CANADA Canada - North Vancouver BC, WhtFemale, 55-70, BELLA, December 1985

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Do you know this Jane Doe? Answers sought in this 35-year-old B.C. mystery

A crane operator was working on B.C.'s Burrard Inlet one morning in December 1985 when he spotted a body floating in the water.

The body was recovered, and determined to be that of a white woman, whose cause of death was drowning.

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It's been nearly 35 years since the woman, aged 55 to 70, was discovered, and officials still don't know much about her.

She had two notable scars on her abdomen: a 12.7-centimetre vertical scar of unknown origin, and a five-centimetre lateral scar on the right side where her appendix had been removed.

She had blue eyes and had recently dyed her hair blonde.

Her upper teeth had been replaced by dentures, and she was missing her lower teeth. Her spine was severely curved in what officials say was a manner consistent with scoliosis.

She wore maroon pants from Sears, and a long-sleeved black button-up blouse. She also had on a white turtleneck and a green wool vest. Overtop, she had on a grey wool coat and white gloves.

Inside her boots, which were black, zippered and rubber, someone had written "Bella" in blue pen on the label.

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The woman had on a pair of gold earrings.

She also had a horseshoe with her, with the message, "Good luck."

image.jpg


Her cause of death was drowning, but little else is known.

So the BC Coroners Service is turning to the public for help to find out who she was, and what happened.

In a news release Monday, the service and the RCMP asked for clues in the case.

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I highlighted a few important things from the article. You'd think this one would be solvable, right?! Maybe not so much now, but hopefully someone from the public recognises her.
 
This is her Doe Network file with an other recon.
The Doe Network: Case File 167UFBC

167UFBC.jpg


Vital Statistics

    • Estimated age: 55 - 65 years old
    • Approximate Height and Weight: 5'6" (168 cm); 170-175 lbs (77-79 kg.)
    • Distinguishing Characteristics: Recently dyed blond (light yellow, sandy), short and wavy; Gray eyes.
    • Marks, Scars: Bandaged ulcerated area on central forehead. 5x3 cm greyish/black wart growth on central chest. Moles near her eyes. Two abdominal scars and a curved spine.
    • Clothing: She was wearing a grey wool winter coat; a white wool turtleneck dickie; a black long sleeved blouse; a wooden buttoned, sleeveless, green wool sweater vest; size 16 maroon Sears pants; brown knee length nylons; black winter boots with side zippers and the name Bella printed inside the label in blue ink.
    • Personal Effects: White dress gloves, blue lighter, a good luck horseshoe, a pair of gold earrings, two Viscount cigarettes in a package and 76 cents in coins.
    • Dentals: She had no teeth and wore an upper denture. It is possible that she had a lower denture that was not recovered, and there was evidence of oral surgery.
    • DNA: Pending
 
Oeps...the little double post monster got me...DBM
 
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From Point Atkinson and Point Grey on the west[6] to Port Moody in the east, the inlet is about 25 km (15.5 mi) long; Indian Arm extends about 20 km (12.4 mi) north. Settlements on the shores of Burrard Inlet include Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, and Port Moody. Three bridges, the First Narrows Bridge (alias Lions Gate Bridge) (built in the 1930s), the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing (1960) and the CNR railway bridge (1969) at the Second Narrows, and the SeaBus passenger ferry, cross the inlet. Aside from just east of the inlet's mouth (where it includes English Bay), it is widest (about 3 km or 1.9 mi) between the First and Second Narrows, also the busiest part of Vancouver's port.

220px-Vancouver_Landsat.jpg


Satellite photo of Vancouver region, with Burrard Inlet running left to right near the top of the image

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏
 
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She had a bandaged ulcerated area on central forehead. I looked into ulcers, be they most likely appear on arms and legs.
Skin ulcer: Causes, types, symptoms, and treatments

However a bite from a brown recluse spider also causes ulcers and necrosis. (Just a hunch....)

Brown Recluse Spider <originated in America> also known as Fiddleback spiders are not as aggressive as the black widow spiders, and will only bite if they are aggravated. <In Canada> They are mostly found in British Columbia however there have been reporting of Brown Recluse Spiders in other Canadian province including Southern Ontario.

What are the symptoms?
Brown recluse spider bites don't always hurt right away. In fact, you may not know that you have been bitten until other symptoms appear. Symptoms of a brown recluse spider bite include:
  • Reddened skin that may be followed by a blister that forms at the bite site.
  • Mild to intense pain and itching for 2 to 8 hours following the bite.
  • An open sore (ulcer) with a breakdown of tissue (necrosis) that develops a week or more following the bite. This may take months to heal.
Brown Recluse Spider Bite.

At least she was treated (bandage). Given the word Bella written in her boots my primary guess is she was in a hospital, a retirement home or a nursing home.
 
Bella is a female name. It is a diminutive form of names ending in -bella. Bella is related to the Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Latin words for beautiful, to the name Belle, meaning beautiful in French. Also known for being a nickname to Isabella, Annabella or Arabella.

It's also a surname.

Bella - Wikipedia.
 
I wonder if the ulcerated area might be from something like a skin cancer or growth that had been removed (or really needed to be removed). It sounds like she was comfortable going to the dentist so would be likely to seek out medical attention for a suspicious skin lesion.

She was so carefully dressed - everyday elegant with her wool dickie, white gloves, and earrings. I can't figure out why part of the good luck charm is pink. Is it worn away and showing the underside? Or is the pink part stone or what? I wonder how big it is?
 
I wonder if the ulcerated area might be from something like a skin cancer or growth that had been removed (or really needed to be removed). It sounds like she was comfortable going to the dentist so would be likely to seek out medical attention for a suspicious skin lesion.

