Identified! FL - Green Cove Springs, BlkFem 363UFFL, 25-35, abandoned house, Dec'89 - Melinda Joyce Holder

[GJKJR]

I looked through quite a few keywords and could not find this case.

NOTE: NamUs lists Date of Discovery as December 10, 1989, while DoeNetwork lists Date of Discovery as the 11th. Height in NamUs is 5'3", while height on Doe Network is 5'6".

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LINKS:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
The Doe Network: Case File 363UFFL
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The victim was discovered on December 11, 1989 (December 10, 1989 in NamUs) in Green Cove Springs, Clay County, Florida.
Estimated Date of Death: 1 - 5 days
Skeletonized Charred/Burned

Estimated age: 25 - 35 years old
Approximate Height and Weight: 5'6" (5'3" in NamUs)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Black hair. Painted toenails.
Clothing: Navy blue jacket with red lining and "Riteway" patch on it, cardigan sweater, knobby soled sneakers, buttoned shirt.
Personal Effects: Two Dexter house keys; Two GM car keys that fit 1967, 1975, 1979, 1983, 1985, and 1986 model vehicles.
Fingerprints: Not Available.
Dentals: No dental restorations present.
DNA: mtDNA Available; University of North Texas

Details: The victim was located in the fire debris at 404 Harrison St., Green Cove Springs, Fl, on December 11, 1989. Found in home frequented by drug abusers.

The victim had been dead for several days prior to the fire. No evidence of antemortem trauma or disease.

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Here are 2 potential matches:

Melinda Joyce Holder (The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)) - I personally believe Melinda Joyce Holder is much more likely than the next potential match I will list because she went missing in the same town in which the UID was discovered (Green Cove Springs). As far as I can tell, G.C.S. is not a particularly large town; at the 2000 census, it had about 5.3 thousand people. To me, the UID sketch and Holder look similar, and Holder went missing in the same year that the UID was discovered.

Doris Regina Chavers (The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)) - Doris, to me, looks a lot like the UID sketch, but I don't think she is the UID because 1) she was the victim of a battery on April 30, 1989, while the UID apparently had "no evidence of antemortem trauma or disease," and 2) because she went missing from Sanford, Florida, which, while not far, isn't incredibly close either (about a 2 hour drive).

 

[GJKJR]

Just submitted Melinda Joyce Holder (NamUs #MP50467) as a potential match to the NamUs Case Manager, who is the same for both her case and the UID's (Carrie Sutherland).

 

[GJKJR]

I received a response from the Green Cove Springs PD today. After that, I called them, and found out that Melinda Holder's dentals were checked in the 1980s/1990s, and were not a match. However, they told me that DNA (a bone sample) was sent to the University of North Texas for examination in order to definitively rule in/out Holder as this Doe. I really appreciated the Green Cove Springs PD's quick response; always appreciate a response!

 

[Fuuro]

I live about fifteen minutes from Green Cove Springs and I drive through downtown Green Cove Springs at least six times a week. I've never really hung out there, nor have I visited the specific street where this UID was located, but I guess I can provide a bit of insight into the city.

It is a part of the Jacksonville metropolitan area and one of the bigger towns in the county where it's located, but it's far from urbanized. It's very rural and there is really nothing to see there, except for a popular agricultural fair that takes place every April. A lot of buildings, even those in the downtown portion of the city, are run down or abandoned. The surrounding area also does have a bit of a drug problem, similar to what we have seen with this UID.

 

[natureaker]

Exclusion list as of April 16, 2019
Mable Andrews, 1976, Florida
Margie Phillips, 1976, Florida
Brenda Williams, 1978, Florida
Diane Hollins, 1979, Florida
Debra Townsel, 1980, Florida
Carolyn Brown, 1985, Florida
Hattie Burton, 1988, Florida

 

[JasonFutchLakeCityFL]

It appears Dorris Chavers has been ruled out as this Jane Doe. However, Holder has yet to be ruled out on NamUs.

I should also add that a year and a half ago, I submitted Detra McGuire of Lake City as this Jane Doe. Though I know the logistics surrounding her disappearance may rule her out as this JD, its always good to cover bases. Last I heard about this was from Capt. Dicks in Columbia County, and she said that it may take much longer before they can conclusively rule her out due to DNA issues.

 

[JasonFutchLakeCityFL]

 

[iulia]

After more than 30 years, police have identified human remains that were found in the rubble of a house fire as belonging to a woman who was reported missing to the Green Cove Springs Police Department.According to a news release, Melinda Joyce Holder, 36, was reported missing on Jan. 24, 1989 by her adopted mother, who noted she had not been seen in days.

Decades later, remains found in engulfed home identified as missing woman

ETA Great call, @GJKJR !

 

[meanmaryjean]

Well done!

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Wow, look at that lovely, glowing woman. I wonder what happened.

Not many details here...the sketch is fantastic, IMO. Was it really just based on her bones, or was there a witness as well? Especially since they have some reason to think she was dead for quite a while before the fire (from article linked above).

Any way, rest in peace, Melinda. Shine on.

 

[YaYa_521]

FL - Melinda Joyce Holder 36 missing from Green Cove Springs, Florida 1989

Rest peacefully, Melinda.

 

[GJKJR]

Oh my lord! I'm happy that at least there was an identification in this case. R.i.P., Melinda.

The Green Cove Springs PD were absolutely amazing when I called them and I'm really grateful for their response. It seems they never gave up hope on this case, revisiting it decades later in order to bring Melinda's name into the light. I do find it interesting that they told me Melinda's dentals were initially checked and found not to match with the decedent; imagine if they had never revisited this case and conclusively ruled her out based on that?

The sketch did resemble Melinda quite well, IMO, though I have no idea if it was just a facial reconstruction based on the remains or from a witness description.

The detail that she was thought to have died well before the fire strikes me as odd, and I couldn't say what could've happened in that house before the fire. Maybe this will be figured out later, I don't know, but for now it seems it might remain a mystery.

 

[Fuuro]

I'm glad that this case has been solved. It really hits close to home. If the postmortem interval is correct, Melinda remained in Green Cove for nearly a year after her disappearance. I wonder how she was able to stay under the radar for so long in a relatively small city like that.

 

[the_missing]

I received a response from the Green Cove Springs PD today. After that, I called them, and found out that Melinda Holder's dentals were checked in the 1980s/1990s, and were not a match.

Dentals fail again. (This is an excellent example of dental comparison being worse than useless.)

The fact they ran DNA despite the dental ruleout suggests they didn't have confidence in the ruleout. Glad to see the case solved.

Good work GJKJR.

 

[AnnieOakley]

Do we get to call this one a match since GJKJR proposed Melinda last March?