NC NC - Fayetteville, BlkFem 30-40, UP1408, buried in grave, Sep'77

[aThousandYearsWide]

Case File:952UFNC
The Doe Network

Unidentified Female

• Date of Discovery: September 15, 1977

• Location of Discovery: Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina

• Estimated Date of Death: 6 to 8 weeks prior

• State of Remains: Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton

• Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description
** Listed information is approximate

• Estimated Age: 30 to 40 years old

• Race: Black

• Gender: Female

• Height: 4'11"

• Weight: 130 lbs.

• Hair Color: Black, longer than shoulder-length.

• Eye Color: Unknown

• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Gave birth to either no children or no more than two.

• Dentals: Available. No restorations. Unusual rotation of central mandibular incisor. Central and lateral incisors shovel-shaped, which could mean ancestry mixture with Native American.

• Fingerprints: Not available.

• DNA: mtDNA and nucDNA available at UNT (ref #10-3166).

Clothing & Personal Items

• Clothing: None

• Jewelry: None

• Additional Personal Items: None

Case History
The victim was buried in a grave (12" to 18" deep) off Andrews Road.





Investigating Agency(s)
If you have any information about this case please contact;

• Agency Name: North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

• Agency Contact Person: Clyde Gibbs

• Agency Phone Number: 800-672-7042

• E-Mail

• Agency Case Number: 77-474

• NCIC Case Number: N/A

• NamUs Case Number: UP #1408

• Former Hot Case Number: 1191

The Doe Network: 952UFNC

Mods please merge if duplicate post

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

Namus has a recon.

UNIDENTIFIED
Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP1408Female, Black / African American
Date Body FoundSeptember 15, 1977
Location FoundFayetteville, North Carolina

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

I looked at Andrews rd on Google maps. Of course it would most likely be more rural in 1977. The road has several neighborhoods backed up to it (like the backyards facing the road). Even current map has several wooded areas so I can suspect it was more wooded back then. I wonder if she was buried near any of the developments. There is a high school on Andrews rd, Pine Forest High School, that has been there since the 50's according to a Fay observer article. Could she have been a past alum to this school?

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

Her estimated age being 30-40 in 1977 puts her birth year at 1937-1947.

If she went to Pine Forest High school that places her attending in 1951-1965 give or take a few years.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

New DNA evidence could crack 41-year-old unsolved rape, murder of Fayetteville woman
Brenda Covington was beaten, raped and stabbed in some woods off Brinkley Street in Fayetteville in 1979. The crime has never been solved, but investigators say they have several persons of interest in the cold case because of new DNA evidence.
Reporter: Gilbert Baez
Photographer: Michael Joyner
Web editor: Matthew Burns
7:51 p.m., Feb 25
New DNA evidence could crack 41-year-old unsolved rape, murder of Fayetteville woman :: WRAL.com

FAYETTEVILLE MOTHER'S BRUTAL 40-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE MURDER REOPENED
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A DNA breakthrough in a 40-year-old Fayetteville mother's cold case is leading the police department one step closer to bringing justice to a family.

On March 1, 1979, 25-year-old Brenda Covington was found in an area near the corner of Brinkley and Sewell street, bloodied with several stab wounds to her front and back.

Officers arrived on scene and found Covington was pulled into the nearby woods where she was sexually assaulted, beaten, and stabbed with a screw driver.

The severely injured mother was rushed to the hospital where she died over 20 hours later.

Before her death, Covington was able to tell authorities that her attacker was an African American man, driving a green or blue Volkswagen.

Her sister, Tasha Farmer, said the wounds from that life-changing day are still very fresh on her mind.

"It just seems like it was yesterday. And when I heard of the news, I was just like in shock," Farmer said with tears in her eyes.

Nearly 41 years later, come Sunday, detectives in charge of the investigation have are sending DNA to the state to get tested.

The department hopes this can be what cracks the code to this horrifying mystery.
Fayetteville mother's brutal 40-year-old cold case murder reopened

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

New DNA evidence could crack 41-year-old unsolved rape, murder of Fayetteville woman
Brenda Covington was beaten, raped and stabbed in some woods off Brinkley Street in Fayetteville in 1979. The crime has never been solved, but investigators say they have several persons of interest in the cold case because of new DNA evidence.
Reporter: Gilbert Baez
Photographer: Michael Joyner
Web editor: Matthew Burns
7:51 p.m., Feb 25
New DNA evidence could crack 41-year-old unsolved rape, murder of Fayetteville woman :: WRAL.com

FAYETTEVILLE MOTHER'S BRUTAL 40-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE MURDER REOPENED
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A DNA breakthrough in a 40-year-old Fayetteville mother's cold case is leading the police department one step closer to bringing justice to a family.

On March 1, 1979, 25-year-old Brenda Covington was found in an area near the corner of Brinkley and Sewell street, bloodied with several stab wounds to her front and back.

Officers arrived on scene and found Covington was pulled into the nearby woods where she was sexually assaulted, beaten, and stabbed with a screw driver.

