TX TX - San Antonio, WhtFem 18-26, 70UFTX, floral blouse & red shorts, "Cantu" written on cuff, Nov'90

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The Doe Network:
Case File 70UFTX

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/70uftx.html

U9101003.jpg

Sketch of Victim

Unidentified White Female
# Located on November 1, 1990 in San Antonio, Texas.
# Cause of death is unknown.
# The victim died the same day that she was discovered.

Vital Statistics
* Estimated age: 20 - 26 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 5'1 - 5'2"; 115 - 125 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair; brown eyes. She had a scar on her abdomen from a Cesarean section birth. No tattoos.
* Clothing: She was wearing a black short-sleeve blouse with a multicolored floral design; and red shorts with the name Cantu written in the cuff of the right leg.
* Dentals: Available

Case History
The victim was located in San Antonio, TX on November 1, 1990. She was found found in a drainage ditch in the 1600 block of Cornerway Boulevard.
 
This one was so obvious that I had to call TXDPS to make sure that they had looked at her. Her height is within an inch of the low end of the UID's height range. She went missing in April 1990, seven months before the UID was found. Both she and the UID were from San Antonio TX, and her surname is "Cantu" to match the inscription on the UID's shorts.

Lupita Cantu
cantu_lupita.jpg

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cantu_lupita.html

I spoke with analyst Melanie Schramm. She first looked in the UID's casefile and didn't see any mention of Lupita Cantu, but then she looked in Lupita's MP casefile and saw a notation that local LE looked into Lupita already and ruled her out. There was no indication of the basis for the rule-out.

BTW, TXDPS lists Lupita Cantu's DOB as February 9, 1949. DoeNet lists her DOB as February 9, 1942, and Charley doesn't list her DOB.
 
This one was so obvious that I had to call TXDPS to make sure that they had looked at her. Her height is within an inch of the low end of the UID's height range. She went missing in April 1990, seven months before the UID was found. Both she and the UID were from San Antonio TX, and her surname is "Cantu" to match the inscription on the UID's shorts.

Lupita Cantu
cantu_lupita.jpg

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cantu_lupita.html

I spoke with analyst Melanie Schramm. She first looked in the UID's casefile and didn't see any mention of Lupita Cantu, but then she looked in Lupita's MP casefile and saw a notation that local LE looked into Lupita already and ruled her out. There was no indication of the basis for the rule-out.

BTW, TXDPS lists Lupita Cantu's DOB as February 9, 1949. DoeNet lists her DOB as February 9, 1942, and Charley doesn't list her DOB.

I do agree that the IUD has native american/hispanice features and on that end think its a good match. Location is good and timeframe doesn't bother me (maybe she fell for this guy and left with him but it didn't work out and he murdered her months later, etc). But the drawing of the IUD looks much younger. Looked closer and they estimate her age between 20-26 and she had only been dead for about a day. I look young, mistaken for early to mid twenties on a daily basis and I'm 32. I've always been mistaken for being younger then I am but I can't imagine anyone that is early fourties being mistaken for someone that is 20-26, even myself when I reach that age. Lupita Cantu picture didn't look that young to me either, she looked like someone that is late thirties to early forties.
 
I do agree that the IUD has native american/hispanice features and on that end think its a good match. Location is good and timeframe doesn't bother me (maybe she fell for this guy and left with him but it didn't work out and he murdered her months later, etc). But the drawing of the IUD looks much younger. Looked closer and they estimate her age between 20-26 and she had only been dead for about a day. I look young, mistaken for early to mid twenties on a daily basis and I'm 32. I've always been mistaken for being younger then I am but I can't imagine anyone that is early fourties being mistaken for someone that is 20-26, even myself when I reach that age. Lupita Cantu picture didn't look that young to me either, she looked like someone that is late thirties to early forties.

I agree that there was little resemblance to the recon and she was older than I would expect her to be. But aside from one other MP in 2007, there is only one woman listed in Charley, DoeNet, or NamUs with the surname "Cantu", and she just happens to be from San Antonio, and her DLC is only a few months before, you have to at least make sure that they took a look.

BTW, although the UID is listed as Caucasian, and appears Caucasian in the recon, the surname Cantu (which is of Spanish or Portugese origin) would suggest that she is at least part Hispanic.

Of course, the notation on the shorts doesn't necessarily mean that this is her surname.
 
I agree that there was little resemblance to the recon and she was older than I would expect her to be. But aside from one other MP in 2007, there is only one woman listed in Charley, DoeNet, or NamUs with the surname "Cantu", and she just happens to be from San Antonio, and her DLC is only a few months before, you have to at least make sure that they took a look.

BTW, although the UID is listed as Caucasian, and appears Caucasian in the recon, the surname Cantu (which is of Spanish or Portugese origin) would suggest that she is at least part Hispanic.

Of course, the notation on the shorts doesn't necessarily mean that this is her surname.

I definetely think she is of hispanice or native american decent. I would guess also that San Antonio would have a large hispanic, native american southern american etc population. Wouldn't rule out her surname being Cantu or it being a family name (mothers maiden name). Also believe that sadly like some other Jane/John Does she may not have family or friends looking for them. Colorado Boulder Jane doe's family weren't actively seeking her until her niece came along a few decades later and questioned about an aunt she had heard of. I do not have a ancestory account or good with that type of sleuthing but I know at one point at least there were sleuthers that excelled at this type of research. Maybe looking at directories, records for San Antonio, etc to see it someone with the last name Cantu disappears at this time period matching the age range and sex of our UID.
 
Cantu can also be Italian. Technically the Italian version would have an accent on the "u" but the Italian Cantu's I know have dropped it.

