PA PA - Avalon, BlkFem 678UFPA, ~80, "USA for Africa" TShirt, Jun'97

[ctaylor]

I found a recent article on this case and could not find a thread. Given the circumstances this could have been a homeless lady but thought I would start a thread to see if anyone could find a link for this elderly lady. Perhaps the way this lady was found carefully wrapped might suggest she had a home but was just left in the open...

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/678ufpa.html

The Doe Network:
Case File 678UFPA

Unidentified Black Female

The victim was discovered on June 19, 1997 in Avalon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Estimated Date of Death: 3-12 months prior
Mummified Remains

Vital Statistics

Estimated age: 80 years old
Approximate Height and Weight: 5'0"; 99 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Short, curly gray/white hair.
Clothing: She was dressed in beige slacks; a light green adult diaper; a long-sleeved, yellow sweat shirt and two pair of socks - one pink and one green. The sweatshirt had the letters "USA FOR AFRICA" in big, blue, block letters. Also on the shirt was red script lettering which read "United Support of Artists for Africa". A musical note was on the "A" in USA and a leaf or tree was on the last "A" in Africa.

Case History
The victim was located over a hillside behind the Ponderosa Restaurant, at 920 Ohio River Boulevard (Route 65), in Avalon, PA.
The woman's body was wrapped in two plastic bags, believed to be mattress covers, and was inside a sleeping bag.
There were no signs of obvious trauma to the body and cause of death was determined to be from natural causes.


A link to a recent article - http://sewickley.patch.com/articles/...e-doe-2ed73753

Unsolved Cases: Avalon Jane Doe

The elderly woman found over a hillside in Avalon was never identified.

By Larissa Dudkiewicz
Email the author
June 17, 2012

The woman survived about eight decades on this earth, but her death gave no dignity to those years.

On June 19, 1997, the mummified body of a petite black woman with short, curly, gray-and-white hair—only 5 feet tall and weighing only 100 pounds—was found over a hillside behind the Ponderosa Restaurant at 920 Ohio River Boulevard (Route 65) in Avalon.

The woman, who was found inside a blue sleeping bag, was wrapped in two black plastic trash bags—one tied over her head, one tied over her feet—then wrapped again in what authorities believe was a plastic mattress cover, according to the Pennsylvania Missing Persons website.

....

[Old Gray Mare]

This is so sad. This poor lady died of natural causes and someone just dumped her over a bank? How do people sleep at night knowing they did this to another human being. Hope they never get old.

[Ambercat]

This is her NamUs page. It has a much wider range for her age, 50 to 90.

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/8691

I wonder if the person/persons who dumped her body thought that they would be implicated in her death (they did not realize that she died from natural causes)? Or maybe they are still cashing her social security or something of that nature and pretending that she is still alive?

[CCJD]

http://pennsylvaniamissing.com/avalonjanedoe.html

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/...old-cold-case/

Medical Examiner Seeks ID In 15-Year-Old Cold Case


AVALON (KDKA) — In June of 1997, the body of a petite, black woman in her 80′s was found thrown over a hillside along Ohio River Boulevard and her body was mummified.
That case remains open

[mamashawn]

This case in VA is similar. A 78 year old woman died of natural causes while visiting a friend in VA. They couldn't afford to bury her and didn't know of any other family so they wrapped her up and left her near the hospital with a note.

Maybe this UID had a caretaker who couldn't afford to or didn't want to deal with trying to have her legally buried?

[southsleuth]

Originally Posted by mamashawn

This case in VA is similar. A 78 year old woman died of natural causes while visiting a friend in VA. They couldn't afford to bury her and didn't know of any other family so they wrapped her up and left her near the hospital with a note.

Maybe this UID had a caretaker who couldn't afford to or didn't want to deal with trying to have her legally buried?

So sad! How hard is it to call an authority, PD, Sheriff, coroner? Geez.

[Marilynilpa]

Originally Posted by Ambercat

I wonder if the person/persons who dumped her body thought that they would be implicated in her death (they did not realize that she died from natural causes)? Or maybe they are still cashing her social security or something of that nature and pretending that she is still alive?

I think you might be right about the social security check. If whoever dumped this woman's body was afraid of contact with LE, an anonymous phone call would have sufficed to notify LE of her death.

But if that person saw an opportunity to collect the woman's social security or other benefits, dumping the body makes a sick kind of sense.

[Ambercat]

Originally Posted by Marilynilpa

I think you might be right about the social security check. If whoever dumped this woman's body was afraid of contact with LE, an anonymous phone call would have sufficed to notify LE of her death.

But if that person saw an opportunity to collect the woman's social security or other benefits, dumping the body makes a sick kind of sense.

I wonder if whoever dumped her drove across state lines (from Ohio or West Virginia) so that she wouldn't be identified as easily/quickly?

[Marilynilpa]

Originally Posted by Ambercat

I wonder if whoever dumped her drove across state lines (from Ohio or West Virginia) so that she wouldn't be identified as easily/quickly?

That's possible, as both states are a short drive from Avalon, PA (a suburb of Pittsburgh).

Avalon has a lot of transients, there is the Avalon Motel which caters to the transient and homeless. It's possible that this woman could have been dumped by someone just passing through who didn't want to be "bothered" with the proper burial of this woman, or who was mentally incapable of dealing with this woman's death.

I still think it's possible this woman was dumped so someone could continue receiving her benefits.

[Ambercat]

Originally Posted by Marilynilpa

That's possible, as both states are a short drive from Avalon, PA (a suburb of Pittsburgh).

Avalon has a lot of transients, there is the Avalon Motel which caters to the transient and homeless. It's possible that this woman could have been dumped by someone just passing through who didn't want to be "bothered" with the proper burial of this woman, or who was mentally incapable of dealing with this woman's death.

I still think it's possible this woman was dumped so someone could continue receiving her benefits.

I think so, too; I think it's possible someone might have crossed state lines to try to keep anyone from finding out as quickly. Then if someone asks about her, they make some excuse why she is not around or say she doesn't feel well and doesn't want to see anyone.

[mamashawn]

Originally Posted by Marilynilpa

I still think it's possible this woman was dumped so someone could continue receiving her benefits.

That's a very good point. You're probably right.