CA LINDEN JANE DOE: F, 18-25, found with fetus at the bottom of a well in Linden, CA - 11 Feb 2012

[Romulus]

#UP68613
ME/C Case Number 12-1806
Sex : Female
Race/Ethnicity: Uncertain
Date Body: Found February 11, 2012
Location Found Map
Location: Linden, California
County: San Joaquin County

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Estimated Age: Group Adult - Pre 20
Estimated Age: Range 18-25
Height: 5' 1"-5' 4"(61-64 inches) , Estimated
Weight: Cannot Estimate
Hair Color: Unknown
Left Eye Color: Unknown
Right Eye Color: Unknown

Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton


Circumstances of Recovery: Skeletal remains of a female between the ages of 18-25 was found at the bottom of a well. The female was pregnant. The female is of mixed race of either African American, Native American, Pacific Islander or Hispanic.

Links

Human Skull Found During Dig For 'Speed Freak' Victims

A human skull was discovered by deputies searching a rural property in San Andreas, according to John Vanderheiden, whose daughter was murdered by the "Speed Freak Killers."

sacramento.cbslocal.com

*CLICK THE REPORT BUTTON IF YOU'D LIKE THIS CASE MOVED TO THE GENERAL DISCUSSION AREA TO BE OPENED FOR COMMENTING.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Remains of teenage girl, fetus uncovered from Linden well

In addition to the two women whose remains were found in a Linden well -- the likely victims of the so-called Speed Freak Killers Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog -- the sheriff said investigators are now processing the remains of a teenager and a fetus.

www.kcra.com

Updated: 6:32 PM PDT Aug 2, 2012
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —
In addition to the two women whose remains were found in a Linden well -- the likely victims of the so-called Speed Freak Killers Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog -- the sheriff said investigators are now processing the remains of a teenager and a fetus.

The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department issued the news Thursday evening.

The teenager fits the profile of a girl or young woman, likely age 16 to 18. She was between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 4 inches tall, deputies said based on her skeletal remains.

She was also of mixed ancestry, a news release from the Sheriff's Department says.

The fetus was 28 to 32 weeks.

No DNA matches have identified the teen. The Sheriff's Department asks anyone with a missing relative or loved one who matches the description to call the Cold Case Hotline at 209-468-5087.

The remains of Kimberly Billy and Joann Hobson are in the process of being sent to their respective families.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

February 17, 2012
2:54 PM ET
Richard Gonzales

In California's Central Valley, authorities are excavating the gruesome remains of an unknown number of murder victims who were buried many years ago by a pair of convicted murderers and drug users.

The search began last week after one of the convicts agreed to lead authorities to the remains in exchange for cash.

But, the case raises some thorny ethical and legal issues: Should convicted criminals be able to benefit from their wrongdoing?

<snip>

Perhaps that's because no one is sure how many bodies investigators will find. They have dug out one abandoned well and plan to move on to another on the same property on the outskirts of town.

"Well, I've been in this business over 30 years and this is the most gruesome crime scene that I've been involved with," says Les Garcia, the spokesman for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office. "It's just unreal."

Garcia says investigators have found evidence of a mass grave, including more than 1,000 bone fragments, purses, coats, shoes, jewelry and other personal items.

Authorities have identified the remains of two women buried on yet a third property that had once been owned by Shermantine's family.

Shermantine and Herzog, his boyhood friend, were arrested in 1999 and eventually convicted of killing four people, although officials suspect they may have killed more than 20.

Herzog committed suicide last month, apparently after learning that Shermantine, who is on death row, planned to tell authorities where their victims' remains could be found.

Shermantine drew maps of the locations of the graves after a bounty hunter promised him $33,000. More than half of that money will be paid in restitution to the victims' families and some will pay for headstones for Shermantine's parents.