Author Topic: APACHE JUNCTION JANE DOE: NF, 16-18, found in a desert area - 6 August 1992  (Read 357 times)

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The decedent's mummified remains were located in a desert area in Apache Junction just south of US 60.

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https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6349



Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP6349 Female, Hispanic / Latino
Date Found
August 6, 1992
Location Found
Apache Junction, Arizona
Estimated Age Range
16-18 Years

Case Information
Case Numbers
NCMEC Number
--
ME/C Case Number
ML92-0955

Demographics
Sex
Female
Race / Ethnicity
Hispanic / Latino

Adult - Pre 20
Estimated Age Range (Years)
16-18
Estimated Year of Death
1992
Estimated PMI
Weeks
Height
5' 1"(61 inches) , Estimated
Weight
Cannot Estimate
Circumstances
Type
Unidentified Deceased
Date Found
August 6, 1992
NamUs Case Created
December 14, 2009
ME/C QA Reviewed
December 19, 2011

Location Found Map
Street Address
NW corner of Idaho & Baseline Rds
South of US 60
Apache Junction, Arizona 85119
County
Pinal County
GPS Coordinates
--
Circumstances of Recovery
Decomposed body found in desert near highway US 60.
Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains
All parts recovered
Condition of Remains
Not recognizable - Mummified
Circumstance Notes
Exhumed under PCOME case number ML12-02076.

Physical Description
Hair Color
Brown
Head Hair Description
Head hair recovered from the scalp is microscopically similar to head hairs from known Admixed AmerIndians (for example, SW Hispanics).
Body Hair Description
N/A
Facial Hair Description
N/A
Left Eye Color
Unknown or Missing
Right Eye Color
Unknown or Missing
Eye Description
N/A
Distinctive Physical Features
No Known Information

Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing1. One pair of blue denim cut-off short pants. The pants are in place with the waist buttoned and zipper buttoned. The pant cuff margins are irregular and frayed with folding. Multiple horizontal slit-like openings are over the anterior right front pant leg. In the left front pants pocket is a corroded quarter, a penny, and a yellow metal token. On one side of the token is "Valid for one student fare" and on the opposite side is "Phoenix Transit System" with a central large "P". The short pants are Levi brand. No size can be determined. Within the right front pants pocket is a round piece of paper the size of a penny with green ink on each side depicting a figure of Abraham Lincoln on one side and the Lincoln Memorial on the other, just like that of a penny. 2. One pair of light-colored underpants, which are "Adonna" by JCPenney, size 5. The underpants are inside-out and in place. 3. One light-colored pullover short-sleeved T-shirt. A soccer multicolored design is on the shirt, as are the words "Team Gear". This shirt is Team Gear brand size large. 4. One white bra, which is fashioned in the usual fashion over the back. The bra is light-colored and padded. No size or manufacturer iOn the Body
JewelryOver the left ring finger is a yellow metal ring with a nugget design.On the Body

   

Investigating Agencies
Apache Junction Police Department
(480) 982-8260

Agency Case Number
92-3057
Stephanie Bourgeois
--
Case Contributors
Bruce Anderson, Forensic Anthropologist
Pima County Medical Examiner's Office
(520) 724-8600
Stephanie Bourgeois, Law Enforcement
Apache Junction Police Department
(480) 982-8260

Akoya

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http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/689ufaz.html

689UFAZ - Unidentified Female







Reconstructions of the decedent (images 1-2 by the FBI); decedent's clothing.

Date of Discovery: August 6, 1992
Location of Discovery: Apache Junction, Pinal County, Arizona
Estimated Date of Death: 4-10 weeks prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Mummified
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description

