Identified! NC - Orange Co, WhtFem 15-25, 558UFNC, pink sweatshirt w/bunnies, Sep'90 - Lisa Coburn Kesler

Some possibilities:
I focused on the dentals.

Lorraine Migl Light
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Jennifer Lynn Fay
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

For this next one, the fact that her shoes were found in her car was interesting.

Angela Lynn Chan
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Thank you Keane, always good to have more possibilities.

Regarding Lorraine, it does say that she had a three year old daughter and our Doe did not have any stated indication of prior childbearing. Although, there is the possibility that Lorraine’s daughter could’ve been adopted.

Jennifer definitely seems feasible. That was a good fine. General skeletal structure matches up with the artist renditions as well (nose, head shape, e.t.c.).

And lastly for Angela, I wonder how a tattoos are approached in Doe cases. The victim at hand was dead for ~5/6 days at discovery & I’m curious what forensic information can be taken in that state. Can forensics indicate if there was evidence of a tattoo? Could traces of a tattoo be seen? Or is it a non-issue...
 
Hello all,

I want to add to this thread that there are reports that her hair was a DYED strawberry blonde. Thus, it is worthwhile to broaden searches to brown hair as well. This has likely been mentioned before, but I wanted to bring it back up. That information does not appear in the larger articles/sites regarding her case.

<3 lilacs
 
What is the possibility that it is Marjorie Christina Luna? I see the portrait of Jane Doe and I can't stop thinking about a teenage Marjorie Luna

Marjorie Christina Luna – The Charley Project
Worth looking into, but there is that note about the strawberry birth mark on Luna. Don’t know if they would’ve been able to decipher that with our Doe b/c of her decomposition process...
 
Hi! I just reached out to the Sheriff of Orange County and the Chief Medical Examiner with information regarding this case. Below I copy-pasted what I wrote (with redacted personal info lol). If there is any way for any of you to play off of this information.
-
-
Dear Mr. Gibbs and Captain Thorne,

Hello, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing regarding a Jane Doe case (often referred to as “New Hope Jane Doe” or “Hillsborough Jane Doe) that was uncovered on Sept. 19, 1990. It is seemingly filed as #90-814 within the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and #90-12532 within the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

I have been conducting independent research and will attach my findings below.

One of the most distinctive details of this case, as you know, is the pink bunny sweatshirt she was wearing. I was able to find a 1985 “Younkers” advertisement with the same bunnies. Here is an imgur link containing it (
imgur.com ) and I will attach a file with the image as well. Younkers stores were mainly located in Idaho but also appeared in nearby states.

Furthermore, the artist behind this sweater could be Jim Benton. He is infamous for his “Happy Bunny” characters. In the early 1980s, he printed apparel with similar iconography. Here are multiple links containing his early work that is strikingly adjacent to the Doe’s sweater ( Sportsweats Jim Benton Love Duck Funny Humor Pinback Button #30937 • $11.40 ,
Vintage 1983 Jim Benton Dog Sweatshirt! Really... - Depop ) Again, I will attach files as well. Jim Benton would seemingly operate under “Sportsweats” and not “Sportswear”. During this time he was based out of Michigan and his work mainly circulated in that area. Being said, the Jane Doe could have bought the sweater secondhand or gotten it from someone else.

I also want to state, with my knowledge as a printmaker and cartoonist, that it it highly likely he would only make one or a few versions of specific designs. The process of printmaking is so taxing and cartoonists often like to practice different designs to create new characters or put them in different poses. Jim Benton was also early in his career during the time he would create these style characters. It was more than likely that he did not have the resources to mass produce anything. Altogether, it really could be worth reaching out to him. If I have the time, I will try and get in contact to ask if this is his work.

Next, I was able to find information on the “Sportswear” tag on that sweater. It seemed to be in circulation from the 1960s to the 1990s. I have a background in curation of vintage clothing and know that you can locate an RN # on some articles of clothing and input it into the FTC database to find the company that the article is registered to. This RN # would appear on the tag. In my research on Sportswear, another curator found that a Sportswear item was registered to Granite Knitwear inc. AKA Calcru (via inputting the RN # into the FTC database)— which is a company based out of Granite Quarry, North Carolina. Here is a link with a user alleging this information (
Sportswear ).

