MI MI - Newport, WhtFem (UP 8501), 32-52, In Lake Erie - Red Coat & Black Pants, Feb'92

sls314 · #1 04-05-2011, 12:44 AM

An unidentified white female was found floating in Lake Erie on February 23, 1992. There was a NamUs profile recently created for her.

(Not to be confused with the Lake Erie Jane Doe from 1982 - this is an entirely different woman found a decade later.)

Case Report - NamUs UP # 8501
Case Information
Status: Unidentified
Case number: 4087-92
Date found February 23, 1992 at 11:20 PM
Date created February 12, 2011 at 10:20 PM

Local Medical Examiner/Coroner Contact
Name Carl Schmidt, MD
Agency Monroe Cnty Med Examiners Ofc
Phone 734-240-7910
Case Manager
Name Sarah Krebs
Email krebss@michigan.gov

Demographics

Estimated age Adult - Pre 60
Minimum age 32 years
Maximum age 52 years
Race White
Sex Female
Weight (pounds) 140, Estimated
Height (inches) 66, Estimated
Body Parts Inventory (Check all that apply)
All parts recovered
Head not recovered
Torso not recovered
One or more limbs not recovered
One or both hands not recovered
Notes on body parts recovered
Body condition
Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Probable year of death 1991 to 1992
Estimated postmortem interval 4 Months

Address 1 Lake Erie
State Michigan
County Monroe
Circumstances of death
Body of a white female wearing a red coat and maroon pants was found floating in Lake Erie.

sls314 · #2 04-05-2011, 12:46 AM

Her body was found on February 23, 1992, but it is possible that she had been stuck under the ice since late fall 1991.

Source: 2/25/1992 Toledo Blade article

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...ake+erie&hl=en

Cubby · #3 04-08-2011, 07:33 AM

link to NamUs case file

https://identifyus.org/cases/8501

Shin Masamura · #4 04-08-2011, 09:43 AM

From what I found these are the only missing people from the surrounding 4 states of Lake Erie that "somewhat" fit the description. Tell me what you think.

* also the guy who shot his wife, the strongest profile match, seem according to her "find a grave site" had shell casings in her car with "B" matter present and matching blood.. just wanted to point it out.. happy sleuthing!

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/8581/44/

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/1304/45/

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/646/88/

Find a grave site
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...&GRid=19534317

sls314 · #5 04-08-2011, 09:41 PM

Thanks for the links - I will check them out when I get home. (On my mobile right now.)

webrocket · #6 04-08-2011, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sls314

Thanks for the links - I will check them out when I get home. (On my mobile right now.)

I will say that I suspect she was a local, or at least spent time in the area. As opposed to having been randomly dumped in Monroe County. The name of the bar on the tank top she was wearing was likely a local bar - Sumpter is a township near where her body was found, and its not unreasonable to think there was a Sumpter Bar in the area at the time.

I'll have to do some research to figure out exactly where that bar was - if she was wearing their shirt, perhaps she was a regular?

where is the reference to a tank top worn by this UID? I didn't see it on either the Namus page or the Toledo Blade article.

webrocket · #7 04-08-2011, 10:01 PM

as a general statement, without dentals, fingerprints, DNA or a composite sketch of the UID, how is anyone to find a match?

sls314 · #8 04-08-2011, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webrocket

where is the reference to a tank top worn by this UID? I didn't see it on either the Namus page or the Toledo Blade article.

Darn it - I was confused about which Monroe County profile this one was. (I have 2 UID females from that area that I've been researching - the other one was wearing the tank top. I created this thread for her:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132757

)

Note to self - don't check Websleuths from my phone in the future, as it may lead to posting mishaps.

I'll go back and edit the reference about the tank top, so I don't confuse anyone else.

sls314 · #9 04-08-2011, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webrocket

as a general statement, without dentals, fingerprints, DNA or a composite sketch of the UID, how is anyone to find a match?

That's a good question, and I agree with you.

The NamUs profile was just created in February 2011 - I'm hoping there will be more info to go on in the future as they build the profile.

Sarah Krebs is the case manager listed on the NamUs profile. She's a forensic artist with the Michigan State Police. If she's involved, I'm hoping that means that there could be a composite in the works. (Why get the forensic artist involved otherwise? Or maybe that's wishful thinking on my part?)

sls314 · #10 04-08-2011, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shin Masamura

* also the guy who shot his wife, the strongest profile match, seem according to her "find a grave site" had shell casings in her car with "B" matter present and matching blood.. just wanted to point it out.. happy sleuthing!

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/8581/44/

I'd agree that she does sound like a promising lead. The time frame and geography line up well.

There is a discrepancy in the age range (Bernice was 24, the UID is estimated between 32-52). Also, I see that they have a suspected burial location for Bernice in the Detroit area, but her body still has not been found there.