Estimated Age: 16-18 years old
Race: Hispanic and/or Native American.
Sex: Female
Height: 5'0" to 5'2"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: : Brown. Head hair recovered from the scalp is microscopically similar to head hairs from known Admixed AmerIndians (for example, SW Hispanics).
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Blue denim Levi cut-off short pants with . The pants are in place with the waist buttoned and zipper buttoned. The pant cuff margins are irregular and frayed with folding. Multiple horizontal slit-like openings are over the anterior right front pant leg. No size can be determined. Light-colored Adonna by JCPenney underpants (size 5). The underpants are inside-out and in place. Light-colored pullover short-sleeved Team Gear t-shirt with a soccer multicolored design and the words "Team Gear" (size large). Light-colored or white padded bra, which is fashioned in the usual fashion over the back. No size or manufacturer is identifiable.
Jewelry: Yellow-metal ring with a nugget design on the left ring finger.
Additional Personal Items: Light-colored elastic hairband. Found in the left front pants pocket is a corroded quarter, a penny, and a yellow metal token. On one side of the token is "Valid for one student fare" and on the other side is "Phoenix Transit System" with a central large "P". Found in the right front pants pocket is a round piece of paper the size of a penny with green ink on each side depicting a figure of Abraham Lincoln on one side and the Lincoln Memorial on the other, just like that of a penny.

Circumstances of Discovery
The dedecent's mummified remains were located in a desert area in Apache Junction just south of US 60.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Apache Junction Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Jim Trout or Crime Scene Tech Stephanie Bourgeois
Agency Phone Number: 480-982-8260
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 923057

Agency Name: Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 520-866-7252
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: ML92-0955

NCIC Case Number: U583231250
NamUs Case Number: 6349
NCMEC Case Number: 1184132

Information Source(s)
NamUs
NCMEC
Apache Junction Police Department

Admin Notes
Added: Prior to 2013; Last Updated: 12/11/17

Akoya

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https://www.facebook.com/DNADoeProject/

Apache Junction Jane Doe’s (AJJD) DNA was extracted and underwent Whole Genome Sequencing in October. We received her file in early November and uploaded to GEDmatch, and our team of volunteers are currently conducting genealogical analysis.

AJJD's ethnicity breakdown includes Native American, African American, and European, a typical Hispanic mix. Her mtDNA haplogroup is C1b11, suggesting Native American ancestry on her mother’s side. Some of her DNA matches are Mexican, some are Pima Native American. Her closest matches are likely third or more distant cousins, which means we need to build their trees four to five generations back to find AJJD’s possible ancestors.


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http://dnadoeproject.org/case/apache-junction-jane-doe/

Apache Junction Jane Doe Active Cases



On August 6, 1992, the body of an unidentified female was located in a desert area south of US Highway 60 and west of Idaho Road in Apache Junction, Pinal County, Arizona.

It is believed the Jane Doe had been deceased for approximately 3 to 5 weeks prior to recovery.  Her age at death is estimated between 16- and 18-years-old.  She was 5′ 1″ (61 inches); her weight could not be determined.  She had brown hair in a ponytail, which contained a light-colored elastic hair band. She was found wearing a pair of blue denim cut-off short pants (“Levis” brand; no size can be determined.) and a light colored pullover short-sleeved t-shirt with soccer balls on the front and back (“Team Gear” brand, size Large). She was also found wearing a yellow metal ring with a nugget design on her left ring finger. A Phoenix Transit System token inscribed with the words “Valid for one student fare” was located in her pocket. She had no obvious signs of dental care and her teeth were described as “protruding”.

Agency of Jurisdiction
Apache Junction Police Department
Stephanie Bourgeois, Crime Scene Technician
480-982-8260

Links to More Information
https://unidentified.wikia.com/wiki/Pinal_County_Jane_Doe_(1992)
http://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMU/1184132
https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6349

DDP Status
The Apache Junction Police Department received a grant of $500 to help fund DDP expenses.  Apache Junction Jane Doe has completed extraction and sequencing and will be transferred soon to bioinformatics in order to prepare the sequencing data for upload to GEDmatch.

Akoya

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http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/ne...cle_e56b5023-7b88-5e83-909e-b58d67ea0048.html


Apache Junction Police Department investigators are hopeful that any thread of evidence will help identify and solve a cold case involving the death of the city's only "Jane Doe," whose remains were found in the desert nearly 17 years ago.
She was wearing a Team Gear soccer T-shirt with soccer balls imprinted on the front and back of it, a pair of Levi's denim cut-off shorts and a gold-colored ring on her left ring finger when her badly decomposed remains were found Aug. 6, 1992, by a man walking his dog south of the U.S. 60 and west of Idaho Road.

