Identified! NJ - Woodbridge, LIVING woman w/ amnesia, Nov'94 - Elba Diaz Soccarras

PonderingThings

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[font=arial,verdana,geneva,lucida][size=-1]http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/176ufnj.html[/size][/font]

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Unidentified Hispanic Female Amnesia Victim

* Located on November 2, 1994 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey.

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 44 - 54 years old (when found) 55 - 70 years old now
* Approximate Height and Weight: 5'2"- 5'4"; 135 - 145 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Black hair; brown eyes.
* Scars / Tattoos: She has a scar on her abdomen.
* Clothing: She was wearing what may be a wedding band in addition to another gold ring

Case History
Amnesia victim was located wandering the Woodbridge Mall on November 2, 1994 in Woodbridge, New Jersey. In 1994, during a conversation, she stated that her name was Elba Leonor Socarras. She is Spanish-speaking and when she was found, she was well groomed and in good health. She is currently suffering from Alzheimer's disease and is unable to give any information that will aid in her identification. She has also mentioned the name of "Alba" and may also be associated to the name of "Altagracia Alvarez".
 
I think this is a really good match! This woman is still alive and in care. Its been over 10 years that she's been unidentified.

http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/1082dfnj.html

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Unidentified person on left Elba on right

Elba Irizarry

1. Elba has been missing since June 1994, from Camden, New Jersey
The unidentified woman was found in November 1994, in Woodbridge, New Jersey

2. Elba was 43 when she disappeared. The woman was estimated to have been 44-54 years old.

3. Elba was listed as 5'3", the woman is listed as 5'2"-5'4"

4. Elba was listed as weighing 110 lbs. The woman was 135-145 - This is a discrepancy but weight fluctuates....

5. They are both Hispanic, both have black hair and brown eyes

6. There is no mention of an a scar on Elba, but that doesn't mean she didn't have one.

7. Elba was depressed and a drug user when she disappeared. The woman was found in a disorientated state, her condition has progressed to Alzheimers.

8. The unidentified woman said her name was "Elba Leonor Socarras". . She has also mentioned the name of "Alba" and may also be associated to the name of "Altagracia Alvarez"
 
I am a resident of NJ and if this has not been checked out by LE Here I want new LE, ASAP. I think its unlikly this is a match. As my suspicion is that the women found at Woodbirdge Mall is not really a missing person but a dumped person. As awful as that sounds I suspect her family dumped her there when her care got to be to much. She can't identify herself and the family isn't going to come forward. Very sad case.

mjak
 
I realise that the Camden Sherrif's Office is the source for both reports, therefore the records should have been checked. It is possible that the report on Elba being missing was placed at a later date, even though they entered the correct missing date, and that's why it didn't come up as a match.

I emailed the New Jersey State Police as they have an email link on the Amnesia victims page. I have already got an automatic response confirming they have received the email.

So whether its a real match or not, its up to them now.
 
Good luck. Don't hold your breath. ;)
 
mjak your comments are valid. Dumping of people who have progressed too far for the care givers to handle is sadly common place, in all communities.

In the event this is not a match then we continue searching for their identities. If it is a match then two more people have been identified.

I think its also possible that people haven't suggested this match because they are concerned the family will be placed in an untenable position.... what if that's wrong and one or both family's would like to know what happened to their loved one?

I don't think its up to me to judge the situation as I don't have enough information. All I'm doing is trying to match some missing people to people who have been found.
 
PonderingThings said:
mjak your comments are valid. Dumping of people who have progressed too far for the care givers to handle is sadly common place, in all communities.

In the event this is not a match then we continue searching for their identities. If it is a match then two more people have been identified.

I think its also possible that people haven't suggested this match because they are concerned the family will be placed in an untenable position.... what if that's wrong and one or both family's would like to know what happened to their loved one?

I don't think its up to me to judge the situation as I don't have enough information. All I'm doing is trying to match some missing people to people who have been found.
I wasn't critizing your efforts. I was just stating my thoughts. Sorry if I upset you . As I think its important that all potential leeds are checked into. Keep on doing your sleuthing.
mjak
 
mjak did I come across as upset? Sorry if I did as I'm not. I also considered why this wasn't matched up and did think of the same possibility as you did. I was simply voicing my thinking process.

I do apreciate your concern about me though, thank you.
blowkises.gif
 
mjak you can once again have full confidence in your police department.

