The Lost and the Found

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HARRISON COUNTY -- Cold case investigators were disappointed when DNA extracted from the skeletal remains of a woman found slain in 1980 didn't match any of the profiles of women reported missing nationwide.

"That means either she's not been reported missing or there is no DNA on file for the missing person that's been reported to authorities," said Kristi Johnson Harrison County sheriff's cold case and crime scene investigator. "Now, it's one of those cases where I'm going to have to research missing persons to see if I can find somebody with similar features."

In October 1980, hunters discovered the remains dumped on a dirt road off Mississippi 26 in Wiggins. The woman, referred to as Ms. Wiggins because of where her remains were found, had been stripped, bound and placed in a large green garbage bag.

She was one of two women whose remains were discovered that year.

On Nov. 10, 1980, a man found the scattered skeletal remains of an unclothed woman on an old logging road just off Lamey Bridge Road in rural Harrison County. Authorities believe the woman, referred to by authorities as Ms. Harrison, was dumped there because no clothing or personal effects such as purse, were found. Her death was ruled a homicide.

Johnson and Harrison County cold case investigator Sgt. Coley Judy are still waiting for experts to extract DNA from those remains in hopes of finding a match.

The investigation

So far, the investigators have artist's renderings of the women from experts who reconstructed their faces based on evidence found at the scenes.

They are planning to do isotope testing, which can determine the region of the country where the women resided based on the water they consumed over the years.

In 2013, the Sun Herald first reported on the two killings. Sever

al tips came in as a result, but none panned out. Investigators are hoping for more leads this time that might mean a break in the cases. Authorities believe the two slayings may be related because of the nature of the evidence at each of the crime scenes.

"There is somebody out there who is wondering what happened to their family member or their friend," Johnson said. "I'm a mother. I'm a daughter. I'm a sister. I cannot imagine not knowing where someone in my family is for a day, much less years. That's got to be heartbreaking. No matter how many years have passed, they deserve answers and closure for the victims."

Ms. Wiggins

Harrison County investigators have worked with authorities in Stone County, including sheriff's Lt. Ray Boggs, and in- and out-of-state forensic experts and others to gather leads in the case.

They have determined the woman was white, 36 to 46 years old and 5-feet-1 to 5-feet-7. She had a healed fracture of her right clavicle and had medium to dark hair.

Experts estimate she died between April and September 1980.

She had undergone extensive dental work, with four bridges, several fillings and root canals, though her dental records did not match any of the people listed so far in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, database.

Ms. Harrison

The investigators have learned from experts the woman was white, 5-feet-2 to 5-feet-5 and had a curvature of her spine that may have made her appear slightly hunchbacked.

She likely died between May 1979 and August 1980.

She had 12 fillings but no other dental work and it was unlikely she ever gave birth.

Johnson said investigations today are conducted much differently than they were in the '70s and '80s, when DNA technology, for example, was not yet available. DNA samples or dental records weren't routinely collected from relatives of missing persons so that information isn't among the evidence.

"The fact of the matter is that we may never get these girls identified, but the more people we get involved with the number of missing and unidentified persons, the more people could share information with us and possibly help identify these people," Johnson said. "We want to be able to reach out to somebody before it is too late. It's getting really hard with each passing year. Relatives of these two women may be passing away. We want to give them some closure before it's too late."

To report information, call the Harrison County Sheriff's Office at 896-0678 or Crime Stoppers at 1-877-787-5898, text CSTIP plus your message to 274637 or go to mscoastcrimestoppers.com.



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