Identified! AZ - Coconino Co, 'Valentine Sally' WhtFem 585UFAZ, 14-19, along I-40, Feb'82 -Carolyn Celeste Eaton

[Julessleuther]

Thanks Carl. Yes, usually suffocation may be determined by blood vessel breakage, but if her body had been compromised by animals, I can see how a COD could be undetermined.

Detective Jones told me that her face and neck were severely damaged from animal and insect activity, and there was no broken hyoid bone to suggest strangulation. But he said that if, for example, she had been smothered with a pillow, there would have been no way of determining that given the condition of her body.

(I have heard that suffocation can be determined via microscopic examination of the blood vessels in the eyes, but if her eyes were decomposed, this would not be possible)

He did say that they were able to determine that she was murdered despite the lack of a cause of death, but he did not elaborate on how they knew that her death was a deliberate act.



Det. Jones also said that she was clearly dragged into position. Two of her belt loops were broken, presumably from an initial attempt to carry her from the truck. Also, the way her sweater was bunched up over her head and her partially hidden position underneath a cypress tree suggested that she was dragged to her location and placed there (as opposed to landing there from a moving vehicle or just being thrown from a stopped vehicle).

 

[glitterghost]

So the Eastbound route they were traveling in does suggest she came from the west..exactly what I was trying to determine.

I also noted that she refused food, and while I get that she was having tooth pain it also tells me she had either not been on the road long or she was in no fear of not having her next meal.

It does not say wether she had short blonde hair or long blonde hair?

I have searched and searched for "Seasons" jeans to no avail. Weird? The reason being is this. Nowadays where a UID's clothes comes from dosent mean as much as it did back then. In the early 80s there werent thrift stores, consignment stores and Ross, TJ Maxx discount stores like there are today. The quality of clothing "back then" can offer clues as to how and where they lived. But again, being a fan of the 70s and 80s (my generation) and having spent a lot of time on fun websites reminiscing over retro fashion, I have never come across the brand Seasons and still find nothing. Any input?

Being along the 40 suggests she was picked up (most likley) along the 40 somewhere. Going all the way west that would mean Los Angeles or San Bernardino areas. Anything south of that (Orange/San Diego Counties) she would have ended up on the 10.

 

[glitterghost]

Also...could her tooth have abbsessed (sp?) killing her? Its happened to people. Could explain why she was found clothed. No rape. Trucker just wanted the dead girl out of his truck. I know its determined that she was murdered but until its revealed how I cant help but throw out theories.

 

[CarlK90245]

That's a good point, and I've thought the same thing also.

But without knowing how LE came to the conclusion that she was murdered, it's hard to assess whether they are on the right track.

Maybe they have some sort of indication of a struggle (for example, pre-mortem scrapes and bruises). Since they know that she was not violently thrown from the truck, any injuries would suggest a struggle.

 

[Julessleuther]

True, or maybe there was other bruising. I was thinking about this last night. I have driven I-40 in that area several times. I decided to google, and from Ashfork to Williams is approx 18 miles, so she was dumped not too far out of town. The truck stop appears to be on the western of two stops off I-40, just south of the exit. I would be curious to know more about that visit to the truck stop; I know she refused food...were they arguing? Something major happened in the seven miles from the truck stop to where she was found--was her killing planned or was it out of anger? Was she a hitchhiker or was she picked up at another truckstop? I did notice that it appears that she was not wearing any shoes...

That's a good point, and I've thought the same thing also.

But without knowing how LE came to the conclusion that she was murdered, it's hard to assess whether they are on the right track.

Maybe they have some sort of indication of a struggle (for example, pre-mortem scrapes and bruises). Since they know that she was not violently thrown from the truck, any injuries would suggest a struggle.

 

[CarlK90245]

I decided to google, and from Ashfork to Williams is approx 18 miles, so she was dumped not too far out of town. The truck stop appears to be on the western of two stops off I-40, just south of the exit. ...

