Identified! TX - Hockley, Female UP4527, 25-35, in shallow grave, Apr'84

tifflee

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NamUs profile: https://identifyus.org/en/cases/4527

I did not find a DoeNetwork profile, but please add if you locate one!

NamUs UP # 4527
ME/C Case Number: ML84-2602
Harris County, Texas
25 to 35 year old Female


Date found: April 30, 1984 10:30
Remains found: 25500 Bauer-Hockley Rd, Hockley, TX - Harris County
Circumstances: Remains found at edge of shallow grave near Hockley, TX
Estimated age range: 25-35
Race: Unsure
Sex: Female
Weight: Cannot estimate
Height: 65 inches, estimated
Hair color: Brown
Eye color: Unknown
Distinctive features: Evidence to suggest at least one birth during life
Remains: Not recognizable. Partial remains with soft tissues. Head not recovered. One or more limbs not recovered. One or more hands not recovered.
Probable year of death: 1983 to 1984
Estimated postmortem interval: 6 months
DNA: nucDNA available at University of North Texas
 
Thoughts on Viola Marie Findley for a DNA comparison? Ms. Findley could have disappeared anywhere between Florida and Iowa. There isn't much to go off of for this UID's profile in terms of distinguishing characteristics. Here is the comparison between the details available.

Websleuths' 1980's Missing thread: FL Viola Marie Findley, 29, Volusia County, 1 Sept 1983 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community


Date found: April 30, 1984 10:30

Remains found: 25500 Bauer-Hockley Rd, Hockley, TX - Harris County
VMF disappearance location: Anywhere between Florida and Texas.

Circumstances: Remains found at edge of shallow grave near Hockley, TX

Estimated age range: 25-35
VMF age at disappearance: 29

Race: Unsure
VMF: White

Sex: Female
VMF: Female

Weight: Cannot estimate
VMF's weight: 170-200 lbs.

Height: 65 inches, estimated
VMF's height: 66 inches

Hair color: Brown
VMF's hair color: Brown

Eye color: Unknown
VMF's eye color: Brown

Distinctive features: Evidence to suggest at least one birth during life
VMF: Three children remaining in Iowa

Remains: Not recognizable. Partial remains with soft tissues. Head not recovered. One or more limbs not recovered. One or more hands not recovered.

Probable year of death: 1983 to 1984
VMF: Disappeared sometime in September or October 1983

Estimated postmortem interval: 6 months
VMF: April 1984 is 5 to 6 months from September and October 1983, respectively.

DNA: nucDNA available at University of North Texas
VMF: Per NamUs, samples submitted and tests complete.

Viola Marie Findley Profiles
DoeNetwork profile: http://doenetwork.org/cases/2902dffl.html
Iowa Cold Cases profile: http://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/viola-findley/
NamUs profile: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/2914/5/
 
Someone should definitely submit Viola.

Good find, tiff!!!
 
^ Thanks! I sent a quick summary of the similarities to the case manager contact to see if she felt it was worth a comparison.

Thanks for making the thread subject more specific, CarlK! Definitely helps with filtering through the many threads going on. :)
 
the $64,000 question for me is what happened to the friend she traveled to Florida with?
 
I don't know how active Viola's sister is on the MP sites but if someone could post a comment on the Charley blog asking her about the friend, that might get some more info. or send her a private message there if that function exists. I assume one must be registered at Charley to post and I am not.
 
Dr. Pinto at the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences emailed me earlier this week to update that DNA ruled out Viola Marie Findley and that NamUs has been updated.

Current rule-outs are Viola Marie Findley and Tammy Leppert, both missing from Florida.
 
Dr. Pinto at the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences emailed me earlier this week to update that DNA ruled out Viola Marie Findley and that NamUs has been updated.

Current rule-outs are Viola Marie Findley and Tammy Leppert, both missing from Florida.

Thank you.Yes,I asked them to check Tammy and they just ruled this Jane Doe out .
 
A new no-photo casefile was created for a 24 year old woman named Toni Esbenshade

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/18235/0

She seems to be a pretty solid possible to this Jane Doe:

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/4527

The only negative is that the timeline (1 month) might be a little tight compared to the six month pm interval.

