victoriarobinson642
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Identified! AZ - Apache Junction, HispFem UP6349, 16-18, desert near Hwy60, Phnx Trnsit Sys token, ring, Aug'92 - Melody Harrison
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Very interesting additional info here:
https://www.kgun9.com/investigations/finding-the-family-of-apache-junction-jane-doe
According to investigators Bernhard Lyon Neumann is a very close relative to Apache Junction Jane Doe. He was born in 1953 near Darmstadt and Eberstadt Germany to a woman named Else Maria Neumann. His father was an African-American service member, but that’s all police were able to find out.
"We’re not really sure if that’s his name now he may have been adopted. We know that somehow or another that he was in the United States at some point, but we don’t know if he still has the name Bernhard Neumann,” Harshman said.
https://www.kgun9.com/investigations/finding-the-family-of-apache-junction-jane-doe
According to investigators Bernhard Lyon Neumann is a very close relative to Apache Junction Jane Doe. He was born in 1953 near Darmstadt and Eberstadt Germany to a woman named Else Maria Neumann. His father was an African-American service member, but that’s all police were able to find out.
"We’re not really sure if that’s his name now he may have been adopted. We know that somehow or another that he was in the United States at some point, but we don’t know if he still has the name Bernhard Neumann,” Harshman said.
I believe giving the year of his birth, Bernhard Neumann is her father
I was thinking the same thing. They must believe that he might have changed his name or moved outside of the US, as finding people in the States is generally not that difficult through public records.
MarziPanda
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The above quote states that he was born in Germany. Sounds like he was born over there and was adopted but somehow was in the US at the right time to be Apache Doe's father. He may have been adopted by an American family, as did sometimes happen with babies born to German mothers and African American fathers. Adoption records, especially in another country, are very hard to find. Names are usually changed with an adoption, he'd have a new birth certificate, everything.
I'm in a FB group for people who find out that one or both of their parents isn't their biological parent. I know of one woman who found out that her dad wasn't her biological dad, but can't find her birth father because he was adopted out. So she's in the very strange position of having found her biological father's relatives - her biological grandparents, aunts, uncles, but being unable to find the man himself because not even her biological grandparents know who or where he is.
Susikatze
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I agree, many mixed race "Besatzungskinder" (GI babies) were either taken by their fathers to the USA or adopted out to US military couples. Others grew up in Germany with their German moms but since they were entitled to US citizenship via their fathers, they also often went to live in the US.
It is different today, there is quite a substantial "afrogerman" community now, but a black child in the 1950s in Germany did not have a very easy life (not that they necessarily had an easier life in segregation era US, though, depending on state).
It is different today, there is quite a substantial "afrogerman" community now, but a black child in the 1950s in Germany did not have a very easy life (not that they necessarily had an easier life in segregation era US, though, depending on state).
Susikatze
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Anyways, the possibility of adoption and name change make AJs identification even harder. She in turn may have suffered the same fate (maybe out if wedlock, maybe foster child, maybe adoption) and that would make everything a complete mess re getting her her name back ..
Cagle
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FYI - in the article they are referring to her as Jane Doe, hence the reference to Jane in the snips.
Teenage girl found dead in Arizona desert connected to Pittsylvania County
...SBM
Stephanie Bourgeois, a crime scene technician for the Apache Junction Police Department, told the Star-Tribune that Jane's genealogy suggests that she has relatives who live or lived in Virginia, "especially Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties."
...SBM
Authorities to date have made contact with one definite blood relative of Jane's and identified another who, if he is still alive, is 68 years old. Bourgeois said the search for this man is ongoing in Southern Virginia as well as Louisiana, Mexico and Germany.
"On Jane's paternal side, we have made contact with the first or second cousin," Bourgeois said. "We found out that Jane is related on that person's paternal side. That person's father has about ten children, two of which are half-siblings, and Jane is related to those half-siblings. This is where we're at a standstill."
Authorities obtained the birth certificate of one half-sibling: Bernhard Neumann. He was born in 1953 in Darmstadt-Eberstadt, Germany.
Jane's cousin told Bourgeois that her father was in the military had Bernhard while stationed in Germany.
