Identified! Canada - Casselman, Ont, 'Nation River Lady' WhtFem 239UFON, 25-50, May'75 *POI charged* - Jewell Parchman Langford

[shadowdancer]

she looked very similar to me too.. maybe doe had the wrong year, it has happened before. or maybe the water in the river was very cold and she was at the bottom for awhile. I always thought this UID was isolated then killed by an abusive husband or mate.

I agree, and I have to admit that whenever I see "last seen by husband/boyfriend, leaving him without taking any/many belongings", in the circumstances of a woman's disappearance, I find myself thinking that he must have killed her.

It may not be the case with Madelene Van Overdijk, but I just can't help feeling suspicious anyway...

 

[dotr]

Thinking of the Irish and other touristy type items, and wondering if the woman had attended the very popular St Patrick's Day parade in either Montreal or Toronto.
March 17 might fit with timeline of murder, imo.

 

[zelda_s]

Ok... Perhaps I'll try to call it in. While there is about a years discrepancy, it says she was reported missing by her husband, and people on the thread suggested that this was done at home / by someone she knew. Though I wonder if they've already been compared? I'll try anyway tomorrow.

 

[zelda_s]

Email sent. I'll let y'all know if the lead pans out.

 

[Woodland]

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2856dfon.html
has this lady been suggested?

I think Madelene is an excellent suggestion zelda_s. The post interval timing, which may well be wrong, could have excluded her from a closer look.
The detail in the clothing description for MVO has always put me off.

Hope it's a match.

 

[zelda_s]

I think Madelene is an excellent suggestion zelda_s. The post interval timing, which may well be wrong, could have excluded her from a closer look.
The detail in the clothing description for MVO has always put me off.

Hope it's a match.

Yeah, the timing is off. But I thought, because she was reported missing by her husband, and we think the N river lady was killed by her husband, that could answer for that discrepancy. NOT saying her husband is immediately guilty, but it's something to think about. Would be great if this could be solved.

 

[zelda_s]

My email got returned to me, strangely. I'm not sure why. I sent it as a general enquiry on the OPP website instead . I know that's not the correct thing to do but I wanted the tip to get through.

 

[shadowdancer]

That's strange.

Also, I looked at Canada's National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains website and I can't find the Nation River Lady in their list of unidentified remains?? I found Madelene Van Overdijk in their missing persons list though.

We need to find a way to ask if Nation River Lady is still unidentified and to submit Madelene as a possible match if she is.

ETA - You could submit the possible match as a tip via the Canadian Crime Stoppers Website, Zelda. http://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/home

 

[Woodland]

My email got returned to me, strangely. I'm not sure why. I sent it as a general enquiry on the OPP website instead . I know that's not the correct thing to do but I wanted the tip to get through.

I think the correct e-mail is the OPP Resolve Unit.

opp.isb.resolve@opp.ca

The set-up is strange these days. While the RCMP now have a so-called National database for missing persons, that incorporates all of the missing that were on the OPP site plus other provinces, the RCMP don't seem to do the unidentified very well - there are very few that were ever transferred over from the OPP. The OPP has retained the main control of that for whatever reason.

Neither the OPP or the RCMP has this woman listed. Nutty imo.

The Resolve Unit will know of this person and forward accordingly - I'm sure of that.

 

[zelda_s]

Thank you guys very much. I will get on that tomorrow, as I'm going to dedicate some time to work now

 

[Woodland]

Here is a link zelda_s to this UID on the OPP Unidentified site.

http://www.missing-u.ca/UIDetail.aspx?PersonID=26

In case this link does not take you directly to this case, it's on page 28, case #20050011OPP or use the drop down search box and click on Russell County OPP.

A link to their e-mail is on that page - opp.isb.resolve@opp.ca

 

[zelda_s]

Here is a link zelda_s to this UID on the OPP Unidentified site.

http://www.missing-u.ca/UIDetail.aspx?PersonID=26

In case this link does not take you directly to this case, it's on page 28, case #20050011OPP or use the drop down search box and click on Russell County OPP.