The severely injured mother was rushed to the hospital where she died over 20 hours later.

Before her death, Covington was able to tell authorities that her attacker was an African American man, driving a green or blue Volkswagen.

Her sister, Tasha Farmer, said the wounds from that life-changing day are still very fresh on her mind.

"It just seems like it was yesterday. And when I heard of the news, I was just like in shock," Farmer said with tears in her eyes.

Nearly 41 years later, come Sunday, detectives in charge of the investigation have are sending DNA to the state to get tested.

The department hopes this can be what cracks the code to this horrifying mystery.
Fayetteville mother's brutal 40-year-old cold case murder reopened

I found another murder that occurred in 1979. She was also found in a wooded area that was 15 minutes away from Andrews Rd where our Doe was found. The road the assailant picked her up was under 10 minutes away from the same area. Could there have been killed by the same person?

There was another murder in 1976. Her name was Nellie Hair and she was found at 429 Person street(a rest home) which is about 15 minutes from where our Doe was found. Someone was arrested and charged with her murder in Jan 1979(which excludes him as being responsible for Brenda's murder in Mar 1979 just to make that clear). State v. Simpson, 299 N.C. 335 (1980) | Caselaw Access Project

 

[luxISlight]

I live not far from Andrews Road and it has certainly developed just in the last 15 years I've lived here. Going to share on my FB page, maybe someone knows someone that knows someone that may have an idea of what happed to this woman or who she is. The fact she was only 4'11 will hopefully help identify her.

 

[luxISlight]

Any possibility this could be her?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[luxISlight]

There is so little I could find for Ms Pickens and felt someone should be talking about her.

Here is the synopsis:

“Vernelle Pickens returned to Asheville for two days to visit her family, and then stated she was leaving again and going to Raleigh. Family has not seen or heard from victim since then.”

I cannot find any pictures of her to try and match her description to a possible unidentified. I’m providing the link go 2 Namus cases, 1 for Ms Pickens and 1 for an unidentified that is similar.

Namus for Vernelle Pickens
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Namus for Unidentified
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Comparisons:

Pickens left Asheville to head towards Raleigh on September 12th
Asheville is 4 hours from Fayetteville
Fayetteville is 1 hour from Raleigh
Height 5’0 - 5’1
Weight 125-140
Age 36

Unidentified female was located in Fayetteville in a grave near Pine Forest High School on September 15th
Height 4’11
Weight 130
Age 30-40

I know its a stretch especially when the deceased estimated timeframe of death is 6 weeks but wonder if they could be the same person and if the date of Vernelle last seen is incorrect?

Thanks for reading. Please let me know if you find anything more on Vernelle. I’m sure her family has been looking for her but I’m not able go find anything on her. There is more of a description of the deceased then of her.

 

[HopeRains]

I know its a stretch especially when the deceased estimated timeframe of death is 6 weeks but wonder if they could be the same person and if the date of Vernelle last seen is incorrect?

I believe Ms. Pickens missing date is most likely accurate. She is listed in North Carolina Department Of Public Safety Offender Public Information as being released out of the Womens' Facility in Raleigh on 9/10/77. Providing she went directly to Asheville, stayed 2 days and then left, that would align with the last seen date of 9/12/77.

 

[jenny pickens]

There is so little I could find for Ms Pickens and felt someone should be talking about her.

Here is the synopsis:

“Vernelle Pickens returned to Asheville for two days to visit her family, and then stated she was leaving again and going to Raleigh. Family has not seen or heard from victim since then.”

I cannot find any pictures of her to try and match her description to a possible unidentified. I’m providing the link go 2 Namus cases, 1 for Ms Pickens and 1 for an unidentified that is similar.

Namus for Vernelle Pickens
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Namus for Unidentified
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Comparisons:

Pickens left Asheville to head towards Raleigh on September 12th
Asheville is 4 hours from Fayetteville
Fayetteville is 1 hour from Raleigh
Height 5’0 - 5’1
Weight 125-140
Age 36

Unidentified female was located in Fayetteville in a grave near Pine Forest High School on September 15th
Height 4’11
Weight 130
Age 30-40

I know its a stretch especially when the deceased estimated timeframe of death is 6 weeks but wonder if they could be the same person and if the date of Vernelle last seen is incorrect?

Thanks for reading. Please let me know if you find anything more on Vernelle. I’m sure her family has been looking for her but I’m not able go find anything on her. There is more of a description of the deceased then of her.

Vernele is my mother. I have contacted NamUs to give them pictures and identifying marks she has. So far it hasn’t been updated. I’m also interested in the body that was found in Fayetteville,NC during that time.

 

[luxISlight]

Vernele is my mother. I have contacted NamUs to give them pictures and identifying marks she has. So far it hasn’t been updated. I’m also interested in the body that was found in Fayetteville,NC during that time.

Can you share the picture and identifying marks she has with us? NAMUS doesn't appear to have been updated still.

 

[luxISlight]

Also they don't show any rule outs.