UID Victim: "Cherries", Mamaroneck, Blk/Hisp, 605UFNY, found Mar 2007

[foxcaller]

Has Robin Vansickel ever been considered as Cherries?

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/v/vansickel_robin.html

Missing from Anchorage, AK since 1988.

She was employed as a dancer in Anchorage, AK in 1988. She may have worked at the Great Alaska Bush Company, a strip club in the 600 block of East International Airport Road. She disappeared during the summer of that year and has never been heard from again. Shortly before her disappearance, Vansickel was caught up in a drug bust involving a group of New York
based dealers known as the "Cocaine Cowboys." The circumstances surrounding Vansickel's disappearance are unclear.

She goes by her middle name, Lynn.

She has a tattoo of two cherries on one shoulder and a tattoo of a spider on her ankle.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/20724/0

Based on post #30, I would have to conclude this is (un)fortunately not her. Although the estimated age falls in the range (Robin would have been ~48 in 2007 with the range for the torso being 35-50), the remains are believed to be hispanic. The tattoo also would appear to not match up - Robin's is indicated as being "on one shoulder" according to her NamUS page while the tattoo on the unidentified remains were above the right breast (which could arguably be considered 'one shoulder'). However, Robin is also indicated (as you noted) as having a spider tattoo on her ankle while the summary in post #30 does not have any indication of a tattoo on either left or right ankle.

Let's keep looking.

 

[Freyja]

Hi, this is my first post. I hope it's ok to revive this thread. I have been digging around for the words on the scraps of paper found in the suitcase with Cherries.

Obviously the words 'cinco' as well as 'begin to live' appear in very many places. But I limited my search to everything mentioned online up until the end of 2007. 'Cinco' points to Spanish, of course, which is something, but it could be a scrap of calendar from where it says 'Cinco de Mayo', which I assume many US calendars include.

I'm just going to list my results for 'begin to live' – always bearing in mind that this little snippet could be from almost anything, but I thought I might as well collect this here.

1. The New Living Translation of the Bible, 1st ed. 1996, revised in 2004; Proverbs 9:
   "Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live;
   learn to use good judgment.”
   
   I haven't found any other Bible translations that contain this exact wording in Proverbs 9. It should be noted that this translation became the best-selling version of the Bible by number of unit sales in 2008.
   
   
2. Dave Matthews Band, the song 'You Might Die Trying', released 29 Nov 2005
   "If you give you, you begin to live
   If you give, you begin to live"
   
   
3. Quote from the eminent journalist and broadcaster Dorothy Thompson (1893-1961), who was from New York:
   "Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."
   
   
4. Quote from Swiss-American psychiatrist, author and developer of the 'five stages of grief', Elizabeth Kübler-Ross (1926-2004):
   "It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth - and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up, we will then begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had."
   
   
5. Quote from the French author and poet René Daumal (1908-1944) – I haven't yet been able to determine where/when it was published, but it seems to be a poem of his:
   “I am dead because I lack desire,
   I lack desire because I think I possess,
   I think I possess because I do not try to give,
   In trying to give, you see that you have nothing,
   Seeing that you have nothing, you try to give of yourself,
   Trying to give of yourself, you see that you are nothing,
   Seeing that you are nothing, you desire to become,
   In desiring to become, you begin to live.”
   
   I happened to notice that the Spanish-language Wikipedia page for René Daumal is much longer than the entries in English or even French. This is pretty unusual from what I gather, as English and the person's native language tend to have the most information. However, I don't use Spanish Wikipedia much, it could have zero significance. But perhaps Daumal is widely read in the Spanish-speaking world?

That's all I have for now, but I feel that these must be some of the most famous or wide-spread uses of those three words in a context that might be printed or that someone might want to carry around with them. It could just as well be a sentence from a novel, or a pamphlet, etc. Still, fwiw.

[Edited for formating]

 

[Freyja]

I've also been searching for Coconut Republic, the brand reported for the camisole. The Hilton Head, SC store of that name has been closed, but this site seems to have mentioned it as late as 2014, judging by the page source data. The clothing visible in online photos doesn't look to match the style of the camisole, but who knows.

I also checked the online marketplace mercadolibre.com, which has a sub-site for every Latin American country. The only countries that have clothing results for "Coconut Republic" are Brazil (2 matches, pants for women and jacket for girls, with different-looking labels, but probably the same brand) and Venezuela (maybe 15-20 relevant matches, most of them pants/denim items, but also a jacket, a dress). Some vendors just call the brand 'Coconut', but when you click, you see it's Coconut Republic.

It's too bad that there are no proper photos of the Spanish-language label on the camisole. All I could find was a very blurry pic on the Doe Network. The label on this pair of shorts (Venezuela) looks vaguely similar to the apparently pinkish label on the camisole, but the Doe pic is just too blurry.

