WI WI - Ruth Egnoski, 18, Delavan, 1966

[Richard]

I wonder if there might be some connection to the unsolved murder of another Wisconsin woman - Diane Olkwitz, age 19, who was abducted on 3 November 1966, stabbed over 100 times and whose body was found 60 miles Northeast of Delavan, in Menomonee, Wisconsin.

Diane Olkwitz, 19
Murdered 3 November 1966

LINK:
WI - Diane Olkwitz, 19 Menomonee Falls, WI Nov. 3 1966; Murdered

 

[Richard]

Here is another 1966 unsolved murder case, which received a lot of press coverage. It occurred 18 September 1966 in the adjacent state of Illinois, But only 24 Miles from Delavan, Wisconsin.


Valerie Percy, 21
Murdered 18 September 1966

LINK:
IL - IL - Valerie Percy, 21, Kenilworth, 18 September 1966 #2

 

[Richard]

Here is another well known unsolved missing persons case from 1966. These three young women disappeared from Indian Dunes, Indiana, only 102 miles southeast of Delavan, Wisconsin.

Renee Bruhl (19), Patricia Blough (19), Ann Miller (21)
Missing since 2 July 1966

 

[subaw0067]

I think she might be this Jane Doe. Jane doe was found with a wallet inscribed "RMK" and wearing a ring with "KI66", which is possibly a class ring and Ruth would have graduated around then. I called the Delavan PD asking for the missing persons report, or at least her DLC, and I'm waiting for them to call me back.

 

[Keiri]

I think she might be this Jane Doe. Jane doe was found with a wallet inscribed "RMK" and wearing a ring with "KI66", which is possibly a class ring and Ruth would have graduated around then. I called the Delavan PD asking for the missing persons report, or at least her DLC, and I'm waiting for them to call

Please delete I can’t and it’s bugged

 

[Keiri]

That isn’t likely, @subaw0067 unless she went missing in 1966 and only died in 1979. Since namus shows pmi hours and estimated year of death 1979. Also, Ruth’s initials were RME, not RMK…

 

[subaw0067]

That isn’t likely, @subaw0067 unless she went missing in 1966 and only died in 1979. Since namus shows pmi hours and estimated year of death 1979. Also, Ruth’s initials were RME, not RMK…

I have spoken with her family and they believe this Jane Doe is a likely possibility. I cannot post all the info here because I am not a verified insider, but her family is in contact with LE about this rule out.

 

[alb1on]

It is unclear why the published details on the Jane Doe support an identification as Ruth (other than on general physical grounds). The ring (which would be marked T&C) is made by Town and Country, which was founded in 1955 in Massachusetts. They are not known for class rings but I cannot rule out that they have made them. If they did make any back in the 1960s there is also the question of whether they were sold in Wisconsin. The K166 mark would be easier to evaluate if Namus had a picture. A more likely interpretation is that the mark is K16 for 16 karat - a rare gold quality today but quite common in older jewelry. Class rings also generally identify the school (Delavan-Darien High School in Ruth's case). There are pictures online of rings from this school and it is engraved on the rings. Again not conclusive that this was not a class ring from that school but indicative.
Does any of the information you are unable to post relate to identification of the ring?

 

[subaw0067]

It is unclear why the published details on the Jane Doe support an identification as Ruth (other than on general physical grounds). The ring (which would be marked T&C) is made by Town and Country, which was founded in 1955 in Massachusetts. They are not known for class rings but I cannot rule out that they have made them. If they did make any back in the 1960s there is also the question of whether they were sold in Wisconsin. The K166 mark would be easier to evaluate if Namus had a picture. A more likely interpretation is that the mark is K16 for 16 karat - a rare gold quality today but quite common in older jewelry. Class rings also generally identify the school (Delavan-Darien High School in Ruth's case). There are pictures online of rings from this school and it is engraved on the rings. Again not conclusive that this was not a class ring from that school but indicative.
Does any of the information you are unable to post relate to identification of the ring?

There is no information I can post that isn’t against the rules, I apologize.

 

[alb1on]

There is no information I can post that isn’t against the rules, I apologize.