... Something major happened in the seven miles from the truck stop to where she was found ...

I am a little confused as to which two truck stops you are talking about. I thought I had pinpointed the Monte Carlo stop in a correction to my previous post, but it is north of the exit, and it is only 2.2 miles from where I think the body was found. I pinpointed the discovery location by measuring out an 11 mile route from the western edge of Williams, and then looking for some cypress trees that were very close to the highway.

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ AZ- Valentine Sally


If you google "Monte Carlo Truck Stop", it indicates that it is at exit 149 (which is at Monte Carlo Road). There is only one truck stop at that location.

Overhead View
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou....215384,-112.42301&spn=0.006469,0.010933&z=17

Street View

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...=nEGJC89hORYEKYb07QK4vw&cbp=12,39.19,,0,-1.89

The cafe appears to be the brown building directly behind the light post.

 

[Julessleuther]

Sorry, I needed to clarify. By stops, I meant exits. There are two exits from I-40 for Ash Fork, one on the western side of town, one on the eastern. I meant that the truck stop was off of the western exit. However, there is a large gas station type building on the south side of I-40 (at the western exit), and that is what I thought was the Monte Carlo truck stop. When I googled Monte Carlo truck stop, it kept giving me the post office in Ash Fork as the location/street view, so I visually looked for truck stops right off of the exits. Thank you for pointing out the right truck stop!

To also clarify, I have never been to any of the exits for Ash Fork, just driven past them.

I am a little confused as to which two truck stops you are talking about. I thought I had pinpointed the Monte Carlo stop in a correction to my previous post, but it is north of the exit, and it is only 2.2 miles from where I think the body was found. I pinpointed the discovery location by measuring out an 11 mile route from the western edge of Williams, and then looking for some cypress trees that were very close to the highway.

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ AZ- Valentine Sally


If you google "Monte Carlo Truck Stop", it indicates that it is at exit 149 (which is at Monte Carlo Road). There is only one truck stop at that location.

Overhead View
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou....215384,-112.42301&spn=0.006469,0.010933&z=17

Street View

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...=nEGJC89hORYEKYb07QK4vw&cbp=12,39.19,,0,-1.89

The cafe appears to be the brown building directly behind the light post.

 

[glitterghost]

And I jumped the gun saying she must be from the west coast b/c if she was seen in Flagstaff, thats east of Williams, indicating she was HEADED west. BUt could have been coming from the south on the 17 which dumps into Flagstaff. Oh good grief, I will just assume she came from the lower states!!

 

[CarlK90245]

And I jumped the gun saying she must be from the west coast b/c if she was seen in Flagstaff, thats east of Williams, indicating she was HEADED west. BUt could have been coming from the south on the 17 which dumps into Flagstaff. Oh good grief, I will just assume she came from the lower states!!

Where did you see that she was seen in Flagstaff?

AFAIK, the only mention of Flagstaff is Det. Jones' comments to me that they were heading towards Flagstaff, and that they detained a person of interest in Flagstaff that turned out not to be the perp.

 

[choldread]

I was just reviewing the list of cold cases on the CCSO website and it shows that this case is still unsolved.

 

[Cubby]

I was just reviewing the list of cold cases on the CCSO website and it shows that this case is still unsolved.

Thank you and welcome to WS choldread.

 

[CarlK90245]

Here's a new 1979 MP case that showed up in DoeNet today. Looking through all of the female UID's from the late 70's and early 80's, I didn't come up with anything that was real close. But I realized that she looked alot like Valentine Sally, and her height is right.

Norma Jean Halford

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2971dfco.html

She is probably a little too old (a few days before her 24th birthday), and the circumstances are a little off. It seems a little unlikely that she abandoned her car to go traveling around for 2 1/2 years with a truck driver.

But if Det. Chuck Jones was more than willing to look into Cheryl Hall despite the age difference, he would probably be willing to look at Norma.