"We are trying to locate Bernhard," Bourgeois said. "His mother's name is Else Neumann, but she is probably deceased. I don't know if she stayed in Germany or came over to the U.S. He may have even been adopted out and his name is not Bernhard anymore."
Neumann is not a suspect, but rather a person Apache Junction Police need to identify if they have any hope of one day identifying Jane.
"If anyone in Pittsylvania County knows of a Bernhard Neumann, that's the only thing we have to go on," Bourgeois said. "That's where we're stuck."
Werden said Southside Virginia residents can help the case by putting their own family tree or at-home DNA test results online if they feel comfortable doing so, especially if that tree contains one of the seven surnames tying Jane to Pittsylvania County.
"Most families of a Doe have been waiting decades for answers," Werden said. "It is a very bittersweet thing when identifications are made."
...SBM
Teenage girl found dead in Arizona desert connected to Pittsylvania County
...SBM
Stephanie Bourgeois, a crime scene technician for the Apache Junction Police Department, told the Star-Tribune that Jane's genealogy suggests that she has relatives who live or lived in Virginia, "especially Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties."
...SBM
Authorities to date have made contact with one definite blood relative of Jane's and identified another who, if he is still alive, is 68 years old. Bourgeois said the search for this man is ongoing in Southern Virginia as well as Louisiana, Mexico and Germany.
"On Jane's paternal side, we have made contact with the first or second cousin," Bourgeois said. "We found out that Jane is related on that person's paternal side. That person's father has about ten children, two of which are half-siblings, and Jane is related to those half-siblings. This is where we're at a standstill."
Authorities obtained the birth certificate of one half-sibling: Bernhard Neumann. He was born in 1953 in Darmstadt-Eberstadt, Germany.
Jane's cousin told Bourgeois that her father was in the military had Bernhard while stationed in Germany.
"We are trying to locate Bernhard," Bourgeois said. "His mother's name is Else Neumann, but she is probably deceased. I don't know if she stayed in Germany or came over to the U.S. He may have even been adopted out and his name is not Bernhard anymore."
Neumann is not a suspect, but rather a person Apache Junction Police need to identify if they have any hope of one day identifying Jane.
"If anyone in Pittsylvania County knows of a Bernhard Neumann, that's the only thing we have to go on," Bourgeois said. "That's where we're stuck."
Werden said Southside Virginia residents can help the case by putting their own family tree or at-home DNA test results online if they feel comfortable doing so, especially if that tree contains one of the seven surnames tying Jane to Pittsylvania County.
"Most families of a Doe have been waiting decades for answers," Werden said. "It is a very bittersweet thing when identifications are made."
...SBM
Susikatze
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Looks like it is a similar case as Eldorado JD. They know apparently who the father was via a cousin living in Germany. But they do not know where he is now and who he fathered our JD with.
They found his half-sibling as far as I understand, not a cousin?
The half-sibling said that her father went to Germany as a serviceman and had 2 kids there with a German woman, I believe they could be his oldest kids, when he came back to the States, he married another woman and had 8 kids with her, who had never met their German half-siblings, but knew about their existence. It is unclear at which point in life Bernhard had moved to the USA. It seams a very puzzling case. What if he was adopted, I believe that adoption documents can not be found in public records. I wonder what about Apache Junction Jane Doe’s mother? Did they find anything about her?
Susikatze
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AJJDs mother likely was Hispanic. That is likely where we also have to look for her Native American admix. It is unsure where the African American admix comes from, could be from the Hispanic mom, could also be from dad, could be both. He was an US Army serviceman from what I understood. As far as I am concerned, both parents actually could have been multiethnic.
carbuff
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The article in post #46 says Bernhard's father was African American. (repeating the link here: https://www.kgun9.com/investigations/finding-the-family-of-apache-junction-jane-doe)
Which as you say doesn't mean the other parent couldn't have been multiethnic also.
Unfortunately Bernhard Neumann is a rather common name in Germany.
From the DDP page:
“DNA Doe Project Case Update: Apache Junction Jane Doe is thought to be of mixed race, with possibly one parent who is Hispanic with Mexican ancestry, and the other who is African American with roots in Virginia”.
