Identified! AZ - Tempe, 'Little Jane Doe', Mar'79 - Surette Clark

[Cubby]

Some information about the Mill Avenue bridge where she was found in Tempe, AZ.
The bridge is much larger than I had imagined.

http://www.tempe.gov/museum/Tempe_history/properties/hps226.htm

 

[Cubby]

google street view of bridge area. It's hard to imagine how the newspapers would be preserved once you see the amount of water from the Salt River at this view. However, she could have been placed in an area outside what looks like cement retaining walls alongside the river.

Definately not the dry river bed I had imagined in the PHX area.


http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q...code_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA

You can see where the river is full on one side of the locks/dam? and almost dry on the other. You can also zoom in to get a better street level view.

 

[Mr. E]

When you travel that road up a bit, you see that the state hospital/asylum is there. The coarse white fabric and gray blanket sound like they could be from an institution. Without knowing anything about history of that hospital, I wonder just off hand if maybe this child was born in the institution, or was somehow a part of the institution, and her death was related to someone in the institution. I'm just throwing that out there, but it might be too out there.

 

[carbuff]

google street view of bridge area. It's hard to imagine how the newspapers would be preserved once you see the amount of water from the Salt River at this view. However, she could have been placed in an area outside what looks like cement retaining walls alongside the river.

Definately not the dry river bed I had imagined in the PHX area.


http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q...code_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA

You can see where the river is full on one side of the locks/dam? and almost dry on the other. You can also zoom in to get a better street level view.

I wonder if those were there in 1979 or earlier?

 

[Cubby]

Not sure if this additional info is helpful or not, but the 202 highway seen in the above street view/aerial view of the bridge is a relatively new highway. I'm certain it did not exist in 1979 when this child was found.

Per wiki, there really weren't any freeways other than 17 and 10 in the PHX area prior to 1985.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix,_Arizona#Roads_and_freeways

Are there any pictures of the blanket found with this child?

 

[Cubby]

I wonder if those were there in 1979 or earlier?

according to the above link in post #37 the bridge has been in continuous use since 1931. I don't know when the cement walls retaining walls were built. Nor do I know the name of the dam/locks. I suppose the cement retaining walls would have been built about the time the dam/locks were built.


ETA: the original/old bridge which still stands was built about 1931. The new bridge was completed in 1994. Still looking for info on when the dams were built.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Avenue_Bridges

pic of new and old bridges next to each other.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mill_Avenue_Bridges_-_Between_North_-_2007-09-09.JPG

 

[Cubby]

Channelization of the Salt River in Tempe was completed in 1996.

http://www.tempe.gov/lake/LakeHistory/channelization.htm

From the above, I believe the retaining walls and dam were part of this channelization project completed in 96. If I find info stating otherwise I will post.

ETA: From above link:

After starting construction of the Town Lake, contractors were required to remove the outer layer of this soil cement. However, the equipment being used had difficulty breaking through the material. Material testing proved that the material had the strength of structural concrete (2,500 psi) - much harder than what was called for during the channelization project.

If the ground was this hard, I can see how a child buried would be protected from the elements during flooding. There would have to be a lot of water sitting for sometime to begin to 'disintegrate/penetrate' something almost as solid as cement.

 

[carbuff]

Channelization of the Salt River in Tempe was completed in 1996.

http://www.tempe.gov/lake/LakeHistory/channelization.htm

From the above, I believe the retaining walls and dam were part of this channelization project completed in 96. If I find info stating otherwise I will post.

ETA: From above link:

After starting construction of the Town Lake, contractors were required to remove the outer layer of this soil cement. However, the equipment being used had difficulty breaking through the material. Material testing proved that the material had the strength of structural concrete (2,500 psi) - much harder than what was called for during the channelization project.

If the ground was this hard, I can see how a child buried would be protected from the elements during flooding. There would have to be a lot of water sitting for sometime to begin to 'disintegrate/penetrate' something almost as solid as cement.

Wow, yeah.

That also makes it sound as though the change in the river's flow might have been what caused the body to finally wash out, considering the timing.

 

[Cubby]

Carbuff, she was found in 79. I think it was by chance the rock hunters found her. Anything that happened later than 79 wouldn't have been involved in 'washing her out'.

It was a lot to absorb. I was thinking outloud and posting as I found information.

I just hope she is finally ID'd.

 

[Cubby]

I requested a DNA comparison as a possible match between Anna Christian Waters and this Little Jane Doe. the current contact with Maricopa County let me know nothing in their records indicate the two had been compared previously.

I posted a more detailed explaination in Anna's forum. Link to post here:
Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Possible Matches for Anna

 

[carbuff]

Carbuff, she was found in 79. I think it was by chance the rock hunters found her. Anything that happened later than 79 wouldn't have been involved in 'washing her out'.

It was a lot to absorb. I was thinking outloud and posting as I found information.

I just hope she is finally ID'd.

I hope so too.

Sorry, another dyslexic moment there. I thought your post said the dam construction was completed in 1976. I should not post without triple-checking everything.