But otherwise, it's pretty close:

* Her age (24) is at the low end of the age range (25-35)
* She had brown hair, consistent with the Jane Doe.
* Her height matches spot-on.
* She has given birth (See Below), consistent with the Jane Doe's skeletal findings.
* Hockley TX (the location of the Jane Doe) is about 130 miles from Lockhart TX.


I did a bit of research to see if I could find a photo of her, and could not. However, I found some additional information on her.

Her maiden name is Toni Sue Swartz (DOB 30-Aug-1959).

She was AKA Toni Sue Range.

She has been married twice - once to a W.L. Range on 10-Feb-78, and they were divorced 22-May-1980.

She then Married R.E. Esbenshade (who died in Apr 1990), and they had four children (2 boys and two girls)

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/k/i/n/Sherrie-M-King/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0059.html
 
A new no-photo casefile was created for a 24 year old woman named Toni Esbenshade

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/18235/0

She seems to be a pretty solid possible to this Jane Doe:

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/4527

The only negative is that the timeline (1 month) might be a little tight compared to the six month pm interval.

But otherwise, it's pretty close:

* Her age (24) is at the low end of the age range (25-35)
* She had brown hair, consistent with the Jane Doe.
* Her height matches spot-on.
* She has given birth (See Below), consistent with the Jane Doe's skeletal findings.
* Hockley TX (the location of the Jane Doe) is about 130 miles from Lockhart TX.


I did a bit of research to see if I could find a photo of her, and could not. However, I found some additional information on her.

Her maiden name is Toni Sue Swartz (DOB 30-Aug-1959).

She was AKA Toni Sue Range.

She has been married twice - once to a W.L. Range on 10-Feb-78, and they were divorced 22-May-1980.

She then Married R.E. Esbenshade (who died in Apr 1990), and they had four children (2 boys and two girls)

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/k/i/n/Sherrie-M-King/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0059.html

She does sound like a good possibility, but with the lack of identifiers, I'm not sure how they'll check.
 
She does sound like a good possibility, but with the lack of identifiers, I'm not sure how they'll check.

I found all four of her children in Facebook, so LE shouldn't have any trouble getting FRS kits out to them.
 
The wife of Toni Swartz-Esbenshade's son contacted me after reading this thread. She directed me to Toni's son's facebook page where there is a photo of Toni and her husband Roger.

Here is a photo of Toni:
ToniEsbenshade_zps55e05852.jpg
 
nice find mrsward.

the only thing that jumps out at me was that Brenda had multiple prior fractures that would have shown up in an examination of the remains. however, the UID had a number of missing bones, including there being no skull.

so unless all of the previously fractured bones are missing, then I'd think they would have noted that. having said that, the fact that it was not entered into Namus does not mean that it is not noted in the original reports.

this lady was supposed to be travelling to texas .

http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=583.0
 
I found this gal from Mexico who went missing in Houston in April of 1984. Submitted.

Name: CAMACHO MARIA ELENA AYALA
Gender: FEMALE
Date of Birth : 23-Sep-1961
Age: 15 years
Height: 165 cm (5 feet 5 inches).
Weight (75 kg) : 165 lbs
Build: MEDIUM
Complexion : LIGHT BROWN
Face: MEDIUM ROUND
Eyes: BIG ROUND DARK BROWN
Hair: NORMAL STRAIGHT MEDIUM DARK BROWN
Mouth : MEDIUM
Nose : ROUND MEDIUM WIDE
Forehead: LARGE
Eyebrows: MODERATELY THICK DOWN BROWN
Lips: RED MEDIUM
Chin: MEDIUM ROUND
Date Last Seen : 06-Jan-1980
Location: HIDALGO Tlanalapa

Facts: She Disappeared approximately 27 years ago. At that time she was between 15 and 16 years old. She disappeared with her child Angel Vlademir in her arms. The last time she was known to be alive was about 19 years ago. Her last known location was in Houston TX. She was married and had children named Laura, Sergio, and Carmen, who currently must be 24 years old (DOB April 14, 1984). According to what is known, they had changed their name to Maria Elena Ayala, and Joel Camacho. The last letter received from her, indicated that she lived in a black neighborhood in Houston, and had a scar on her neck.

Distinguishing characteristics: Disappeared about 27 years ago, came to the location at the age of 15-16 years old carrying a child named Angel Vlademir - HOUSTON TX.
__________________
 
Toni and Brenda have "DNA complete" so they should be considered ruled out, EH?
 

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