I also found an ebay auction for Coconut Republic pants with very clear label photos. It says "jeanswear" next to the brand name, and the label is indeed in Spanish (after laundry instructions in English). It says, "Importadora por Grupo Ganesh de Venezuela C.A." I've found very little on Ganesh and their Coconut Rep. so far, but this page indicates the Ganesh trademark CR was established in 2014 and Ganesh is registered in the Netherlands Antilles. The TM could have expired and been renewed, I suppose, but I'm no expert on trademarks. This page seems to prove that at least Ganesh was around in 2007.

That is all I have for now. It's not a lot to go on. I can't say I have a clear theory as to whether the camisole came from South Carolina, Brazil, Venezuela or somewhere different entirely. NYC is full of vintage shops that carry stuff from all over the world, so it may be a dead end anyway. Still I felt I should share my results.

 

[carbuff]

Thanks for all the new information! Yes, please do revive old threads. We try to keep everything going but there's just too many cases--even just a bump to get new eyes on a case can be valuable.

Welcome to Websleuths!

 

[dotr]

Wonder if the cherry trees were the reason the uid with a cherry tattoo was put there?
Mystery & Intrigue in Mamaroneck
Mamaroneck Clean Up/Green Up Day at Harbor Island

 

[Freyja]

Wonder if the cherry trees were the reason the uid with a cherry tattoo was put there?
Mystery & Intrigue in Mamaroneck
Mamaroneck Clean Up/Green Up Day at Harbor Island

dotr, I can't access the second link due to geoblocking, and initially I thought, "Surely just a coincidence." But wow, "44-acre Harbor Island Park is home to hundreds of Kwanzan Double Flower Pink cherry trees", and there has been an annual Cherry Blossom Festival at J Harvey Turnure Memorial Park in White Plains, some 7 miles from Harbor Island Park, since 2000. So the area must really be known to locals for its cherry blossoms. This would be another strong indicator that the murderer is from the area. Assuming the suitcase was dumped in the water in the last week of February (washed up on 07 March, assumed to have been in the water for a week), that would be a bit before the trees actually start blossoming, I think – can any locals confirm?

If no blossoms are visible in late February, it would either show botanical knowledge enough to recognize cherry trees without blossoms, or simply underscore his familiarity with the area. Or it could still be a coincidence. But if the location was chosen not only for access to water, but also for the cherry trees, that could provide a small psychological insight.

Is the entire area full of cherry trees, or is that particular neck of the woods especially famous for it? Are blossoms visible in late February?

 

[dotr]

dotr, I can't access the second link due to geoblocking, and initially I thought, "Surely just a coincidence." But wow, "44-acre Harbor Island Park is home to hundreds of Kwanzan Double Flower Pink cherry trees", and there has been an annual Cherry Blossom Festival at J Harvey Turnure Memorial Park in White Plains, some 7 miles from Harbor Island Park, since 2000. So the area must really be known to locals for its cherry blossoms. This would be another strong indicator that the murderer is from the area. Assuming the suitcase was dumped in the water in the last week of February (washed up on 07 March, assumed to have been in the water for a week), that would be a bit before the trees actually start blossoming, I think – can any locals confirm?

If no blossoms are visible in late February, it would either show botanical knowledge enough to recognize cherry trees without blossoms, or simply underscore his familiarity with the area. Or it could still be a coincidence. But if the location was chosen not only for access to water, but also for the cherry trees, that could provide a small psychological insight.

Is the entire area full of cherry trees, or is that particular neck of the woods especially famous for it? Are blossoms visible in late February?

Welcome to Ws Freyja!
Also thinking that if the suitcase was dumped there in part due to the cherry blossoms, it could provide some psychological insight! imo.

 

[carbuff]

The location wouldn't have to have anything to do with the murderer. If she had the cherries because of the local connection, she be a local woman and could have been murdered by anyone.

 

[dotr]

The location wouldn't have to have anything to do with the murderer. If she had the cherries because of the local connection, she be a local woman and could have been murdered by anyone.

True, also they say that the remains could have washed up from anywhere.
Maybe just one of those eerie things that sometimes happen in these cases- like a body part turning up on a killer's wedding day (ie. Bernardo victim, Leslie Mahaffy) ect.
If that suitcase had to wash up somewhere, near cherry trees seems appropriate.
Maybe the perp or the victim does/did, live around that area? imo, speculation.

 

[Freyja]

The location wouldn't have to have anything to do with the murderer. If she had the cherries because of the local connection, she be a local woman and could have been murdered by anyone.

Well, the victim was not the one who chose the location where she was dumped. The murderer chose where to dump her remains. Considering the weight of these remains and the geography, I don't find it implausible that the suitcase never made it all that far from the place where the murderer originally dumped it.

The current in the Long Island Sound moves east to west, and Harbor Island Park is very close to the western end of the Sound. The murderer could have dumped the suitcase into the water further east and the current/tide could then have brought it to Mamaroneck. Or he dumped it somewhere near Mamaroneck and the heavy suitcase never made it far out into the Sound, being washed right back by the powerful current. Even if dumped at the same time and place as the torso, the legs, being much lighter, could still have been made it further east, eventually ending up in Cove Neck. I'm not saying this is what happened, but it would seem plausible to me.

