WA BURIEN JANE DOE: WF, 12-18, found west of a ball field in Seattle, WA - 21 Mar 1984 *WENDY STEPHENS*

97UFWA - Unidentified Female

Artistic renderings of the victim.

Date of Discovery: March 21, 1984
Location of Discovery: Seattle, King County, Washington
Estimated Date of Death: 1983
State of Remains: Skeletal
Cause of Death: Homicide by strangulation

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 12-18 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'2" to 5'8"
Weight: 110-130 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: She was probably left-handed, and she had a healed skull fracture on her left temple.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Not available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: None
Jewelry: None
Additional Personal Items: None

Circumstances of Discovery
The victim was located west of a ball field at South 146th Street and 16th Avenue South in what is now SeaTac on March 21, 1984. She may be a runaway from somewhere else in the country. The remains of another victim, Cheryl Wims, were found at the same time.

On the first day of interviews with Task Force detectives, Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer, admitted killing a woman near the baseball fields off Des Moines Way.

He thought she was Caucasian, in her early 20's (although examination indicated she was a teenager), and had brown hair. He thought he picked her up in the Riverton (Tukwila) area.

Ridgeway is serving a life sentence for her murder.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: King County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 206-296-7530
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 84054800

NCIC Case Number: U498018078
NamUs Case Number: 9927
NCMEC Case Number: 1151977

Information Source(s)
NamUs
NCMEC
The Green River Killer Home Page
Seattle Times
WASPC

Doe Network: International Center For Missing and Unidentified Persons

Doe Network is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to bringing awareness to missing persons and unidentified persons throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

www.doenetwork.org

-Click the Report button if you'd like this case moved to the general discussion area to be opened for commenting.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

DNA Doe Project has taken on her case. I hope they can find out who she is.

Bones 10 84-054800 Jane Doe 1984 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

On March 21, 1984 skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area west of a Little League ball field in what is now SeaTac near Burien south of Seattle, Washington. The unidentified White / Caucasian female was a victim of serial killer Gary Leon Ridgway, who confessed and pleaded guilty in 2004 to murdering a young woman near baseball fields off Des Moines Way. Ridgeway is serving life in prison in Washington. The remains of another victim, Cheryl Wims, was found at the same time. Forensic investigators determined the girl was 12-18 years old, 5’5” tall, about 120 pounds, and was likely left handed. She had died by strangulation a year or more prior to being found

Status: Research in progress

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Green River Killer: Youngest victim of serial killer identified

It’s the case that once terrorized not just Western Washington, but an entire nation for decades. Q13 News has learned the youngest victim of serial killer Gary Ridgway has been identified.

www.q13fox.com

Green River Killer: Youngest victim of serial killer identified​

He remembers the victim, just bones then but mainly intact, was in the fetal position. They didn’t know her name, so investigators began referring to her as Bones 10. They could tell she was just a child really.

"It did bother me that she was so young and she was unidentified."

Years, then decades went by. There’d be many more victims. Budget cuts to the Green River task force that slowly dwindled down to one. "We got cut, cut, and finally it was just me. But we didn't give up."



He never gave up. And now, 36 years later, thanks to help from the nonprofit the DNA Doe Project, and King County forensic anthropologist, Kathy Taylor-using genetic genealogy- she’s finally been identified. She is no longer Bones 10, she is 14-year-old Wendy Stephens.

For Detective Jensen, finally knowing her name is profound, and emotional. "Somebody had to be there for her, nobody else was."

Wendy Stephens was just 14 years old when she ran away from home in Colorado and a short time later, was murdered by one of the most infamous serial killers in Seattle, a city she had no ties to.

"It was kind of frightening that we had this identification and we don’t have this record of her having ever been here. There’s a lot of answers that I’d like to have."

 

[Whatsnext]

Green River Killer: Youngest victim of serial killer identified

It’s the case that once terrorized not just Western Washington, but an entire nation for decades. Q13 News has learned the youngest victim of serial killer Gary Ridgway has been identified.

www.q13fox.com

Green River Killer: Youngest victim of serial killer identified​

He remembers the victim, just bones then but mainly intact, was in the fetal position. They didn’t know her name, so investigators began referring to her as Bones 10. They could tell she was just a child really.

"It did bother me that she was so young and she was unidentified."

Years, then decades went by. There’d be many more victims. Budget cuts to the Green River task force that slowly dwindled down to one. "We got cut, cut, and finally it was just me. But we didn't give up."



He never gave up. And now, 36 years later, thanks to help from the nonprofit the DNA Doe Project, and King County forensic anthropologist, Kathy Taylor-using genetic genealogy- she’s finally been identified. She is no longer Bones 10, she is 14-year-old Wendy Stephens.

For Detective Jensen, finally knowing her name is profound, and emotional. "Somebody had to be there for her, nobody else was."

Wendy Stephens was just 14 years old when she ran away from home in Colorado and a short time later, was murdered by one of the most infamous serial killers in Seattle, a city she had no ties to.

"It was kind of frightening that we had this identification and we don’t have this record of her having ever been here. There’s a lot of answers that I’d like to have."

So glad this child was finally given her name back.

 

[Kimster]

So glad this child was finally given her name back.

Me too! I wonder how in the world she got all the way to Seattle. I guess she must’ve hitchhiked.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

From video here: Green River Killer: Youngest victim of serial killer identified
Really good video for anyone interested.

 

[Kimster]

View attachment 9184
From video here: Green River Killer: Youngest victim of serial killer identified
Really good video for anyone interested.

What a pretty young lady! And another redhead.

I wonder why in the world she decided she wanted to run away?

 

[Guess Who]

What a pretty young lady! And another redhead.

I wonder why in the world she decided she wanted to run away?

because she was 14?

 

[GrandmaBear]

What a pretty young lady! And another redhead.

I wonder why in the world she decided she wanted to run away?

Sooo young.

At her age, it could be anything from abuse and a horrible home life to just being the age that you may think you know it all but not have the common sense or life experience to know what consequences could come from acting out or running away and that whatever fantasy life you have in mind is not well thought out. Sad that she ran into this evil monster.