The young woman, who is described as Hispanic and eastern Asian, was about 16 to 18 years old and 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 1 inch tall with coarse brown hair in a ponytail and poorly maintained teeth that protruded from her mouth. She also had a Phoenix Transit System student token in her pocket with about 26 cents in change, according to Stephanie Bourgeois, a crime scene technician for the Apache Junction Police Department.

If anyone has any information on this case, they are asked to call Apache Junction police at (480) 982-8260 and ask for Capt. Tom Kelly or crime scene technician Stepanie Bourgeois.

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http://unidentified.wikia.com/wiki/Apache_Junction_Jane_Doe

Apache Junction Jane Doe

Apache Junction Jane Doe was a young woman found deceased in 1992.

It was announced that her DNA was successfully sequenced by the DNA Doe Project

Apache Junction Jane Doe



Sex Female
Race Native American/Black/White
Location Apache Junction, Arizona
Found August 6, 1992
Unidentified for 26 years
Postmortem interval 3 - 10 weeks
Body condition Mummified
Age approximation 16 - 18
Height approximation 5' - 5'2
Weight approximation N/A
Cause of death Undetermined

Akoya

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https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/apache-junction-police-hope-to-solve-death/article_c57802df-76f1-559c-838d-19dadca07578.html

Apache Junction police hope to solve '92 death

Technology could be key to finding ID of woman whose demise is a mystery

By Mike Sakal East Valley Tribune Aug 4, 2009

Apache Junction Police Department investigators hope any thread of evidence will help identify and solve a cold case involving the death of the city's only "Jane Doe," whose remains were found in the desert nearly 17 years ago.

She was wearing a Team Gear soccer T-shirt with soccer balls imprinted on the front and back, a pair of Levi's denim cutoff shorts and a gold-colored ring on her left ring finger when her badly decomposed remains were found on Aug. 6, 1992, by a man walking his dog south of U.S. 60 and west of Idaho Road.

The woman or teen, who was described as Hispanic or East Asian, was about 16 to 18 years old and 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 1 inch tall. She had coarse brown hair in a ponytail and poorly maintained teeth that protruded from her mouth. She also had a Phoenix Transit System student token in her pocket with 26 cents in change, according to Stephanie Bourgeois, a crime-scene technician for the Apache Junction Police Department.

The woman's fingerprints were submitted to the National Crime Information Center's database, and in January strands of her hair were sent for DNA testing to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, where it awaits processing.

"Her teeth are the most prominent part about her," Bourgeois said. "She has very poor teeth. We've had some possible matches through partial fingerprints in Pittsburgh and through dental records in California, but everything has come back negative so far."

The Pima County Medical Examiner's Office, which performed the autopsies for Pinal County at the time, determined the remains had been at the location where they were found for three to five weeks, but it was unable to determine the cause of her death, police said.

However, because of technological advances and expanded online missing-persons databases, authorities are hoping the case will be solved, possibly through a DNA match that could be discovered on items set to be run through the DPS crime lab.

Bourgeois, who has been with the department since 2007, said she became interested in the case about a year ago when she attended the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program near the Grand Canyon. VICAP combines investigative and operational support functions, as well as research and training so agencies can better investigate unusual crimes or incidents.

Bourgeois said having the woman's fingerprints in the National Crime Information Center's system is a good thing. But when DNA is analyzed on the hair and clothing and submitted to the DPS, that could provide a more specific match or determine whether traces of someone else's DNA were left on the woman.

"We're trying all possibilities," Bourgeois said. "I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful we'll find out who she is."

On top of not knowing a cause of death, the department has not received any tips or leads on the case in many years, said Capt. Tom Kelly of the Apache Junction police.

"I'm sure there's a family, a brother or a mom who would like to see some closure in this," Kelly said. "Solving these kinds of things is always nice, because it brings closure to the family. When this happened, some of the forensic techniques and technologies weren't available that are now. We'd like to know if there's somebody who saw something, heard something or bragged about doing something bad to this girl and has remorse over it. We hope by shaking the tree again, something will fall."

