Weatherford TX Jane Doe, located 10/7/88

[jodierenee]

The face of this woman is always in the back of my mind. The Doe Network has some great info on her.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/227uftx.html

My take is that she possibly was a cancer patient and maybe had a masectomy. The method of death was suicide. Maybe she found out her cancer had returned, and couldn't bear the thought of going through it again? She also had $30-35,000 worth of dental work done on her.

One weird thing is that a wig was found in her bag. Maybe she was in hiding? Also, the labels were cut out of her clothing. Sounds like she really did not want to be identified.

I couldn't find a thread for this poor woman so I am making my own. Feel free to post any comparisons. There is too much info for this case to be unsolved.

[teonspaleprincess]

Interesting that you posted this tonight. I was just looking at this earlier. It seems that she should be identifiable. Her dental work alone should be a big clue.

[Spazkat9696]

I think it was in 98 not 88 it would be nice if there was a picture with her mouth shut.

[sloane]

I think it was in 98 not 88 it would be nice if there was a picture with her mouth shut.
I think you're right, SpazKat. She is listed on the TXMPCH Unidentifieds site as well, and they list her date of discovery as 1998.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch/UnidentifiedDetails.asp?id=U9810001

It's likely they sculpted her with her mouth smiling to show off all that expensive dental work. I'm curious, though, as to why you would like to see it the other way...? :)

[Spazkat9696]

Because closed mouth helps me see the lips and chin better. Both are good but a lot of missing posters only have a snap shot and the teeth are not usually showing to that degree. Just one of those things

[sloane]

That makes sense. And, smiling does change the lines of the cheeks and under the eyes.
Yes, sadly, many times the photos on the missing posters are not the best ones. Sometimes that speaks to a possible reason they may have gone missing or run away willingly in the first place. If the family life is so bad that they don't even have a decent picture of their kid, or at least a school shot, sometimes LE will rely on friends for a snapshot...

[Sable]

What do you guys think of this as a potential match?

The Doe Network:
Case File 1127DFFL

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris1.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris2.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris3.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris4.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris5.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris6.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris7.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/DHarris8.jpg
Far Left: Harris wearing a wig ; Harris, circa early 1970's
Diana Lynn Harris
Missing since August of 1981 from Monroe County, Florida.
Classification: Endangered Missing

Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: October 6, 1953
Age at Time of Disappearance: 27 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'4" - 5'6"; 125 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Reddish-brown/blonde hair; blue eyes. Harris is fair-skinned.
Dentals: Dentals are not available. She wore full or partial dentures at the time of her disappearance.
Other: Sometimes wears wigs.
DNA: Her child has DNA on file with the FBI.

Circumstances of Disappearance
Harris disappeared from the Florida Keys in 1981. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance. Harris is originally from Owosso, Michigan.
The families of Diana Lynn Harris and Thomas Stump (http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1299dmfl.html) believe the cases are connected.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Detective Mark Coleman
Special Investigations Division
305-289-2410
Agency Case Number:
K81 6103 or 95-104235
NCIC Number:
M-103871516
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case. Source Information:
The Doe Network
More Case Information (http://www.realcrimes.com/)
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/fdle/mpersons_res_detail.asp?item_seq=106160852)

[LisainWV]

Your Diana wore dentures which is obviously not a match because of the Doe's extensive dental work.

[LisainWV]

PS To temper my negativity somewhat, she does LOOK like her.

[Sable]

I guess I must have overlooked that.

[LisainWV]

Don't feel bad Sable, I get really excited sometimes and spot a potential match and the 2 weren't even living on earth at the same time. It's hard to look at all the details and I guess that's one reason why these remains are so hard to put names on.

[froggierintexas]

http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200502315S

Are they sure it was suicide? Is it possible it was made to look that way?

[LisainWV]

I'm a little confused on this one. They list time of death as being 1-4 weeks. Then they list her as possibly having had a mastectomy.