Thank you so much for your service working on this case and others. I really mean that. Also, I am open to having more conversations about my findings or any information I can give you. I have extensive knowledge on the business/creation of apparel and accessories because of my career. Due to limited evidence, that could be what ties this case together. If there is any way I can help, I am here. I hope some semblance of justice can be found for this young woman.

All the best,
 
Hi! I just reached out to the Sheriff of Orange County and the Chief Medical Examiner with information regarding this case. Below I copy-pasted what I wrote (with redacted personal info lol). If there is any way for any of you to play off of this information.
-
-
Dear Mr. Gibbs and Captain Thorne,

Hello, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing regarding a Jane Doe case (often referred to as “New Hope Jane Doe” or “Hillsborough Jane Doe) that was uncovered on Sept. 19, 1990. It is seemingly filed as #90-814 within the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and #90-12532 within the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

I have been conducting independent research and will attach my findings below.

One of the most distinctive details of this case, as you know, is the pink bunny sweatshirt she was wearing. I was able to find a 1985 “Younkers” advertisement with the same bunnies. Here is an imgur link containing it (
imgur.com ) and I will attach a file with the image as well. Younkers stores were mainly located in Idaho but also appeared in nearby states.

Furthermore, the artist behind this sweater could be Jim Benton. He is infamous for his “Happy Bunny” characters. In the early 1980s, he printed apparel with similar iconography. Here are multiple links containing his early work that is strikingly adjacent to the Doe’s sweater ( Sportsweats Jim Benton Love Duck Funny Humor Pinback Button #30937 • $11.40 ,
Vintage 1983 Jim Benton Dog Sweatshirt! Really... - Depop ) Again, I will attach files as well. Jim Benton would seemingly operate under “Sportsweats” and not “Sportswear”. During this time he was based out of Michigan and his work mainly circulated in that area. Being said, the Jane Doe could have bought the sweater secondhand or gotten it from someone else.

I also want to state, with my knowledge as a printmaker and cartoonist, that it it highly likely he would only make one or a few versions of specific designs. The process of printmaking is so taxing and cartoonists often like to practice different designs to create new characters or put them in different poses. Jim Benton was also early in his career during the time he would create these style characters. It was more than likely that he did not have the resources to mass produce anything. Altogether, it really could be worth reaching out to him. If I have the time, I will try and get in contact to ask if this is his work.

Next, I was able to find information on the “Sportswear” tag on that sweater. It seemed to be in circulation from the 1960s to the 1990s. I have a background in curation of vintage clothing and know that you can locate an RN # on some articles of clothing and input it into the FTC database to find the company that the article is registered to. This RN # would appear on the tag. In my research on Sportswear, another curator found that a Sportswear item was registered to Granite Knitwear inc. AKA Calcru (via inputting the RN # into the FTC database)— which is a company based out of Granite Quarry, North Carolina. Here is a link with a user alleging this information (
Sportswear ).

Thank you so much for your service working on this case and others. I really mean that. Also, I am open to having more conversations about my findings or any information I can give you. I have extensive knowledge on the business/creation of apparel and accessories because of my career. Due to limited evidence, that could be what ties this case together. If there is any way I can help, I am here. I hope some semblance of justice can be found for this young woman.

All the best,
Wow Lilacs! I am really impressed! Those bunnies look so similar and the style in having them in threes! And you found the artist! Hopefully he remembers that designs origins and has a pinpointed location to where they were distributed. I know 'happy bunny's! That was really huge when I was in middle school. Me and my sis had the shirts and stickers. I never would have thought the bicycle bunnies would be a early version of something I know! So cool!
❗️MARK DOWN ❗️ Bubblegum pink 80’s Vintage Jim Benton... - Depop
 
Just wanted to say too that the FBI couldn't even figure out the origins of the bunny sweatshirt! Very impressive!

I am finding some that are similar and they are Bassett Walker brand.

Vintage 80s pink sweatshirt with bunnies
Thank you so much for the new information!!

Although, I cannot take credit for these findings. I was given the name Jim Benton by fellow sleuths. I cross referenced, tied together, and confirmed research from across the web. Then, I found more evidence to add credibility to the findings. Finally, I communicated all aforementioned to the proper agencies.