It's a fairly common Portuguese name. FYI, there's a considerable Portuguese population along the northeastern seaboard that has been in the US for at least 250 years -- fishermen who came over early on, mostly from the Azores. They do not consider themselves in any sense Hispanic.

Which is probably not relevant for an unidentified woman in Texas, but if she's from outside the area, that could be why nobody noticed her missing.

Another possibility: it's her husband/boyfriend/etc. name.
 
Cantu plus Texas makes me think of Peter Cantu, who led a gang that sexually assaulted and killed a couple of teenage girls in Houston in 1993. He'd be a bit on the young side to have killed a fully grown woman by himself in 1990, but well, y'know, gangs and all, he might have been involved in something with others at that age, or maybe a relative of his.
 
how about Felita Ruark? she is listed as Asian, missing from GA June 24, 1990, had a daughter (no reference to Caesarian), and was 26 y.o. and reportedly 5'1" 105 lbs. was going through a divorce and husband resided in Mississippi at the time.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/ruark_felita.html

The resemblance and vitals are good.

However, San Antonio is well past Mississippi coming from Georgia, and there is nothing there to explain why she would be in San Antonio. The implication in the Charley is that the husband is a POI, although that is not stated outright. If he was the perp, I don't see him murdering him in MS and dumping her in central TX (or transporting her there to kill her).
 
I can't get over how Lupita looks so much like her..

That said - I was thinking that with the name Cantu written in the cuff it sounds like someone put the name in to identify the clothing - like for camp or something... also thought it could easily have been purchased at a thrift shop - and the name totally unrelated..
 
The resemblance and vitals are good.

However, San Antonio is well past Mississippi coming from Georgia, and there is nothing there to explain why she would be in San Antonio. The implication in the Charley is that the husband is a POI, although that is not stated outright. If he was the perp, I don't see him murdering him in MS and dumping her in central TX (or transporting her there to kill her).

That might make her somewhat less than likely, but it doesn't constitute a rule-out. She could have hopped on a bus and headed west, or eloped with a truck driver. The resemblance looks very strong.
 
That might make her somewhat less than likely, but it doesn't constitute a rule-out. She could have hopped on a bus and headed west, or eloped with a truck driver. The resemblance looks very strong.

I didn't say it's a rule-out. I was only considering a possible scenario in which hubby was the perp. I've said before that unless there is evidence that the MP was murdered at the scene from where he/she disappeared or if the probable perp was known to have remained in the area, distance is not a reason to rule-out.

And yes, the resemblance is strong.
 
I'm not accusing the husband of anything and I'm sure he was target #1 in the investigation so he may well have had nothing to do with her disappearance. Also, typically a domestic problem would probably not lead to her being hidden for 4 full months before being found dead in San Antonio.

while women typically do not leave their children behind, it is not totally unheard of. apparently she said she was supposed to meet the husband which he has denied. it is possible she used that as cover to duck out of town and then something went horribly wrong a few months later.

what I am describing is not typical behavior of women with a small child but anything is possible. there was no mention as to whether LE looked at her computer records, assuming she was online back in the day.

ETA:

I looked over the Charley Project flyer and noticed that she said she was supposed to meet her husband and daughter that day. Shared custody? did he have custody, and if so why? if the husband had custody, then she might not have been abandoning her child in the classic sense if she left town voluntarily.
 
I didn't say it's a rule-out. I was only considering a possible scenario in which hubby was the perp. I've said before that unless there is evidence that the MP was murdered at the scene from where he/she disappeared or if the probable perp was known to have remained in the area, distance is not a reason to rule-out.

And yes, the resemblance is strong.

Sorry, I thought that's what your "however" was implying. My brain has not been functioning at its best recently...
 
Sorry, I thought that's what your "however" was implying. My brain has not been functioning at its best recently...

I am probably guilty of over-using transitional words in my writing (e.g., "however", "secondly", "nevertheless", "BTW", etc.).
 
After two decades missing S.A. woman found in Jane Doe grave

The Department of Public Safety has confirmed the Texas Rangers have solved part of a longstanding missing persons case.

For years family members posted a sign along Highway 90 West offering a reward for information on Lupita Cantu's whereabouts. She was reported missing on April 26, 1990 at the age of 41.

A spokesperson with the DPS said Cantu was buried as a Jane Doe that same year in Frio County. It was DNA testing that confirmed the body was that of Lupita Cantu.

Since more than two decades have passed. Work is still being done to locate the grave site to possibly exhume the remains for a proper burial.

http://www.kens5.com/home/After-two-decades-missing-SA-woman-found-in-Jane-Doe-grave-117398768.html
 
Interesting.

The article says Lupita's unidentified body was "buried" in Frio County. This UID was "found" in Bexar County.

I wonder if it was this UID, or a different one. This UID was found later in the same year that Lupita disappeared, just as the article says.
 
The description of the woman in this thread is that she is 20-26 years old (post 1) and the identified woman is 41? Are we matching the right thread with the identified person?

Salem

ETA: I'm gonna have Cubby take a look here before I change the title and move this to Identified.
 
The description of the woman in this thread is that she is 20-26 years old (post 1) and the identified woman is 41? Are we matching the right thread with the identified person?

Salem

ETA: I'm gonna have Cubby take a look here before I change the title and move this to Identified.

I don't think this is the same UID. We should probably leave it open.

I can see how they might get the age estimate wrong, but the UID was found in November, the same day that she died. Lupita disappeared in April, so she would have had to have been held prisoner for seven months. Unlikely, IMO.
 
The description of the woman in this thread is that she is 20-26 years old (post 1) and the identified woman is 41? Are we matching the right thread with the identified person?

Salem

ETA: I'm gonna have Cubby take a look here before I change the title and move this to Identified.

Thanks, I think I added the post to the wrong UID, following all the posts on Lupita...
 

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