technology,” Bjerkos said.
Bjerkos said the tests being done on Jane Doe will create a more accurate “likeness” or facial reconstruction photo, and the DNA testing should hopefully give Jane Doe back her true identity.
“In our Jane Doe case we know the hair color, we know the color (of her) eyes, and along with the precision measurements that the forensic artist is going to be doing, we feel very confident that the likeness is going to be a life-like likeness,” Bjerkos said.
New evidence suggests Vernon County’s ‘Jane Doe’ from the southwest
According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, new evidence suggests the woman found murdered in the ditch of a rural county road in May, 1984, is most likely from Arizona
Do we know what the update is in this article? We knew about the pollen testing and possibly be from the SW and she’s on the DNA Doe list…According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, new evidence suggests the woman found murdered in the ditch of a rural county road in May, 1984, is most likely from Arizona or New Mexico.
Recently, all of the clothing found with the victim was submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Chicago for pollen testing. The pollen profile suggests the victim is most likely from an urban area in the Semi-Arid Highlands or lowest elevation zone of the Temperate Sierra found in the states of Arizona or New Mexico.
By some it has been called the perfect murder because in a time when fingerprints were the best method of identification, this Jane Doe had no hands. They had been severed at the wrist.
In 31 years, technology has drastically changed and investigators are hoping that change will mean they can soon give Jane Doe her name back.
“It was dumped like a bag of garbage,” said Lt. Scott Bjerkos of the Vernon County Sheriff’s Department.
Her body has recently been exhumed by investigators and sent for testing with the hope that new technology can shed some light on the case.
“There was no procedure for DNA. I mean, DNA (testing) did not exist 31 years ago. You’re concentrating on a blood type, type of hair, other things that we would say are old school type of technology,” Bjerkos said.
Bjerkos said the tests being done on Jane Doe will create a more accurate “likeness” or facial reconstruction photo, and the DNA testing should hopefully give Jane Doe back her true identity.
“In our Jane Doe case we know the hair color, we know the color (of her) eyes, and along with the precision measurements that the forensic artist is going to be doing, we feel very confident that the likeness is going to be a life-like likeness,” Bjerkos said.
New evidence suggests Vernon County’s ‘Jane Doe’ from the southwest
According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, new evidence suggests the woman found murdered in the ditch of a rural county road in May, 1984, is most likely from Arizona
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I assume it’s this:
Bjerkos said the tests being done on Jane Doe will create a more accurate “likeness” or facial reconstruction photo, and the DNA testing should hopefully give Jane Doe back her true identity.
“In our Jane Doe case we know the hair color, we know the color (of her) eyes, and along with the precision measurements that the forensic artist is going to be doing, we feel very confident that the likeness is going to be a life-like likeness,” Bjerkos said.
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Westby, Vernon County, Wisconsin Unidentified | Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults
The victim was located on May 4, 1984 along Old Line Road, approximately 6 miles from Westby, Wisconsin. Law enforcement recently received a credible lead that the victim likely lived in and may be from the states of Arizona or New Mexico. The victim’s cause of death was ruled as severe head...
please help!
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Dorothy Lucille Murrell??
Dorothy Lucille Murrell
Dorothy Lucille Murrell
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The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
Cindy didn't go missing until a month after this Doe was found, and she's 23 years younger than the estimated age.
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sorry just trying to get used to this, im a rookie lol but what about
Dorothy Lucille Murrell
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bump
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