Later it was released that he father (Bernhard Neumann) is half-African American, I assume that her mother is Mexican. I think the DDP can see her maternal haplogroup…
“DNA Doe Project Case Update: Apache Junction Jane Doe is thought to be of mixed race, with possibly one parent who is Hispanic with Mexican ancestry, and the other who is African American with roots in Virginia”.
Later it was released that he father (Bernhard Neumann) is half-African American, I assume that her mother is Mexican. I think the DDP can see her maternal haplogroup…
Al Ka
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Do you have link for that statement? I scrolled through all Dna Doe Project fb page and I don't see anywhere confirmation or statement claiming Bernhard Neumann to be her father.
They did not say he is her father, but it can be read between the lines. From the statement he was born in 1953 and Apache Junction JD was 14-16 in 1992, when she was found, so she was born in 1976-1978. The DDP is looking particularly for Bernhard Neumann, although he has 9 other siblings. They think that she is related to him (giving his age he is not her brother/grandfather).
imstilla.grandma
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Murder of Jane Doe: August 1992
Silent Witness
It was approximately 9:45 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1992, when the body of an unknown woman was found in the desert. The body was located on the northwest corner of Baseline and Idaho roads in Apache Junction. The identity of the woman is still unknown and the area where she was found is a known transient gathering place.
Silent Witness is offering up to a $1,000 reward for information on this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.
https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/10-august-cold-cases-yet-to-be-solved-in-the-valley
Silent Witness
It was approximately 9:45 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1992, when the body of an unknown woman was found in the desert. The body was located on the northwest corner of Baseline and Idaho roads in Apache Junction. The identity of the woman is still unknown and the area where she was found is a known transient gathering place.
Silent Witness is offering up to a $1,000 reward for information on this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.
https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/10-august-cold-cases-yet-to-be-solved-in-the-valley
Puzzleworth
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Often when immigrants come to America they Anglicize their names. We should be looking at Bernard (or Bernie, or Barney) Newman-s as well.
Who is Apache Junction Jane Doe? Police close to identifying body after almost 30 years
APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. - A new lead has been discovered in the case of an unidentified girl known as Apache Junction Jane Doe.
It's been 29 years since police found her bodyand now with the help of genealogy research, investigators have identified a close relative they need help locating.
"It's mysterious. It's one of those stories that people are interested in."
For Apache Junction Police, the big question remains nearly three decades later.
Who is she?
Her body was found by a man walking his dog in the desolate area near the northwest corner of Idaho and Baseline Roads, south of US-60 in Pinal County.
Apache Junction Jane Doe is believed to have been between 16 and 18 years old.
"I think most people have the feeling as we do that she should be laid to rest properly, that she should be identified and somebody should recognize that she lived and that she mattered," said Cpl. Marshall Harshman with Apache Junction Police Department.
An autopsy failed to determine the cause of death but investigators believe Apache Junction Jane Doe had been here for nearly five weeks before her body was discovered.
Through her DNA profile, Apache Junction Jane Doe is believed to be half black and Hispanic. She was estimated to be about five feet one inch tall, wearing blue denim cut-off shorts, a light-colored short-sleeved T-shirt with soccer balls on the front and back, and also wore a yellow metal ring.
"A ring she had a bus token from Phoenix and there was a little paper penny in her pocket," Cpl. Harshman said.
Apache Junction Jane Doe
Since 2018, Apache Junction Police Department teamed up with DNA Doe Project, a non-profit dedicated to identifying John and Jane Does.
Caireen Binder continues to work the Apache Junction case using GEDMatch, a website for genetic genealogy research equipped with a global database in which anyone can upload their DNA file.
Binder says recently, GEDMatch changed its policies to provide way more DNA matches.
"We can see all of the matches that are in GEDMatch, instead of just those that have opted in, so when that happened, we got some really solid new matches for Apache Junction Jane Doe and those have led us to find some people that we suspect could be in her close family," Binder said. "So we're currently looking for those people and it's hard because we're doing a little international search right now."
DNA Doe did locate a first or second cousin of the Jane Doe, who provided a name they had heard of before.
"This is the biggest lead we've had in this case to have the name of somebody," Cpl. Harshman said.
Bernhard Lyon Neumann is his name. Who is he?