 

[Cubby]

No worries Carbuff, I always joke I am a blonde pollack so I have two excuses. Not to mention single parenting with a 1st grader who interupts me more than ADD.

I just realized the bridge says old route 60 :doh: so now I have to check that I have the right bridge! ay yi yi!

and I just got off the phone with my dad, who is - guess where - sunny warm PHX at his second home. I wanna go! Just no extra moolah to go..... Maybe next year as us Chicago Cub fans say.

 

[ASU2USC]

She has been identified through DNA by Tempe police as Surette Clark. She was murdered in 1970 and her step-father was convicted of the murder in 1996.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/...5tempe-child-197-cold-case-Identity-abrk.html

 

[CarlK90245]

Here is the DoeNet page, placed here so that it will remain available after DoeNet removes the case.

The Doe Network:
Case File 14UFAZ

Reconstructed Images. First two as a child. Last what she may have looked like as an adult.

Unidentified White Female
Little Jane Doe
* Body located on March 24, 1979 in Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona.
* Cause of death is unknown due to skeletal remains. The child's neck was possibly broken as a postmortem injury.
* She is believed to have died between 1966 and 1978.

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 3 - 5 years old.
* Approximate Height and Weight: 3'3"
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Long brown hair, 7 inches in length.
* Clothing: Her remains were strewn with pieces of decaying fabric. One item appeared to have been an off white coarse weaved cotton garment; another piece could have possibly been a dark blue or dark gray loose weaved blanket.
* Dentals: Charts available. All deciduous teeth are present with their permanent successors; permanent teeth unerupted.
* DNA: Available in CODIS.

Case History
Two rock hunters discovered the skeletal remains of this young girl in Tempe, AZ in 1979.

She was found partially buried in a shallow grave in the riverbed under the Tempe Bridge.

Her shallow grave was lined with fragments of old newspapers. It was later revealed that the remnants were from The Arizona Republic, dated "June 6, 1966" and "October 2, 1966."
The coroner judged that she had been deceased anywhere from 1-13 years. (It has been judged that the child probably died in 1966, but that is not certain).

The press dubbed the young child Little Jane Doe, a nickname which continues to hold presently.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

DNA closes case of 1970 Arizona murder

Arizona investigators announced Thursday they confirmed that the remains of a child found in 1979 are that of a 4-year-old girl who had been murdered.

A team of investigators from the state and the police departments in Phoenix and Tempe said recent advances in DNA technology made it possible to confirm that the remains were indeed those of Surette Clark, whose death in 1970 had not been reported until 1994.

More: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/08/05/DNA-closes-case-of-1970-Arizona-murder/UPI-30901281039300/

 

[daisy.faithfull]

The Salt River was almost always dry when I was growing up unless they opened the dam or we had a lot of rain. We had really bad floods in '78 and '79 that may have unearthed Surrett. Its a miracle that she was found in '79 because in 1980 there was a flood that destroyed all of the bridges between Phoenix and Tempe except The Mill Avenue Bridge. People were crossing in boats and there was a train named after Gov. Babbitt's wife that went and forth over the bridge until the damage could be repaired. My parents had just moved to Phoenix from Tucson and I can remember how freaked out my mom was.

In 1999 the portion of the Salt River under the bridge was damned and is now Tempe Town Lake. I don't know if she ever would have been found once that happened.

Is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that Surett's mom ran off to Canada with the man that killed her daughter. It sounds like there were many people who what happened and just never said anything, and while I'm happy that Surrett can now rest in peace it upsets me that nothing was done in 1977 when DPS got the tip from Canadian LE. Thank goodness that they finally did begin an investigation until the nineties when they were able to prosecute Roberts and put him away 15+ years. I just don't get why he was parolled at that time when he had never confessed where he buried her... it just doesn't sound like he has ever taken responsibility for his crime.:banghead: I hope he has had, and will continue to have a miserable life.

:beats: Rest in peace Surette :beats:

 

[Cubby]

Rest in peace Surette. I'm glad you finally have your name back.

 

[Claudette]

That story is just sick. Not only did the mom run off with the a-hole, but it sounds like THE WHOLE FAMILY KNEW and did nothing for about 20 years. Really???

And they think she may have been buried alive on top of that...:scream:

 

[Kat]

Rest In Peace Surette.

 

[newone]

I have been haunted by this all day. The mom, daughter and stepdad lived on a Navajo reservation Leupp AZ. Then just the mom and Wayne Clifford Roberts moved to a trailer park in Phoenix for a couple of months. Roberts was Canadian and that's why they moved to Canada. Roberts had told his brothers during a fishing trip in 1971 of the 'accident' that killed Surette. It was an ex wife of one the brothers that tipped off Canadian authorities originally but brothers also pressured Canadian authorities to check it out.

I have been unable to find anything on the trial and sentencing of this man. He's only served 11 out of 40 year sentence and is currently on parole. His wife, Margie, was never charged as she cooperated during with police. (I still think she should be charged).He was extradited to USA for trial. Did he serve his sentence here?
The mother also divorced Clark prior to his sentencing. I want to know where she is today - hopefully not in Canada.