If she had been dead only 1 week, wouldn't she likely have some soft tissue left? My mother had breast cancer, had her breast removed and you can definitely tell. If this woman had any soft tissue, I would think you could tell that.

I guess I'm curious as to whether she was just skeletal remains....

[concernedperson]

I'm a little confused on this one. They list time of death as being 1-4 weeks. Then they list her as possibly having had a mastectomy.

If she had been dead only 1 week, wouldn't she likely have some soft tissue left? My mother had breast cancer, had her breast removed and you can definitely tell. If this woman had any soft tissue, I would think you could tell that.

I guess I'm curious as to whether she was just skeletal remains....

I am thinking so as they were unable to get fingerprints. It seems to me that the mastectomy aspect was because of the clothing vs. evidence left at the scene.

[SeriouslySearching]

Hmmm...when looking for the amnesia woman's identity...I ran across a missing woman who had a double mastectomy. I need to find her again.

This woman's jawline is rather unusual looking to me for some reason. Almost masculine...very squared off from the side view. Weird looking...but I can't put my finger on it yet.

Also, resale clothing stores often cut out the tags/labels. (Not sure why...but I guess some of those places feel labels aren't important or they have people's names on them perhaps.)

[froggierintexas]

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch/findme/0tenspot.htm
Teresa Lanette Barnette?

[jodierenee]

Julie Wilkinson

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch/mpdetails.asp?id='M10/3/200112:10:02PM' (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch/mpdetails.asp?id=%27M10/3/200112:10:02PM%27)

[Angel4Alpha]

Hi, ive been reading here at websleuths a while before joining (nice to meet you all) and a thought keeps occuring to me when i see this one.

The reconstructive model to me looks like what seriously searching said above, "almost masculine" and thats part of my thinking on this.

Is it possible that the person could have once been a man? From the description given about the unidentified its stated "Sutures in her pelvic region possibly suggest a hysterectomy, and either two breast implants or prosthetic breasts. Her bra was a "pocket bra" with a facing on the inside to hold prosthetic breasts. This may suggest a possible mastectomy. "

I am wondering if the sutures in the pelvic region could also "suggest" a sex change operation because of also being combined with a "pocket bra" to hold prosthetic breasts and to me this might also explain why the person would be wearing a wig.

I dont know what all they do during an autopsy or how closely this aspect would have been examined or how evident superficially a sex change operation would be to one who didnt know one had occured but also have heard that this kind of thing can cause depression in individuals who maybe regretted it afterward.

Anyway thats just been a thought ive had about it because the model does look very masculine to me.

[kitty]

That's a very interesting thought, Angel!


I was also thinking that the UID may have been wearing the wig because of hair loss due to cancer treatments (hence the possible hysterectomy/mastectomy).


I work at an OB/GYN, so that stuff kind of pops out at me. :)

[jodierenee]

never thought about the possibility of a man...but it does make sense. Hmmm.

[Angel4Alpha]

Ive been trying to read up on that procedure because i am wondering how evident it would be after surgery - one thing that stuck me also - that when a person is going to have that done they are suppose to go ahead and live for a while as the opposite sex while they are preparing for the surgery which to me would explain the wig (while growing out ones own hair and to complete the look )and prosthetic breasts- it might also explain why the labels might be cut out of the clothing depending on what they wanted family members to know at that point.

I also read that there is a great deal of depression involved also and its not uncommon for one to become suicidal after this kind of surgery. Its very expensive and usually only one of means can afford it which would explain the extensive expensive dental work also.

Anyway, i could be totally off the wall here too , its just a thought that occured to me looking at the model. It just really looks very masculine.

[Angel4Alpha]

I was looking at this one again - i knew it kept bugging me that i had seen someone who resembled the model and had recently had a hysterectomy also and it was this one - http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1951dftx.html -the dates dont match but goodness this woman resembles the figure and it says she recently also had a hysterectomy - is it possible the dates could be off and they could be the same person?