The fact that there were strong winds and LE saying the remains could have been dumped from anywhere simply tells us that a further-away dump spot can't be ruled out. It doesn't mean that it's necessarily unlikely or impossible that the suitcase was dumped relatively close to where it was found.

Could just be a weird coincidence about the cherry trees – but could also not. I think it's useful to speculate out loud and commend dotr for the idea.

 

[dotr]

Thinking about the calendar with the words" Cinco" and " begin to live" can almost imagine a place like this community-like ranch advertising with a slogan like that.
imo, speculation.fwiw
Life in Cinco
"Fun comes in all forms in the Cinco Ranch® community. You can sit quietly in a park. Or discover the solitude of nature along the Bayou Nature Trail. Of course, if you want to whoop it up, the opportunities are almost endless. Play a round of golf. Enjoy the fun at The Lake House. Go full speed down a water slide. Or invent your very own form of fun".

 

[carbuff]

I don't think I explained myself very clearly. Everything you say is true but it's not what I meant.

What I'm trying to say is that possibly she's local, and has the cherry tattoo because of the local connection, and was murdered locally. In that case we should be looking for a local woman.

(this was in response to Freyja's last post. Quote didn't show for some reason.

 

[Freyja]

I don't think I explained myself very clearly. Everything you say is true but it's not what I meant.

What I'm trying to say is that possibly she's local, and has the cherry tattoo because of the local connection, and was murdered locally. In that case we should be looking for a local woman.

(this was in response to Freyja's last post. Quote didn't show for some reason.

Ah, sorry. I see what you mean now. A possibility that runs in parallel to the one dotr and I discussed, but doesn't contradict it. Yes, of course she could also be a local cherry fan inspired to get a tattoo by the abundance of sakura in the area. It would be interesting to know if, for example, the entire county is known for cherries or only the mentioned parks (Harbor Island and Turnure Memorial).

On that note, this is a very interesting paper on serial murderers' spatial decisions. Apparently an average US serial killer will choose crime locations (including dump sites) that are something like 30 to 40 km from his home (hope I quoted that right; shouldn't be posting in this tired a state.)

 

[carbuff]

Ah, sorry. I see what you mean now. A possibility that runs in parallel to the one dotr and I discussed, but doesn't contradict it. Yes, of course she could also be a local cherry fan inspired to get a tattoo by the abundance of sakura in the area. It would be interesting to know if, for example, the entire county is known for cherries or only the mentioned parks (Harbor Island and Turnure Memorial).

On that note, this is a very interesting paper on serial murderers' spatial decisions. Apparently an average US serial killer will choose crime locations (including dump sites) that are something like 30 to 40 km from his home (hope I quoted that right; shouldn't be posting in this tired a state.)

I've read that statistic too.

It makes me think LISK lives in or works in Manhattan. Yeah, him and two or three million other people.

 

[Freyja]

I've read that statistic too.

It makes me think LISK lives in or works in Manhattan. Yeah, him and two or three million other people.

Do you know if there is a thread anywhere here for discussing the pros and cons of whether the GB4 are the work of the same killer as the dismembered (ID'd and un-ID'd) victims? I don't want to hijack Cherries' thread with all the thoughts swirling around regarding GB4 and the others, but have only seen GB4 & SG connection thread, or threads for all the unidentified, or threads for individual victims.

 

[Suglo]

This is a case for DNA Doe Project or Parabon. Hopefully the detectives working on this one and some of the other UIDs in NY will go the genetic genealogy route.

 

[deedee21]

This is a case for DNA Doe Project or Parabon. Hopefully the detectives working on this one and some of the other UIDs in NY will go the genetic genealogy route.

Dont count on it.
This case is not being worked on

 

[Brooklyngirl84]

I found these jeans listed for sale on Poshmark. As a NYC native, I suspect Coconut Republic and Voice (brand of the long sleeve shirt) are the types of clothing one would buy at a cheap NYC store like Dijon’s or Rainbow. These clothes are generally mass produced in local sweatshops. They are not store specific in any way, beyond being produced and sold at discount stores in the 5 boroughs.

 

[carbuff]

I found these jeans listed for sale on Poshmark. As a NYC native, I suspect Coconut Republic and Voice (brand of the long sleeve shirt) are the types of clothing one would buy at a cheap NYC store like Dijon’s or Rainbow. These clothes are generally mass produced in local sweatshops. They are not store specific in any way, beyond being produced and sold at discount stores in the 5 boroughs.

That would identify her as a local, though. People outside of the area have never heard of those places or stores.

 

[deedee21]

This is a case for DNA Doe Project or Parabon. Hopefully the detectives working on this one and some of the other UIDs in NY will go the genetic genealogy route.

Dont hold your breath.
Unless you like the color blue.