Identified! TX - Houston, WhtFem 822UFTX, 35-45, burned in MVA, Oct'99 - Gina Holley

[carbuff]

And her tattoo wasn't mentioned

So glad she's been identified!

I've run across at least two other MPs who have ink clearly visible in their photo but no mention in the description.

 

[CarlK90245]

Her NamUs casefile was MP 11813. It is restricted from public view, but the status has not been changed yet to "found".

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/11813/0

 

[webrocket]

it now says the MP was found but gives no indication whether the MP was dead or alive.

 

[webrocket]

I don't mean to rant, but there is something wrong here. the Doe profile of the UID is still available and they estimated her to have been anywhere between 4'5" to 4'10" and between 85-100 lbs.

Gina's Nampn profile, which contained information presumably provided by her family said she was 5'3" and 140 lbs.

common sense would dictate that there are very few Caucasian adult women in this age range who are under 5' tall. so on their best day, the ME's office underestimated the height by five inches and indeed their worst estimate was off by 10 inches!!!! they were also off by 40-55 pounds in weight.

imagine if one of us had submitted Gina saying well she was last seen in CA on October 1, 1999 and the UID died in the same month, who would have even looked at it??

I recognize there were severe thermal injuries to her body. however, they were able to make out some tattoos. I've seen better height estimates based solely upon a femur and here they had a whole body.

 

[cobainerz]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that in extreme heat tissues (including bone) shrink significantly--maybe that's why?

 

[deca]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that in extreme heat tissues (including bone) shrink significantly--maybe that's why?

If that is the case- and it could be- then they should note it in the files so other LE know. All they need is a notation like *height of remains likely short due to circumstances of death. (or something similar)

I am sure there are a lot of other cases out there with poor information. Hopefully everyone will be more conscientious in the future so these people can get home!

 

[webrocket]

I don't think bones shrink. I mean in a cremation which is extremely high temps, most bones are reduced to ashes. (I once knew a woman who was an EMT studying to become a mortician and she said there were two bones that had to be ground up after a cremation since they did not break down. I think she said the skull and femur but I could be wrong)

Gina, while having burns severe enough to prevent certain details from being known, was not so all consumed by flames as they were able to identify several tattoos. I just don't get how the ME's office could be off by 5-10 inches in height.

 

[Magnum P.E.]

I would guess that the height was estimated at 5ft 4in which was misentered as 54in. Which is why all measurements should be made and entered in cm.

 

[bflocket]

The Spanish version of Namus says identified as Gina Holley by mtDNA and nucDNA.

They say things like that on the Spanish version?

I'm just used to a profile being inaccessible if someone has been located/identified. That will tip me off that something's happened with the case, but I have to search other places to find out WHAT.

 

[cobainerz]

Sometimes it does! I speak Spanish so I sometimes will check on both when someone has been recently identified. I'm not sure if it's a glitch.