 

[carbuff]

She's got that mark or dimple or whatever it is on her chin, same as the UID.

 

[talelights]

Here's a new 1979 MP case that showed up in DoeNet today. Looking through all of the female UID's from the late 70's and early 80's, I didn't come up with anything that was real close. But I realized that she looked alot like Valentine Sally, and her height is right.

Norma Jean Halford

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2971dfco.html

She is probably a little too old (a few days before her 24th birthday), and the circumstances are a little off. It seems a little unlikely that she abandoned her car to go traveling around for 2 1/2 years with a truck driver.

But if Det. Chuck Jones was more than willing to look into Cheryl Hall despite the age difference, he would probably be willing to look at Norma.

Have your contacted Det Jones? Or? This looks good as far as a matching.

 

[CarlK90245]

Have your contacted Det Jones? Or? This looks good as far as a matching.

I left him a voice message, and have tried to follow up several times (including about 20 minutes ago).

I have not received a reply, and he isn't answering his phone.

ETA: I contacted another detective from the Coconino Sheriff's office and left a message with her as well. She says that Det. Jones has been in and out of the office, but as far as she knows, he is not on vacation or out of the office for an extended period of time.

 

[webrocket]

I would have to say in my lifetime I have never heard of a teenager having a root canal. not saying it's never done, but I've never known anyone that young to get one. I would say that she was probably over the age of 20.

another thought, not everyone who needs a root canal undergoes it. it would suggest to me that her family had some financial means as poorer people tend to ignore dentist visits altogether.

 

[webrocket]

how about this one - Carol Lubahn:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/l/lubahn_carol.html

height, weight and hair color are the same but 26 at the time she disappeared. Carol vanished from Southern California. Carol had a mole on her chin although there is nothing about dentals. she is the closest one I could find.

 

[CarlK90245]

how about this one - Carol Lubahn:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/l/lubahn_carol.html

height, weight and hair color are the same but 26 at the time she disappeared. Carol vanished from Southern California. Carol had a mole on her chin although there is nothing about dentals. she is the closest one I could find.

Carol's sister (WS member Stillwaters) showed up on the Dana Point Jane Doe thread back in May to respond to speculation that she was DPJD. She posted two messages and hasn't been back since.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75071&page=3 (Starting at post 56)

The thing here that would raise doubts is that Carol has given birth twice. There is no indication that Valentine Sally had given birth.

 

[webrocket]

Carol's sister (WS member Stillwaters) showed up on the Dana Point Jane Doe thread back in May to respond to speculation that she was DPJD. She posted two messages and hasn't been back since.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75071&page=3 (Starting at post 56)

The thing here that would raise doubts is that Carol has given birth twice. There is no indication that Valentine Sally had given birth.

I'm not sure how deeply they looked into the issue of childbirth with VS. the Charley Project profile indicates that LE initially thought she took off on her own and with the passage of time changed it to probably foul play.

at least from appearances Carol had some money (she owned an Audi) and it looks like she took care of her appearance. it is odd for someone on the run so to speak would get dental care done but stranger things have happened.

at least with Carol the key things match - hair, height and weight, plus the artist's rendition makes some marking on the chin and Carol did have a mole on her chin.

 

[reasypeasy]

The artist's picture has a passing resemblance to Sophie Helen Woodman, missing runaway in Australia at age 13 in 1980. Sophie was slightly over the Doe's maximum height at age 13.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/47dfvic.html

The location is highly unlikely, but made more likely I guess by the fact that Sophie had already shown a willingness and ability to pick up a travelling partner and travel a long distance with them... if at age 13 she wanted to take off to Queensland from her parent's home in Western Australia, then she may have jumped at a chance to get even further away?

Also, if she had a tooth-ache she may have been not speaking much or clearly, and an accent might have been missed by witnesses.

I always mention these Australian possibles for Does found in America, in part because if someone hasn't been identified after years of police work then the chances are something is up, the person wasn't anywhere near where they were "supposed" to be.