Police say he is a crucial link to identifying Apache Junction's Jane Doe but they say he is not a suspect in the case at all. Neumann is simply a close relative.
Born in 1953 near Darmstadt and Eberstadt, Germany. His mother was named Else Maria Neumann, and his father's name was unknown, but he was an African-American believed to be a service member stationed in Germany.
"This is the closest we've been and we've been working on this case for a really long time so it's super exciting," Binder said.
But is Neumann alive? If he is, is he living in the United States? It's a critical piece of the puzzle for investigators to find.
"It'd be huge for the city of Apache Junction but more importantly, I think it would be huge for the family of this young lady," Cpl. Harshman said.
Harshman hopes someone out there recognizes the name in their own family tree. It could lead to identifying the mystery Jane Doe of Apache Junction.
"This has been a mystery that has been plaguing our department and plaguing our investigators for a long time, so we're happy to be this close. We're hopeful now but we still have some work to do."
If you have any information or think you know someone who could know anything about Neumann, please contact Apache Junction Police.
APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. - A new lead has been discovered in the case of an unidentified girl known as Apache Junction Jane Doe.
It's been 29 years since police found her bodyand now with the help of genealogy research, investigators have identified a close relative they need help locating.
"It's mysterious. It's one of those stories that people are interested in."
For Apache Junction Police, the big question remains nearly three decades later.
Who is she?
Her body was found by a man walking his dog in the desolate area near the northwest corner of Idaho and Baseline Roads, south of US-60 in Pinal County.
Apache Junction Jane Doe is believed to have been between 16 and 18 years old.
"I think most people have the feeling as we do that she should be laid to rest properly, that she should be identified and somebody should recognize that she lived and that she mattered," said Cpl. Marshall Harshman with Apache Junction Police Department.
An autopsy failed to determine the cause of death but investigators believe Apache Junction Jane Doe had been here for nearly five weeks before her body was discovered.
Through her DNA profile, Apache Junction Jane Doe is believed to be half black and Hispanic. She was estimated to be about five feet one inch tall, wearing blue denim cut-off shorts, a light-colored short-sleeved T-shirt with soccer balls on the front and back, and also wore a yellow metal ring.
"A ring she had a bus token from Phoenix and there was a little paper penny in her pocket," Cpl. Harshman said.
Apache Junction Jane Doe
Since 2018, Apache Junction Police Department teamed up with DNA Doe Project, a non-profit dedicated to identifying John and Jane Does.
Caireen Binder continues to work the Apache Junction case using GEDMatch, a website for genetic genealogy research equipped with a global database in which anyone can upload their DNA file.
Binder says recently, GEDMatch changed its policies to provide way more DNA matches.
"We can see all of the matches that are in GEDMatch, instead of just those that have opted in, so when that happened, we got some really solid new matches for Apache Junction Jane Doe and those have led us to find some people that we suspect could be in her close family," Binder said. "So we're currently looking for those people and it's hard because we're doing a little international search right now."
DNA Doe did locate a first or second cousin of the Jane Doe, who provided a name they had heard of before.
"This is the biggest lead we've had in this case to have the name of somebody," Cpl. Harshman said.
Bernhard Lyon Neumann is his name. Who is he?
Police say he is a crucial link to identifying Apache Junction's Jane Doe but they say he is not a suspect in the case at all. Neumann is simply a close relative.
Born in 1953 near Darmstadt and Eberstadt, Germany. His mother was named Else Maria Neumann, and his father's name was unknown, but he was an African-American believed to be a service member stationed in Germany.
"This is the closest we've been and we've been working on this case for a really long time so it's super exciting," Binder said.
But is Neumann alive? If he is, is he living in the United States? It's a critical piece of the puzzle for investigators to find.
"It'd be huge for the city of Apache Junction but more importantly, I think it would be huge for the family of this young lady," Cpl. Harshman said.
Harshman hopes someone out there recognizes the name in their own family tree. It could lead to identifying the mystery Jane Doe of Apache Junction.
"This has been a mystery that has been plaguing our department and plaguing our investigators for a long time, so we're happy to be this close. We're hopeful now but we still have some work to do."
If you have any information or think you know someone who could know anything about Neumann, please contact Apache Junction Police.