Identified! MI - Monroe Co, WhtFem, 28-34, Red Hair, Silver Wedding Band, #UP11758, Oct '75 - Delores Griffin

[Shin Masamura]

Creepedout's, Tanningbed's, Gardner1850's and others brainstorming is the great job tbh. Im just glad we are closer today to solving this than yesterday. Not a match by any means, but after 40 years of not much happening, its refreshing there are paid officials looking into this stuff.

 

[folieadeuxnola]

Creepedout's, Tanningbed's, Gardner1850's and others brainstorming is the great job tbh. Im just glad we are closer today to solving this than yesterday. Not a match by any means, but after 40 years of not much happening, its refreshing there are paid officials looking into this stuff.

Great job Folks ....

it goes to show what great collaberative talent we have here on WS

 

[creepedout]

Very glad to hear this. Thanks to Gardener for opening this thread.

For anyone wondering, finding Delores was incredibly easy. I queried the Namus database for white females missing as late as 1975. Delores was the second result, and the first with red hair:

The Lost & The Found

 

[Gardener1850]

Update:
Received a call from Investigator Ryan from the Romeoville PD and he had alot to say.

Firstly, he stated that he was filling through old cases and came across Dolores Griffin a year ago. Off kinda a wild hunch he called a detective where the UID was located. The problem he stated was back in 1975, since dna wasn't a thing, they just took hair a sample and unfortunately cremated the body. However, when he sent them a picture of Dolores, The Detective that was over the UIDcase did have a photo of the UID and said it was a very, very close match. But due to being in the water and the brutality of the wounds, it wasn't definitive.

Even though, they are in the process of exhuming the cremated remains to run tests! Thats how sure they think it is and they feel the technology might be there for this rare process. Also, about the husband.. the info one doenetwork is inncorrect. He was gone for a little over 9 hours not 22 hrs which lines up from their house to the state park.

He basically called because he was astounded that people outside of LE were able to back up his hunch since he never got any outside feed back on this case outside of a guy a year ago when he first stated looking into it. He said it was going to take time to go through the various test, but was very appreciative of our work.

Wow, that is remarkable feedback! I'm so glad they are looking into it seriously. And it sounds like your call encouraged the investigator to keep trying. I hope something can be done to get DNA from either the cremated remains or the hair. Technology is getting better all the time.

 

[Firstnamefrank]

Wow, that is remarkable feedback! I'm so glad they are looking into it seriously. And it sounds like your call encouraged the investigator to keep trying. I hope something can be done to get DNA from either the cremated remains or the hair. Technology is getting better all the time.

 

[Firstnamefrank]

Thank you for your hard work. I am one of Delores's children, the youngest Frank Griffin Jr. It means a lot to our family. We don't know for sure yet as testing is being done.

 

[Gardener1850]

Thank you for your hard work. I am one of Delores's children, the youngest Frank Griffin Jr. It means a lot to our family. We don't know for sure yet as testing is being done.

Welcome to Websleuths Frank. I'm sorry your mom has been missing for so many years. I hope you will soon have the answers you have been searching for.

 

[Gardener1850]

BTW, there is also a thread for your mother Delores in our missing persons section: IL - IL - Delores Griffin, 33, Romeoville, 24 Oct 1975

There is not very much information in the thread, however. If you feel there is anything we should know about your mother that thread would be a good place to share it. Members here often look through the missing persons threads to try to match up with unidentified persons like this case. So any extra info you can give over there could be helpful.

I hope the DNA brings you answers soon.

 

[Firstnamefrank]

Dear Sleuths,

Thank you for your hard work. This is Frank Griffin Jr. Delores's only son. We found out earlier that DNA testing confirms the remains found in Monroe County Michigan is my mom's remains.

 

[FireOwl9]

Dear Sleuths,

Thank you for your hard work. This is Frank Griffin Jr. Delores's only son. We found out earlier that DNA testing confirms the remains found in Monroe County Michigan is my mom's remains.

