Identified! KY - Owenton, off Hwy 330, WhtFem 25-40, UP101, 'Steve' tattoo, clothes, May'88 - Linda Bennett

rcoope23

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Hi all, I searched but I didn't find a thread for this unidentified woman. Please move it to the appropriate thread if there is one.

http://doenetwork.org/cases/793ufky.html
The Doe Network



Unidentified Female
Date of Discovery: May 6, 1988
Location of Discovery: Owen County, Kentucky
Estimated Date of Death: 3-10 days prior
State of Remains: Decomposed Remains
Cause of Death: Strangled

Physical Description
** Listed information is approximate

Estimated Age: 25-35 years old
Race: Caucasian
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5 to 5'7
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Dark brown/black hair with some gray
Eye Color: Unknown

Distinguishing Marks/Features: Healed fractures of face and rib (L2); A crude home made tattoo "STEVE" on upper right arm.

Dentals: Not available. Edentulous - no teeth.
Fingerprints: Partial prints (Kentucky State Police, case #05-88-277)
DNA: Available (University North Texas)
Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Dark socks only.

Jewelry: Unknown

Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Case History

The remains of this victim were located on Highway 330, 18 miles South of Owenton in Owen County, Kentucky on May 6, 1988. The remains were in an open field, she was strangled and nude except for a pair of dark colored socks.
 

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Possible Match-Marilyn Roberts
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/7821/311?current_page=dental
All the details seem to match, even down to the tattoos on her arms ie the Steve tattoo. There is nothing to rule her out circumstances wise. It doesn't mention no teeth but her photo looks like it could be the case.
What are people thoughts?
 

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I know the circumstances seem unlikely for it to be connected but what caught my eye was the similar pattern. The being abandoned at the side of the highway, the strangulation and wearing nothing but socks. I have submitted my possible to both agencies that are listed and I will let you know if anything comes of it.
 
probably a fairly simple explanation.

if you look at her Charley Project page, it is apparent that she was not in regular communication with her family. if you see what she was doing around the time, her family might not have actually seen the tattoos at close enough range to describe them even if they knew she had tattoos. that, coupled with the fact at that the time, late 1980's, tattoos on women were still relatively uncommon and frowned upon. so I could see why family might not have known the details.

ETA - this was not the Facebook age when people proudly showed off their new ink to the world. we have no idea of the quality of the work she had done.

I cannot see any reports on the nature of Marilyn's tattoos. Why is this not reported?
 
It's also possible that the LE unit who took the missing persons report has the information, but for whatever reason (usually to filter out false confessions) saw fit to keep some of the information private.
 
for marilyn, the timeline is close and there is a resemblance so maybe youre on to something, though the killer preying on women in the New Bedford area seemed to have dumped them all near by, right? unless i am reading that wrong? it would be strange for him to take 1 girl to KY.
 
for marilyn, the timeline is close and there is a resemblance so maybe youre on to something, though the killer preying on women in the New Bedford area seemed to have dumped them all near by, right? unless i am reading that wrong? it would be strange for him to take 1 girl to KY.

It's always possible it wasn't the same murderer and that her disappearance has been erroneously lumped with the others.

I think there are too many similarities. Definitely send it in.
 
Hi everyone,
the Namus person in control of this case, Lori, was in contact. She is contacting the person in control of Marilyn's case to find out more about her tattoos and other identifying features they may have and will let me know.
Unfortunately namus doesn't list what tattoo's she has, just tattoos on arm. It doesn't mention what tattoos but it is possible a 'Steve' tattoo was one of them.

They did not capture the Bedford killer, so perhaps he wasn't from the area and he dumped the UID closer to home, or as Carbuff said she is unrelated to those killings.
 
Hi everyone, further contact by the person in contact of the unidentified. Unfortunately this might be one we will never know on. There is no DNA and details for Marilyn and no further information on her tattoo. Very frusturating. On the plus side, Amy Burrows is very open to suggestions from the public. It is nice to have contact with someone eager to use all sources of information to identify these people.
 
I am having a hard time guesstimating the recovery location, based on what is said on Doe Network. NamUs only had "in a field," from what I could find.
I've been on the far-western and far-eastern sections of KY-330 and it is definitely what even someone living in the sticks would call "middle-of-expletive-nowhere." The only "modern" part of the road is around Corinth and the I-75 interchange (both in Grant County). Any parts of the road in Owen County would not close enough to count. I couldn't see a killer dumping alongside 330 unless they knew the area.
But because they claim "18 miles south of Owenton on KY-330," I doubt the road they mention is correct. 330 is never really "south" of Owenton. It would all be East or East-Southeast, if any mention of south need be included.
KY-368 is around 18-miles south of Owenton, but it is even further out in God's Country.
 
I know that it would be "ideal" to dump a body in a place like this. I just don't see how a non-local would be able to find their way back to wherever it is they came from.

The roads in the area all seem to look the same, winding through valleys and over hills. Plus, they aren't well marked/signed. The "State" roads don't look much different from other local roads.
 
I know that it would be "ideal" to dump a body in a place like this. I just don't see how a non-local would be able to find their way back to wherever it is they came from.

The roads in the area all seem to look the same, winding through valleys and over hills. Plus, they aren't well marked/signed. The "State" roads don't look much different from other local roads.

Ah, gotcha.

Yes, I would guess someone fairly local dumped her, though that doesn't mean the woman herself was local. Or it could be someone who had lived in the area and then moved away.
 
Ah, gotcha.

Yes, I would guess someone fairly local dumped her, though that doesn't mean the woman herself was local. Or it could be someone who had lived in the area and then moved away.

Maybe, but not necessarily. I was thinking more about how it probably wouldn't be a trucker, but was probably somebody that travelled (since she wasn't known in the area). A semi would be hard to operate/navigate on those roads. Someone like a travelling salesman would be in a "regular sized" vehicle.

Some of the roads I know out in that area could use 4x4, but KY-330 would be fine for a car. I guess semi's can technically go down that road but I don't know why they would, unless they had a reason, such as local business or something. I don't know what a long-haul trucker (she doesn't appear to be local) would be there for unless they are going to Owenton for some reason.
 

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