MO ST. LOUIS JANE DOE: BF, 8-11, found in the basement of a vacant building in St. Louis, MO - 28 Feb 1983


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Cord

Victim's sweater; cord used to bind victim.

Date of Discovery: February 28, 1983
Location of Discovery: St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri
Estimated Date of Death: 5 days prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Traumatic injuries
Cause of Death: Homicide by strangulation

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 8-11 years old
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Height: 4'10" to 5'6"
Weight: 61-70 lbs.
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: An anthropological exam revealed that she had spina bifida occulta to her sacrum, but how that manifested itself in this child is unknown. The child might not have shown any outward symptoms. There were no other scars, irregularities, deformities or other specific features that would give clues to her identity.

Identifiers
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Yellow long sleeve v-neck sweater.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery
Two men discovered the victim's body in the furnace room in the basement of a vacant apartment building on Clemens Avenue in St. Louis. She was lying on her stomach with her hands tied behind her back with red and white nylon rope. She had been sexually assaulted prior to being strangled.

The victim's head had been removed with a large-bladed knife after her death. Her head has never been recovered. She had been killed elsewhere and brought to the vacant building after her death.

There were no signs of previous abuse on the victim's body.

The St. Louis authorities have conducted extensive investigations into the victim's identity since 1983 and have received no clear leads. Her murderer(s) remain unknown, although several suspects have been under investigation. No arrests have been made in the case.

Authorities believe she was probably from out of state as they checked school records around Missouri very thoroughly. They conducted a nationwide search, including running ads in every Africa-American newspaper and magazine in the country and corresponded with every state police agency.

Full Anthropology exam and isotope analysis completed by NCMEC and the Smithsonian. Advanced forensic testing of her bones has also suggested that the female was not originally from the local St. Louis area but possibly spent most of her childhood in the following states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and West Virginia.

Additional tests showed that the victim may have also been from the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: St Louis City Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Rose Psara, RN
Agency Phone Number: 314-622-4975
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: CITY-1983-0441

Agency Name: St Louis Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Joseph Burgoon
Agency Phone Number: 314-615-8619
Agency E-Mail: jburgoon@stlouisco.com
Agency Case Number: 83-29584

NCIC Case Number: U470002710
NamUs Case Number: 3199
NCMEC Case Number: 1104360

Information Source(s)
Namus
NCMEC
Wikipedia: St Louis Jane Doe
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1/21/2014)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch News Archive - 3/2/93

Admin Notes
Added: 12/7/05; Last Updated: 10/27/16




NamUs #UP3199
Female, Black / African American
Date Body Found February 28, 1983
Location Found St. Louis City, Missouri
Estimated Age Range 8-11 Years



Case Information

Case Numbers
NCMEC Number 1104360
ME/C Case Number CITY-1983-0441

Demographics
Sex Female
Race / Ethnicity Black / African American
Possible First Name --
Possible Middle Name--
Possible Last Name--
Possible Nickname--
Estimated Age Group PreAdolescent
Estimated Age Range (Years) 8-11
Estimated Year of Death 1983
Estimated PMI 5 Days
Height 5' 5"(65 inches) , Estimated
Weight 70 lbs, Estimated

Circumstances
Type Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found February 28, 1983
NamUs Case Created January 29, 2009
ME/C QA Reviewed--

Location Found Map
Location St. Louis City, Missouri 63112
County St. Louis City
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped)--
Circumstances of Recovery A young female was found in the basement of a vacant building. The unidentified female had been deceased for under a week prior to being found. Her head was not recovered. Advanced forensic testing of her bones has also suggested that the female was not originally from the St Louis area but possibly spent most of her childhood in the following states: PA, OH, MI, MN, WI, IN, and WV.

Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains Head not recovered
Condition of Remains Not recognizable - Traumatic injuries

Physical Description
Hair Color Unknown
Head Hair Description--
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye Color Unknown
Right Eye Color Unknown
Eye Description--

Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Finger and toe nails
Wearing two coats of red fingernail polish.

Other distinctive physical characteristic
Approximate 61 - 70 lbs and estimated to be 5'5" to 5'6" in height when alive. There were no scars, irregularities, deformities or other specific features that would give clues to her identity.


Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing
V-Neck long sleeve yellow sweater
On the Body

  • Case Photo






  • NCMEC: 1104360 - NCIC: U470002710 - NamUS: 3199
Jane Doe1983

No photo available

    • Date Found
    • Feb 28, 1983
    • Location Found
    • St. Louis, MO
    • Estimated Age
    • 8-11
    • Sex
    • Female
    • Race
    • Black
    • Hair Color
    • Unknown
    • Eye Color
    • Unknown
    • Estimated Height
    • 5'5" to 5'6"
    • Estimated Weight
    • 70 to 80 lbs
On February 28, 1983 a young female was found deceased in an abandoned building in St. Louis, Missouri. The female had been deceased for under a week prior to being found. Her head was not recovered. The female is estimated to be 8-11 years old. She was tall for her age standing approximately 5?05? in height. An anthropological exam revealed that she had spina bifida occulta to her sacrum but how that manifested itself in this child is unknown. The child might not have shown any outward symptoms. The female wore red fingernail polish on both hands and was found wearing a long sleeve yellow sweater as depicted above. Advanced forensic testing of her bones has also suggested that the female was not originally from the local St. Louis area but possibly spent most of her childhood in the following states: PA, OH, MI, MN, WI, IN, and WV.

  • 1-800-843-5678
  • St. Louis Police Department (Missouri) 1-314-444-5822 or St. Louis City Medical Examiner?s Office 1-314-622-4971

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh wow! I just watched a documentary released 2022 on "Zumo" "Precious Jane Doe". It was really disappointing. No new information. The building is gone. The documentary was not professionally done. It was very poorly made. It has always made me wonder if it was someone she knew. Due to the grisly fact she was decapitated, And they never found her head. That's sends shivers down me. But also puzzled me that there was never any idea who this girl was. No missing report?. No one looking for her?. No one seeing this child and all of a sudden she wasn't around anymore. LE checked the area, And there were no children missing from area schools fitting her description. So this new information she was possibly this girl from Indiana would make sense. And the father was responsible. Which is beyond understanding. The mother getting out of prison in 1986 and being denied by the father to talk to her daughter, Did she file a missing report?. I'm not judging her.
What do you mean there was no New information. Almost the whole movie was new information that had never been known before.
 
And in a detail about the sweater. The tag was cut out. It had been stated 8-12 age range. But after autopsy, Stated closer to 8. She was discovered by 2 men about 19 years old looking for old pipe to fix a car. The building was abandoned. She was there about 3 days. Mold had started to grow on her and she started to have skin slippage. That makes my stomach turn. I hope it is this girl. Being 9 in 1983. She would be close to 50 now. She's been denied her name and justice long enough.
The fact that we’re teenagers was new in the documentary never known before
 
What do you mean there was no New information. Almost the whole movie was new information that had never been known before.
Any leads. No. It doesn't matter the 2 men's ages. They were adults. It was the same information about her death. Any possible new leads to lead to her identity. No.
 

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