I received, today, a very nicely worded email saying thanks for the information, but this match has been ruled out by fingerprints very early on.

So... on with the new search!i
 
If the scenario of this person being dumped,then the family probably would not have reported them as a missing person and therefore there may not be any missing person listed to match the UID with.I believe that some UID's can be matched but either stats are off or where the UID is found is so far from where they should have been that a lot of these are ruled out when it really could be them.But I believe in a lot of cases there are not missing persons reports done on a lot of these,especially if a family member or boyfriend/girlfriend/parent/spouse were the one who did the crime.just my opinion on why there are so many UID's
 
Hispanic, non- english speaking.
Is it possible that she was not reported missing, because she was an "undocumented" ie illegal resident?

Is there any Mexican missing persons sites?
Someone might refer this one to Kelly.
 
BabyDust its also possible that some UIDs have been reported missing, but that information has not been released to the public. Its only in the last few years that a viable way (the internet) has been available for the public to access.
 
Alba means Dawn in spanish...I wonder if any "Dawn's" are missing...
 
I was thinking about this case today, and although I respect LE decision and will not pursue this match any further, the fingerprint comparison throws me.

They have the amnesia victim, so they can take fingerprints from her. There has to be some kind of official record on the missing woman to compare fingerprints to, as I can't imagine them dusting her apartment for prints for a missing person's report (although it might have happened), or even if they did how would they know for sure it was her print?

So, assuming there is an official fingerprint on file, under her name, isn't it possible that someone else had used her name? Of course it depends on what file... Its happened before....

Its also possible that the missing woman's fingerprints are on file because she used to work in an industry that required a security clearance that fingerprints were required. I know mine are on file, as I had to be security cleared for a job I once held.

Dunno... just find it curious.
 
I think the UID looks to be on the upper end of that estimate, possibly older. I don't understand what you were getting at with the fingerprints thing...
 
Paradise you could very possibly be right about Jane Doe's age.

One of the things, in a case like this, I try to take into account is:

People who are born with mental problems frequently look younger than their actual age. People who develop mental problems later in life frequentlly look older than their actual age. I'm not saying this is true all the time, just frequently.

What I was getting at with the fingerprints. Would yours be on file if you went missing?

Most people's are only recorded if:
- They are arrested
- They are in the armed forces
- They have a job that requires a high level of security clearance
- They have an ident kit made in case they go missing (parents have this done, for their children).

Or are there more ways to have fingerprints on file?
 
I totally get what you're saying about the fingerprints thing, Pondering. I happen to have prints on file for a couple of jobs I worked, but who would know (or bother) to go looking there if I was to disappear? It seems more likely that the UID would be ruled out by family of the missing person, or something more along those lines. That is kind of strange to mention fingerprints like that. Will have to ponder (har har) that one some more.

Very interesting point, too, about the age thing. Having worked with the mentally ill and developmentlly delayed, I have noticed the same thing about people often looking older/younger than their actual age. Keep up the good work, guys!

Thinking.....I wonder if anyone has noticed what kind of Spanish she speaks. By this I mean what dialect. The NE has a large population from Puerto Rico, for example. It would only take a few minutes for a native Spanish speaker to determine whether or not this person was from the same country. I speak Spanish Mexican-style, and can tell very quickly when someone else is from Mexico, just by certain colloquialisms (sp?). Wonder what the consensus is on this lady?
 
Annemec2 if I ever went missing I know my blabbermouth sister would immediately say "PRINTS ON FILE! PRINTS ON FILE!" ... but as you said, would they go to that database to retrieve them??????

I was talking about this at work and one of my coworkers mentioned that they believe new immigrants are fingerprinted. If that is true is this only since 9-11, or was this the procedure all along? None of us know..... If it has been the procedure all along, that would be another possible fingerprint record that might "more easily" be available to law enforcement - if the missing person was indeed an immigrant originally (and we don't know that she was).

Your idea about the dialect is a facinating one!
Too bad we don't know that info! Also, it sounds like the amnesia victim's capacities have been substantially degraded since she was first found... I wonder if, when she speaks, its coherent now?

Its possible that information was recorded in the file, in the original interview, but since it isn't publicly released we don't have access to that info... BUT if I come up with another match to send in, I will definitely ask that question! Thank you for bringing it up!
 

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