Identified! CT - New Britain, WhtFem skeletal 'Jane Doe #2', Aug'07 - Diane Cusack

CarlK90245

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Tatertot brought our attention to this (and another) Jane Doe on a separate thread for a different New Britain Jane Doe.

I am starting a new thread for these Jane Does who were found in Aug 2007.

Here is the link to the thread for Jane Doe #1.
CT CT - New Britain - "Jane Doe #1" - BlkOrHispFem Rte 9 at Hartford Rd - Aug 07 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community


Jane Doe #2

2960350710045078242S600x600Q85.jpg


FBI generated "approximation" of Jane Doe Two. Based on a forensic examination of her bones she is in her 40, had poor dental care and a spine condition that would have required medication. She is believed to be white and of Eastern European decent. Her nose is crooked and face asymmetrical with her right cheek slightly flatter than her left. Coroners estimated that she had been dead four to 20 years when her remains were found in 2007.

Here is the relevant news article:

http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2010/08/29/news/doc4c781236f13ff140856886.txt

<snip>
Jane Doe Two likely had a crippling back problem that would require medication.

The bones of the three women were found three years ago this month in a wooded area behind the plaza near the Route 9 north off-ramp on Hartford Road. (see video)

Jane Doe Two is probably a white female of European decent, older, possibly in her 40s, missing several teeth, indicating poor dental care, but she did have a root canal at some point.

Her facial features were asymmetrical, a crooked nose leading to one cheek appearing flatter than the other. Her vertebrae indicate arthritis or some type of back problem that would have made her movements painful, requiring medication.

There is no approximation for Jane Doe Three because her skull was never found. Based on the thickness of her two femurs and her hip, she was likely athletic and probably 30 or younger. Her race is not known.

<snip>

Anyone with information on the identities of the five women should call the New Britain Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at (860) 826-3065.
 
Patricia Lynn Wilson-Swanberg
Missing since August 10, 1992 from Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/973dfor.html
has a somewhat less than symmetrical face and the right timeframe, but she came from a all the way across the country from where the Doe was found and I don't see any sign of back troubles in her details
 
Probably a long shot, but I found April Irene Vlk:
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/v/vlk_april.html

I think she looks similar to the reconstruction, though without a frontal view of the recon I'm not sure. She has back problems and a quick search for the surname "Vlk" on ancestry.com turns up many Vlk's, mostly originating from Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. She has dentals availible (with nothing of note about them on the sites I've seen), but Jane Doe has already had her dentals compared with no results, so that may exclude April Vlk as a possible ID.
 
Police don&#8217;t think it was a coincidence that in 1995 a young female with a gunshot wound to the head was found about 50 to 70 feet away, closer to the building. She and an older woman found around the same time in Massachusetts under similar circumstances have also not been identified.

http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2010/08/29/news/doc4c781236f13ff140856886.txt

So there are several. Seems like a dumping ground for a serial killer.

and there are more that are related somehow, that is six I am counting.

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=33481
 
New Britain has a good-sized Polish community, including a number of recent immigrants.
 
The caption on the AMW website under the first photo is incorrect. That's actually the reconstruction of the 1995 victim, not the 1991 girl. I emailed AMW to let them know about the error:

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=33481

There were indeed six victims found in the general area:

1) 1991 Jane Doe (near Fafnir building): http://doenetwork.org/cases/705ufct.html
2) 1995 Jane Doe: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/175ufct.html
3) 1995 Jane Doe (Tolland State Forest, MA): http://doenetwork.org/cases/187ufma.html
4) 2007 Jane Doe #1, had been dead for 4-10 years (EDD 1997-2003)
5) 2007 Jane Doe #2, had been dead for 4-20 years (EDD 1987-2003)
6) 2007 Jane Doe #3, no EDD given
 
I am 99% sure that Jane Doe # 2 is MJ Menard!

They said Jane D #2 had back problem and MJ menard had back surgery!
 
Mary Jane Menard's back surgery is mentioned on her NamUs page: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/3368

Given that she had back surgery and was from CT, she is certainly the most likely possibility, but wouldn't the state have ruled out missing persons from CT first? Is anyone in contact with LE there to see if she has been looked into?
 
I just spoke with a office in New Britain, he tells me that they have positively identified ONE of the Jane Doe's mentioned here.

Mary Jane Menard had a drug problem,which could have led to the dental problems. She also had the back surgery which was mentioned here.

There is another piece that makes me convinced that Jane Doe #2 is her!
 
Mary Jane Menard's back surgery is mentioned on her NamUs page: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/3368

Given that she had back surgery and was from CT, she is certainly the most likely possibility, but wouldn't the state have ruled out missing persons from CT first? Is anyone in contact with LE there to see if she has been looked into?

I spoke with Detective James Wardwell last Thursday and had a few questions. He was in a hurry and asked me to send him an e-mail with my questions and he would reply back.

I did send an e-mail asking (among other things) whether MJ Menard had been compared to Jane Doe #2. He has not yet replied.
 
I am new here. Is there a private message function? CarlK I would be interested in sharing a photo with you regarding Jane Doe #2.
You seem on top of this!

I left a message for the Detective in New Britain today but spoke to an officer who confirms that they have positively identified on of the "janes"
 
I am Mary Jane Menards Daughter- she has been missing since 03- We have been in touch with the detective and still no news on if Jane doe#2 is her. I would think that the DNA that is on file would be enough to see.. We will see...
 
I am Mary Jane Menards Daughter- she has been missing since 03- We have been in touch with the detective and still no news on if Jane doe#2 is her. I would think that the DNA that is on file would be enough to see.. We will see...

Welcome to Websleuths tmenard2, and thanks for the update.

Please keep us posted if you receive any news.
 
Welcome to WS tmenard2. I've just taken a close look at this thread today, and immediately I thought your mom looks like the closest possible match presented.

DNA generally takes several months and I would like to bring another possible option to the table here, perhaps yourself, CarlK and I may be able to work on. do you think it might be possible to recall which doctor treated her back condition? If so, it might be possible the detective handling your moms missing persons case could contact the physician who treated her back for x-rays. I know in missing persons cases, it is sometimes possible for LE to get past the HIPPA laws, and if x-rays can be found of the spinal condition they may be able to use them for comparison sooner than DNA.

Something to toss onto the table. If you think this is possible, we can take a look at this further via LTWH - lighting the way home - which is housed here at WS.

Please let us know. We will keep answers to your moms disappearance in our prayers.

Cubby
 
Welcome to WS Tmenard2! I am so sorry your mother is missing and that you are trying to carry the burden of having her compared to a Jane Doe.

All states have certain requirements they need fufilled for legal ID...DNA (clearly), Dental XRAYS/charts and fingerprint matches typically automatically rule a UID in or out of a case. In CT, I know of a match that was made via tattoo rather than waiting for DNA to come back. So back radiographs are a possibility as long as there is something unique about the fusion or repair.

Dental comparison's can be done overnight-are your Mom's dental records available by any chance? You could send them to the Medical Examiner in charge of the Jane Doe remains for comparison purposes as well. Or to the detective in charge of her case.

Let us know if we can help-that is what we are hear for.
 
Thanks all for your insite- I believe the detective already has all the info regarding her back surgery, as for dental records I cant seem to remember who she went to, and there is nothing in her files to tell me either... I know the detective is on top of things at the moment...My grandmother also provided a dna sample for her file. I will keep you posted.
 
it was more than 2 months ago when Carl emailed New Britain and asked if Jane Doe #2 was Mary Jane Menard.

has anyone received a response, especially the family?
 

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