My apologies as I was unclear. I was not asking for information, simply whether any that exists relates to the ring. The marks and maker are in the public domain which is why I felt able to comment. I think that the core questions are whether any evidence exists that the company made class rings, whether the mark is confirmed to be K166 rather than K16 and whether there are any identifying school engravings on the ring (as with known rings from that school). All of this relates to the ring on the Jane Doe as opposed to any information specific to Ruth.

 

[Justin537]

What I don't understand is that if the police have her driver's license in their possession, why does her NamUs webpage list her eye color as unknown? Unless things were different in the 1960s, I'm pretty sure eye color was listed on them.

 

[subaw0067]

What I don't understand is that if the police have her driver's license in their possession, why does her NamUs webpage list her eye color as unknown? Unless things were different in the 1960s, I'm pretty sure eye color was listed on them.

They probably were in a storage box in a hangar somewhere by the time her NAMUS page was created. In the few photos of her she appears to have dark eyes, probably brown. JMO.

 

[Richard]

Ruth Muriel Egnoski, age 16

Missing Since: August 1, 1964
Location Last Seen: Delavan, Walworth County, Wisconsin

Physical Description​

Date of Birth: Unknown
Age: 18 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'2" - 5'6"
Weight: 100 - 135 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance​

Ruth Egnoski disappeared in the Fall of 1964. Private investigators hired by the family said she took a bus from Delavan to Chicago, but they lost her trail there.

In 1973, police found Ruth's driver's license and Social Security card in the custodian's office of Wileman Elementary School in Delavan. Her father worked there as a custodian.

In the mid-1980s, it is reported that two blue hard-sided suitcases were found by a school employee. The suitcases had been hidden above the suspended ceiling in the custodian's office.

In 2002, police dug a 12-foot-wide pit behind 1014 Center St., Delavan, the house Ruth lived in since it was built in 1962. Her family sold the home in 1971. Police found a crawl space under the family room of the house but no evidence connected to Ruth's disappearance.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Delavan Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Chief Jim Hansen
Agency Phone Number: 262-728-6311
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 1999-000338

NamUs Case Number: 36703

Information Source(s)​

NamUs
Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI) - Nov. 6, 2002

LINKS:

2645DFWI - Ruth Muriel Egnoski

Ruth Muriel Egnoski – The Charley Project

 

[subaw0067]

Ruth Muriel Egnoski, age 16

Missing Since: August 1, 1964
Location Last Seen: Delavan, Walworth County, Wisconsin

Physical Description​

Date of Birth: Unknown
Age: 18 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'2" - 5'6"
Weight: 100 - 135 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance​

Ruth Egnoski disappeared in the Fall of 1964. Private investigators hired by the family said she took a bus from Delavan to Chicago, but they lost her trail there.

In 1973, police found Ruth's driver's license and Social Security card in the custodian's office of Wileman Elementary School in Delavan. Her father worked there as a custodian.

In the mid-1980s, it is reported that two blue hard-sided suitcases were found by a school employee. The suitcases had been hidden above the suspended ceiling in the custodian's office.

In 2002, police dug a 12-foot-wide pit behind 1014 Center St., Delavan, the house Ruth lived in since it was built in 1962. Her family sold the home in 1971. Police found a crawl space under the family room of the house but no evidence connected to Ruth's disappearance.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Delavan Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Chief Jim Hansen
Agency Phone Number: 262-728-6311
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 1999-000338

NamUs Case Number: 36703

Information Source(s)​

NamUs
Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI) - Nov. 6, 2002

LINKS:

2645DFWI - Ruth Muriel Egnoski

Ruth Muriel Egnoski – The Charley Project

The hard sided suitcases were determined to not have belonged to Ruth or anyone in her family.

 

[subaw0067]

Another photo of Ruth

 

[subaw0067]

 

[Richard]

Good photos.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current list of NamUs exclusions for Ruth Egnoski? I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Caring1]

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current list of NamUs exclusions for Ruth Egnoski? I would greatly appreciate it.

5 Unidentified Person Exclusions

 

[subaw0067]

I got an email this morning and it sounds like "The Vanished" podcast is interested in her case.