[Gina_M]

That's an interesting theory about her being transgendered. I believe the medical examiner would be able to tell gender (that is, what gender a person was born with) by looking at things such as the hip bones - they are different in men and women. Perhaps since she was found with female clothing it was just assumed she was a woman and they didn't consider that.

[absinthe]

This is a strange one.

Is it possible she was in the federal witness protection program? Is there any way to find that out?

[Chloekins]

That's an interesting theory about her being transgendered. I believe the medical examiner would be able to tell gender (that is, what gender a person was born with) by looking at things such as the hip bones - they are different in men and women. Perhaps since she was found with female clothing it was just assumed she was a woman and they didn't consider that.

You are right, sex could be determined based on the width of the pelvis. The female pelvis is both wider and broader. It has a butterfly shaped pelvic opening. You can also see differences in the overall thickness of the bones as females tend to have thinner bones than men.

They also use cranial differences between men and women. Its too detailed to go into right now but there are many differences between the shape of the male and female skull.

I think we can take the information at face value. She most certainly was a woman who underwent a hysterectomy. There are very few surgical scars that mimic those that are found with hysterectomies. Of course there are exceptions to every rule!
:crazy:

[Angel4Alpha]

This is a strange one.

Is it possible she was in the federal witness protection program? Is there any way to find that out?


Thats an interesting thought too- only the FBI would know that - i wonder if they keep up with people in that way afterward?

[Angel4Alpha]

This is one ive been looking at for a while now :

I came across this and her smile looks like this model to me and also says she wore large framed glasses and had a hysterectomy - http://www.nampn.org/cases/medlin_sharon.html
Missing Since: May 2, 1998 from Greer, South Carolina
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: April 14, 1948
Age: 50
Height: 5'0"
Weight: 125 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Race: White
Gender: Female
Distinguishing Characteristics: Dyed hair (red).
Wears glasses with brown large plastic frames or contacts.
Cesarean Section scar on abdomen, hysterectomy scar,
scar in the shape of a half circle on forearm, pierced ears.
http://www.nampn.org/cases/images/medlin_sharon.jpg http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/227UFTX5.jpg Located on October 7, 1998

[Angel4Alpha]

what do you all think about that one?

[jodierenee]

I think it's a good match. The height bothers me though, because it's a little off.

I think a quick glance at dental records can tell if this is a match or not.

[barb0301]

I think its a good one, you should follow up on it. The height bothers me a bit, and no mention of any possible mastectomies. But, I vote follow up on it. :clap:

[Christine81]

My Mom, Diana Harris did wear glasses like this unidentified. I have no proof of her dentures, although I am going by what some family members have told me. I have looked at this lady also because if my Mom was alive still at the time, she very well may have been in hiding. I do not think it's her, but does look like her some. Can't see her living in hiding all that time and not contacting anyone.

[Christine81]

I compared the unidentified to the picture of my Mom with her glasses on and I can see now a lot more resemblance. The mouth area looks just like my Mom's. I was told that my Mom had only partial dentures, either full on top or bottom, no one in my family seems to know for sure. I don't see the unidentified as having dentures on top or bottom with expensive dental work on the opposite side. She does look an aweful lot like her though. I wish they'd have made one too with no smile.

[Christine81]

The height and weight would be right. In 1998 my Mom would have been 45. She had relatives in Austin, Tx, at the time. Mom has not been heard from since July 15, 1981. She disappeared after telling her MI. friend of a drug bust about to happen in the Florida Keys where she disappeared from.

[Salem]

Christine81 - I am so sorry about your mother. Do you know if she has a thread here on websleuths? Also, do you know if she is listed in all the missing persons websites? There is a thread here on websleuths that give a very good list of resources, ideas, etc. for use when a person has a missing loved one. I'll go get the link.

Here's the link: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31441

If we do not have a thread for your mother, we can make one if you like. There are many people here that have lost or are missing loved ones and they are a great support resource, not to mention smarter then heck at searching and following up on leads, etc. Please let us know how we can help you.

Prayers to you and your family,

Salem