The Lost and the Found

Post by Akoya Sun Feb 24, 2019 4:34 pm
http://www.ksat.com/news/fbi-hopes-3d-facial-reconstruction-will-help-id-slain-woman

SAN ANTONIO - The FBI is hoping the public can help them solve the death of an unidentified woman who was found slain two years ago.

In October 2012, a woman's body was discovered buried in the sand on a South Padre Island beach.
The victim was discovered about 5.5 miles North of public Beach Access 6.

Investigators have run out of leads. In fact, they say they don't even know their victim's name.

FBI officials and Cameron County Sheriff's detectives are hoping a three-dimensional bust, created to give investigators and the public a better idea of what the woman looked before her death, will help them crack the case.

The face of the victim was essentially brought back from the dead by Texas Ranger forensic artist Jorge Molina using the unidentified woman's remains.

"In this case, I created a cast of the skull and then worked on top of the cast to create the three-dimensional facial reconstruction," Molina said. "This is something that is a last resort for investigators to try and use the public as a means to identify a victim in a homicide investigation."

Using crime scene photographs and details about the remains provided by forensic anthropologists, Molina is able to recreate the woman's face.

"A forensic anthropologist gives me a write-up as to the biological profile of the victim, indicating height, weight (and) ancestry, and then I use that information to create the facial reconstruction," Molina said. "This victim in particular is a Hispanic female between the ages of 42 to 55 and approximately 4 feet 10 inches (tall) to 5 feet 2 inches."

FBI Special Agent Michelle Lee said Jane Doe's body was discovered on Oct. 10, 2012, by someone walking on the beach. Her grave in the sand dunes had been disturbed coyotes.

"Her body was purposely buried by someone who was attempting to conceal it," Lee said describing the location where the body was discovered. "There aren't any markers, there aren't businesses or hotels. It is a very beautiful, picturesque natural area of the beach that is typically used for recreation and camping and is also used by bird-watchers."

Lee said the FBI was contacted by Cameron County investigators when all other leads had been exhausted.

Other than the clothes she was wearing and some unique facial features, investigators don't have much to work with.

"She was found wearing shorts with a blue plaid pattern and stars and a purple tank top," Lee said. "A unique feature was that she did have cosmetic tattoos, on her lips, her eyes and her eyebrows."

Investigators have distributed images of the facial reconstruction to Texas media outlets in the past without much luck. Now they plan to expand their reach by sending the pictures to media outlets across the country.

"It's possible that loved ones (who) are looking for her are not aware that she was discovered," Lee said. "There has to be a father, a mother, a child or children, a sister or brother -- someone out there that loved this woman is probably looking for her and what we'd like to do is return her remains to them so that she can have a dignified burial."

Investigators believe Jane Doe's body had been buried in the sand dunes for six to eight weeks before it was discovered, putting her time of death around the end of July or early August 2012.

If you have any information or tips you can call them in anonymously to the San Antonio FBI office or the Cameron County Sheriff's Office.

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