A link to their e-mail is on that page - opp.isb.resolve@opp.ca

Thank you! I was wary about accessing the website myself because I didn't want to see the PM pic for this lady (I've heard it's really graphic), and also because I'm in the UK my computer sometimes acts weird and won't let me into US or Canadian websites (I can't always access TXDPS). I appreciate your help and hope this lead can pan out!

 

[zelda_s]

Still no word on the tip I submitted. I had the misfortune of seeing this lady's PM pic online (genuinely think it's unnecessary to have something like that available on the Internet) and she looks younger than her recons and also quite a lot like madalene.

 

[jessica-]

Still no word on the tip I submitted. I had the misfortune of seeing this lady's PM pic online (genuinely think it's unnecessary to have something like that available on the Internet) and she looks younger than her recons and also quite a lot like madalene.

Hello, I submitted Madalene years ago on another forum she is not a match but she looks so similar it's scary!

Unfortunately OPP are terrible for getting back on tips. As an Ontario resident I apologise lol

 

[dotr]

How important to this case are Nation Lady's webbed feet?
Would that be a major clue when comparing with mps, or would that trait not be mentioned, or perhaps not noted because it had been " corrected"?
Apparently the condition is not common, but not particularly uncommon either.

 

[Giucy]

How important to this case are Nation Lady's webbed feet?

IMO, it's a crucial point.

Would that be a major clue when comparing with mps, or would that trait not be mentioned, or perhaps not noted because it had been " corrected"?

In her case, the webbed feet weren't corrected. So, if MP had corrected webbed feet, it won't be a match.

Apparently the condition is not common, but not particularly uncommon either.

Except that she also had dental problems + short stature. From http://www.unsolvedcanada.ca/index.php?topic=1681.msg39651;topicseen#msg39651, these features are major symptoms in Apert syndrome.
Apert syndrome is classified in rare diseases per Orphanet : http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?Lng=GB&Expert=87

Webbed feet and hands => clue for a rare disease, not necessarily Apert syndrome.

My bet is forwarding the case to charities for Apert syndrome and similar disorders. They might be more helpful.

IMHO, forensic medicine is rarely knowledgeable about rare disorders. Correct me if I'm wrong.
But if my hypothesis is correct, it might explain why she hadn't been identified in those days. Between shame + lack of knowledge = difficulty with identification.

 

[Aragon]

Hello. Which official website states that she had webbed feet?
Thanks.

 

[wordsick]

Hello. Which official website states that she had webbed feet?
Thanks.

It was in a 2006 press release from the Ontario Provincial Police:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/nation-river-slaying-victim-had-webbed-feet-police-1.577053

 

[Aragon]

Thanks. That's not an official website, but a media report, and it appears, as the opp and rcmp sites are more recent, that this info is incorrect.
But thanks for the link wordsick

 

[dotr]

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/239ufon.html
rbbm.

Estimated Age: 25-50 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'3" (90 cm)
Weight: 100 lbs. (45kg)
Hair Color: Naturally dark-brown, dyed strawberry blond; shoulder-length.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Slight build; she had no prior pregnancies. Her appendix had been removed previously and she had bright pink or red enamel on her finger and toe nails that was manicured. The victim also had webbed toes. Possible smoker.

Identifiers

Dentals: Available. Extensive dental work. The victim wore partial dentures with porcelain teeth in her upper and lower jaws. Many of her natural teeth had required fillings.

http://torontosunfamily.blogspot.ca/2008/03/re-nation-river.html
[h=2]25 March 2008[/h]

In November of 2005, OPP reopened the case and were hopeful a $50,000 reward "for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murder of this unidentified victim" would produce new leads.

In November of 2006, 31 years after the discovery of the body, police disclosed the Nation River Lady had webbed feet. (See the detailed 2006 CBC News story and a 2007 CBC story.)

Sue Sgambati's 2007 Court TV update interview with OPP Det. Insp. Phil George is also online. Hearing the evidence directly from a police spokesman is most helpful.

The Nation River Lady case remains open.

Volunteer cyber sleuths interested in helping to give the Nation River Lady a name are invited to check out the Ontario Missing Adults web site page devoted to the case.

The web site contradicts descriptions published by the media in the 1980s and 1990s, so updated details, like the webbed feet and partial dentures, might help provide new leads.