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https://www.12news.com/article/news/dna-technology-could-help-identify-apache-junction-jane-doe/75-88f1a69c-ea04-44bb-899a-8ccc7912aa6d



DNA technology could help identify 'Apache Junction Jane Doe'

The DNA Doe Project is now working with Apache Junction police to try to identify a teen girl found dead in a desert area back in 1992.

Author: Trisha Hendricks
Published: 1:57 PM MST February 24, 2019
Updated: 10:07 AM MST February 25, 2019
PHOENIX — It's a case that's gone cold, more than two decades old.

On Aug. 6, 1992, a girl between the ages of 16 and 18 was found dead in a desert area south of the US 60 near Idaho Road in Apache Junction. Investigators believe she had been dead for three to five weeks at the time.

“Her body was in an advanced state of decomposition,” said Cairenn Binder, a forensic genealogist with DNA Doe Project who is working with Apache Junction police to try to identify the so-called Apache Junction Jane Doe. Her work is based on DNA matches.  

Unfortunately, police couldn’t find any kind of ID on the teen and no cause of death was determined based on her autopsy. She was found wearing denim cut-offs and a short-sleeved t-shirt with a soccer theme.

“She had a Phoenix transit bus token in her pocket,” she said. “She had a ring that was with a gold nugget shape at the end of it. None of these items have led to her identification.”

The DNA Doe Project uses genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does.

“My mother is adopted and so I’ve used DNA genealogy before to solve my mother’s adoption case to find her birth parents,” said Binder. “We use the same sort of techniques that you would use for an adoptee to solve a Jane Doe case.”

The organization works with law enforcement agencies and medical examiners across the country, helping them solve their cold cases.

“What we’re looking for is the common ancestor between our Jane Doe and the matches that we see,” she said.

Binder hopes to find someone who knew the teen or someone who might have answers surrounding her death. Advanced DNA technology could be key to this case.

“What we need for Apache Junction Jane Doe are DNA matches,” said Binder. “A lot of people got DNA tests for Christmas, Ancestry, 23andME; They can download their data off of those websites and upload to GEDmatch.com.”

Binder’s hope is to get a name back to Apache Junction Jane Doe.

“She deserves to be buried with her name,” she said. “Most of all, if she was murdered, the only way for her murder to be brought to justice is for her to be identified first.”

Binder says the Doe Project has helped solve 10 cases and she’s hoping this case will eventually make 11.

If you know anything pertaining to the Apache Junction Jane Doe case, contact the Apache Junction Police Department.

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http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/advanced-dna-technology-could-reveal-who-is-apache-junction-jane-doe-

Advanced DNA technology could reveal who is "Apache Junction Jane Doe"


By Steve Krafft
Posted Feb 19 2019 08:05PM MST

Video Posted Feb 19 2019 08:05PM MST

Updated Feb 19 2019 08:06PM MST

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. (FOX 10) -- In August 1992, a teenaged girl was found dead in Apache Junction, and it was a cold case that has puzzled police for well over two decades. Now, however, police have a powerful new tool at their disposal, as advanced DNA technology may help identify the so-called "Apache Junction Jane Doe".

The girl was somewhere around 16 years old, and police believe she had been dead for five to 10 weeks when she was found on State Trust land near Idaho and Baseline Roads. She was wearing denim cut-offs and a short sleeved t-shirt with a soccer theme when she was found.

"There was no identification on her when she was found. Just a couple articles in her clothing, a bus token, a ring, things of that nature. No identification at all," said Larry Kincaid with Apache Junction Police Department Cold Case Investigation.

Police need to know who she is, so they can find people who might know something, and Apache Junction Police Crime Scene Technician Stephanie Bourgeois reached out for high-tech help.

photo
Enter the DNA Doe Project.

"Genetic genealogy tests, all kinds of cases, parents cases, does like this or criminal cases where criminal left evidence at the scene of crime. New technology all kinds of cases. The way of the future for forensics," said Cairenn Binder with the DNA Doe Project.

Anyone with information should call Apache Junction Police.