She was so carefully dressed - everyday elegant with her wool dickie, white gloves, and earrings. I can't figure out why part of the good luck charm is pink. Is it worn away and showing the underside? Or is the pink part stone or what? I wonder how big it is?

My guess is that the horseshoe was all pink and the water did his job. The gesture, her having it with her, is ironic. You are right, I can see she was somehow a sophisticated lady.
 
Yes, as I live in BC, I put this LE request on my social media. I wonder how long she had been in the water before she was discovered, it doesn't seem to say that. I've actually been in that area of North Vancouver not too long ago, as for some reason I find shipyards and industrial areas interesting lol, so I got a family member to tour with me around by the docks. It is quite an extensive area, alot of ins and outs of small roads leading to individual shipping buildings gated off and, for the most part, not easy to access along the shoreline. You mention she seems well dressed, etc. and North Van in general is a fairly upscale area. To get there from main Vancouver, one would need to either drive over there or take the seabus or walk across one of the bridges. I wouldn't be surprised therefore if she was from North Van. but how she ended up in the water and why she hasn't been ID'ed yet is surprising. Of course, we do have people jumping off our major bridge of Lions Gate, from time to time, so that is a possibility too but it seems as if her earrings, etc. were all intact.
 
In addition to my last post, I have since looked at the DoeNetwork for Canada and it does say how long she was estimated to be in the water, 48 hours. And another bit of info. is that she was found at 10:45 am. The fact that she was wearing white dress gloves in mid-December rather than mittens (it is usually damp/cold here in winter, especially by the water) tells me that she was dressed up for a special event or night out. Perhaps a pre-Christmas outing.
 
In addition to my last post, I have since looked at the DoeNetwork for Canada and it does say how long she was estimated to be in the water, 48 hours. And another bit of info. is that she was found at 10:45 am. The fact that she was wearing white dress gloves in mid-December rather than mittens (it is usually damp/cold here in winter, especially by the water) tells me that she was dressed up for a special event or night out. Perhaps a pre-Christmas outing.

Thanks and sorry, I missed that when I copied the file content.
 
Of course, we do have people jumping off our major bridge of Lions Gate, from time to time, so that is a possibility too but it seems as if her earrings, etc. were all intact.

Yeh, I don't think she was a bridge jumper as bruising would have been noted and I imagine quoted somewhere in the release if this was the case.

I can't help but think of some sort of Irish heritage with the lucky horseshoe and the earrings being of a Celtic-ish design, but i'm probably reaching.
 
I found a couple of very similar (but not identical and nothing pink) charms online, but I don't think finding such a unique charm would really be of much help after this much time has passed. I had to look, though!
 
This is the file from the Canada missing site Canada's Missing | Case details

This female was recovered from the Burrard Inlet, approximately 200 feet from the wharf at Versatile Pacific Shipyards.

Aliases BELLA
Discovered on December 12, 1985
Est. age 50 to 65
White Female
Eye color Grey
Hair Blonde, Dyed, Wavy
Teeth False, Upper denture
Height 168 cm / 5 ft 6 in
Weight 77 kg / 170 lbs
Build Heavy
Money $0.76
Socks Nylon, Brown, Knee high
Jacket Wool, Grey, Black, "Sears" brand
Underwear White, Bra
Underwear Beige, Lace
Vest Wool, Green
Gloves Synthetic, White, White dress gloves in pocket
Sweater Wool, White, Turtleneck
Pants Synthetic, Maroon, "Sears" brand, size 16
Blouse Black, Buttoned at front
Scar Abdomen, 15 cm
Deformity Torso (Back), Curved spine
Mark Chest, 5x3 cm greyish-black wart
Mark Right Knee, Superficial abrasion
Mark Forehead, Bandaged cut
 

''2020PSSG0041-001389 July 27, 2020 NORTH VANCOUVER ʹThe BC Coroners Service and RCMP are asking for your help to solve a nearly 35-year-old mystery involving a woman whose remains were recovered from Burrard Inlet. On the morning of Dec. 12, 1985, a crane operator at Versatile Shipyards spotted a body floating in the inlet. The body of an older Caucasian female was later recovered. Post-mortem investigations determined that the woman, believed to be between the ages of 55 and 70, had drowned. Other physical details are as follows: Caucasian female: 170 cm (5'6") in height; blue eyes with recently dyed blond hair; and two notable scars on the abdomen, including a 12.7cm (5") vertical scar (mid-abdomen) and a 5cm (2") lateral scar on the right side of the abdomen (her appendix had been previously removed); upper row of teeth replaced by dentures and lower row of teeth missing; and severe curving of the spine, consistent with scoliosis At the time of her death, she was wearing maroon pants (size 16, Sears brand), a long-sleeved black button-up blouse over a white turtleneck, a green wool vest with brown buttons, a grey wool winter hip-length coat and white dress gloves. The woman wore black zippered rubber boots. The label inside each boot had the word "Bella" written in blue pen. Aside from clothing, a number of other distinct personal effects were recovered, including a good-luck horseshoe and a pair of gold earrings. To view images of these, with a composite facial sketch that was done at the time, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...ations-unit/unidentified-cases/1985-0220-0978 Anyone with information that may help identify this individual is asked to contact either the North Vancouver RCMP at 604 985-1311, or the BC Coroners Service Special Investigations Unit (toll-free) at 1 877 660-5077 or by email: bccs.siu@gov.bc.ca Learn More: BC Coroners Service Unidentified Human Remains Interactive Viewer Tool (Case #: 1985-0220- 0978): ArcGIS Web Application id=1a60c24b82ed41699d8a55338fb11076 Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General BC Coroners Service Connect with the Province of B.C. at: news.gov.bc.ca/connect Andy Watson Manager, Strategic Communications BC Coroners Service 250 356-9253 ''
 

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