None of which would have happened without this community.

I am a 19 year old young woman, around the same age Hope would have been. The area of this tragedy is where I have always called home.

Thus, I am deeply emotionally connected to this case.

So I must thank you all with levels of sincerity I cannot express.

The key is always keeping Hope.
 
Also, I contacted Jim Benton to ask if he could identify the pink bunny sweater as his own. I will update with a quote-reply if he responds.
Hello, great news!

Jim Benton confirmed that the three bunnies on bicycles is his work!

I asked a lot of questions of him (lol) and here was the information he was able to provide. He gave me permission to share our communications to anyone.

“This is indeed a copy of artwork I did for a company called Sportsweats. It’s impossible to know exactly where it was sold.”

“This is not an actual print from my art. This is a copy. Mine had a little more color and my signature.”

“My original was made—I’m guessing here—in mid eighties I think. We distributed to stores all over the country, so it’s impossible for me to tell you where.”
 
Hello, great news!

Jim Benton confirmed that the three bunnies on bicycles is his work!

I asked a lot of questions of him (lol) and here was the information he was able to provide. He gave me permission to share our communications to anyone.

“This is indeed a copy of artwork I did for a company called Sportsweats. It’s impossible to know exactly where it was sold.”

“This is not an actual print from my art. This is a copy. Mine had a little more color and my signature.”

“My original was made—I’m guessing here—in mid eighties I think. We distributed to stores all over the country, so it’s impossible for me to tell you where.”
I will call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department tomorrow with this information.
 
RSBM
I am a 19 year old young woman, around the same age Hope would have been. The area of this tragedy is where I have always called home.

Thus, I am deeply emotionally connected to this case.
Thank you very much @lilacs. Like you, I live nearby and likewise feel a connection. I have probably passed by that intersection hundreds of times. Your findings seem to have advanced this case quite a lot.
 
I will call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department tomorrow with this information.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has not been available to speak today despite a couple calls. Neither the Sheriff’s Department nor the Chief Medical Examiner have responded to my email.

Albeit a tad frustrating, I am sympathetic to the fact of Covid and it being the holiday season.

I contacted the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and gave the most crucial information to them orally. I also left my contact information.

I hope to forward my communications with Jim Benton to these agencies so they can see the validity of my sources.

My Type-A personality has been a driving factor in my mindset and actions—I have to keep saying “Down doggie!” to myself . Trying to keep patient... trying not to be too bossy. Definitely flooding this thread.

Any suggestions of what to do are welcome with open arms! This is my first time ever “sleuthing” on a case. I can imagine there are technicalities and etiquettes.

I also have the advantage of being local to the incident. Whether that adds urgency, credibility, or commonalities...

Keeping Hope.
 
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upload_2020-12-29_22-6-15.jpegupload_2020-12-29_22-6-31.jpeg

There’s no way this could be her, but I can’t get past this missing person. She was allegedly last seen in Illinois on September 20, 1990, the day after our UID was found, but she looks identical to the reconstructions IMO!
 
Yeah, when I saw Blumhorst for the first time my stomach dropped. Similarities are UNCANNY...

But Blumhorst gave birth to a child & her date of last contact was after this Doe was found. Plus Hope was dead for approx. a week before discovery.
 
Yeah, when I saw Blumhorst for the first time my stomach dropped. Similarities are UNCANNY...

But Blumhorst gave birth to a child & her date of last contact was after this Doe was found. Plus Hope was dead for approx. a week before discovery.

Blumhorst was pregnant when she disappeared.

According to NAMUS, the estimated PMI was 4 days.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

However, the 13 hour drive from Mendota to Hillsborough and the timing makes it unlikely that Hope is Veronica.

There are some more details here:
Hillsborough Jane Doe (1990)
Including a possible suspect and sighting(s).
 
Thank you very much @lilacs. Like you, I live nearby and likewise feel a connection. I have probably passed by that intersection hundreds of times. Your findings seem to have advanced this case quite a lot.

I live nearby, too, and I have been following this case for years, and trying to dig up information. Great work, @lilacs!
 

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