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http://www.justicefornativewomen.com/2018/05/pinal-county-jane-doe-discovered.html

The following are forensic recreations of the Pinal County Jane Doe:

         

Jane is believed to have been deceased 4-10 weeks prior to her discovery in Apache Junction, Arizona just south of US 60 on August 6th, 1992. Her remains, found in the desert, were mummified and unrecognizable. She is believed to have been between the ages of 16 and 18 when she died. Her cause of death is unknown. Dental, Fingerprint, and DNA information are available for comparison and Jane remains unidentified.

If you have any information regarding the death or identity of the Pinal County Jane Doe, you are encouraged to contact the Pinal County Medical Examiner at 520-866-7252.

Description: Jane was between 5'0 and 5'2 tall at the time of her death and her weight could not be estimated. She had brown hair, but her eye color could not be determined. Her teeth were described as "protruding" and she'd had no obvious dental work done. She wore blue, denim Levi cut-off shorts, light-colored Adonna underpants from JC Penney,  a light-colored pullover, short-sleeved Team Gear t-shirt, and a light-colored or white padded bra. She also wore a yellow metaled ring with a nugget design on her left hand. A Phoenix Transit System coin was found in her pocket which stated it was "valid for one student fare." In her right a pocket a round piece of paper the size of a penny was found with designs mirroring that of an actual penny on either side. Pictures of the clothing she wore are located below.

         

Tribal Information: Sources disagree about Jane's ethnicity but some sources note she is likely to have a Hispanic or Native American admixture. Others list her race as "white" or "unknown."

Sources:
Doe Network
NamUs
NCMEC

Akoya

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https://www.12news.com/article/news/dna-technology-could-help-identify-apache-junction-jane-doe/75-88f1a69c-ea04-44bb-899a-8ccc7912aa6d

DNA technology could help identify 'Apache Junction Jane Doe'

The DNA Doe Project is now working with Apache Junction police to try to identify a teen girl found dead in a desert area back in 1992.

Author: Trisha Hendricks
Published: 1:57 PM MST February 24, 2019
Updated: 10:07 AM MST February 25, 2019
PHOENIX — It's a case that's gone cold, more than two decades old.

On Aug. 6, 1992, a girl between the ages of 16 and 18 was found dead in a desert area south of the US 60 near Idaho Road in Apache Junction. Investigators believe she had been dead for three to five weeks at the time.

“Her body was in an advanced state of decomposition,” said Cairenn Binder, a forensic genealogist with DNA Doe Project who is working with Apache Junction police to try to identify the so-called Apache Junction Jane Doe. Her work is based on DNA matches.  

Unfortunately, police couldn’t find any kind of ID on the teen and no cause of death was determined based on her autopsy. She was found wearing denim cut-offs and a short-sleeved t-shirt with a soccer theme.

“She had a Phoenix transit bus token in her pocket,” she said. “She had a ring that was with a gold nugget shape at the end of it. None of these items have led to her identification.”

The DNA Doe Project uses genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does.

“My mother is adopted and so I’ve used DNA genealogy before to solve my mother’s adoption case to find her birth parents,” said Binder. “We use the same sort of techniques that you would use for an adoptee to solve a Jane Doe case.”

The organization works with law enforcement agencies and medical examiners across the country, helping them solve their cold cases.

“What we’re looking for is the common ancestor between our Jane Doe and the matches that we see,” she said.

Binder hopes to find someone who knew the teen or someone who might have answers surrounding her death. Advanced DNA technology could be key to this case.

“What we need for Apache Junction Jane Doe are DNA matches,” said Binder. “A lot of people got DNA tests for Christmas, Ancestry, 23andME; They can download their data off of those websites and upload to GEDmatch.com.”

Binder’s hope is to get a name back to Apache Junction Jane Doe.

“She deserves to be buried with her name,” she said. “Most of all, if she was murdered, the only way for her murder to be brought to justice is for her to be identified first.”

Binder says the Doe Project has helped solve 10 cases and she’s hoping this case will eventually make 11.

If you know anything pertaining to the Apache Junction Jane Doe case, contact the Apache Junction Police Department.

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Apache Junction
Arizona

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Location Found Map
Street Address
NW corner of Idaho & Baseline Rds
South of US 60
Apache Junction, Arizona 85119
County
Pinal County




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W. Baseline Rd.


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