I'm very, very sorry for your loss May she rest in peace in heaven.

@CarlK90245, could you please label and move this to the 'Match' section of the forum? And congratulations to our fellow member @creepedout for their hard work

 

[madamx]

Dear Sleuths,

Thank you for your hard work. This is Frank Griffin Jr. Delores's only son. We found out earlier that DNA testing confirms the remains found in Monroe County Michigan is my mom's remains.

Frank, My heart goes out to you and everything you have gone through for so long. I know your mother has been with you every step of The way and will always be with you. May your mothers Spirit always have light!

 

[madamx]

I'm very, very sorry for your loss May she rest in peace in heaven.

@CarlK90245, could you please label and move this to the 'Match' section of the forum? And congratulations to our fellow member @creepedout for their hard work

Yes Yay for Creepedout!!! And thanks to Gardener for Starting this post!!!
Always feels great to read someone waiting to be identified for such a long time has Finally been identified!
.. So is this our 2nd Person Identified already for 2019? If so that is so great to hear!!

 

[taramarie]

Dear Sleuths,

Thank you for your hard work. This is Frank Griffin Jr. Delores's only son. We found out earlier that DNA testing confirms the remains found in Monroe County Michigan is my mom's remains.

Frank, we are incredibly sorry for your loss.

 

[Shin Masamura]

What a bitter sweet way to start the morning, however hats off to everyone involved. Im always amazed what different perspectives bring to solving these cases. Incredible work by all here!

 

[creepedout]

Frank,

So happy to hear of this case's closure, but so sorry for your loss. Bittersweet, for sure...

- Creepedout

 

[Al Ka]

Frank, my deepest condolences to you and all your family.

May she finally Rest in Peace!

 

[Gardener1850]

Dear Sleuths,

Thank you for your hard work. This is Frank Griffin Jr. Delores's only son. We found out earlier that DNA testing confirms the remains found in Monroe County Michigan is my mom's remains.

Frank, I'm so sorry for your loss. I pray you have a feeling a resolution at least knowing for sure now. I cannot imagine how difficult it has been for you.

Thanks for letting us know the outcome of the tests. It is never exactly happy news but it is a good feeling for us here to know we have made a difference in some small way.

May Delores finally rest in peace.

 

[Bit of hope]

Dear Sleuths,

Thank you for your hard work. This is Frank Griffin Jr. Delores's only son. We found out earlier that DNA testing confirms the remains found in Monroe County Michigan is my mom's remains.

Must be horrible to know Frank but also the right thing. Many hugs.

 

[southern_scout]

I am so sorry for your loss, Frank.

Thank you, sleuthers, for connecting the dots on this case and bringing closure to it.

 

[Al Ka]

New news article just came out -

===
Now 56, Henson (Delores daughter) lives in Smithland, Ky., and has a family. She said her relief is profound and is happy for her grandmother, Delores’s mother, who’s 99 years old and raised the three kids.

“I wanted this for my grandmother,” Henson said. “I wanted this so badly. I wanted this for my whole family. My mother was my best friend.”

Henson was 13 years old — the oldest of three — when their mom disappeared. She praised Preadmore for his work and dedication to a case that has been cold for decades.

“He’s the man,” Henson said. “He’s a pit bull. We kept getting closer and closer and I knew it was her. He did not quit.”
---
For Henson and her siblings, there is no question as to who did it. But now they finally have their answer to where she is. Henson said she doesn’t know why her mother’s body ended up in Monroe. She surmised that her father had a girlfriend here. Or that it was simply geography; Monroe County was a straight shot from their 1975 home in Romeoville, Ill.

Now preparations are being made to have the grave exhumed so Henson could bury her mother in Kentucky at a place called Paradise Cemetery. The family is planning a memorial service in March.

“All these years and we didn’t know where she was buried,” Henson said. “I’m thankful to bring her home and we’re bringing her home. We got justice for my mother.”

Puzzling loss: Cold case solved after 43 years