Identified! FL - Big Coppitt Key, 'Valentine Jane Doe' 49UFFL, 16-25, Feb'91 - Wanda Deann Kirkum *killer died*

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Although there aren't any pictures of her I wonder if Diana Martinez is Valentine Doe.
She was 14 years old in 1987 when she ran away from North Bergen, New Jersey. She left a note saying she was running away to Miami, Florida and took $200.00 with her and some clothing. She had been staying with her Aunt Teresa Lopez and her family resided in Hialeah, Florida. That's awfully far from home.
Diana is also described as white/hispanic, 5'1 at the time of her disappearance with black hair and green eyes. Diana would have been around eighteen years old in 1991. There has been no contact with Diana Martinez since the day she was reported missing.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
 
SisterGrimm said:
Although there aren't any pictures of her I wonder if Diana Martinez is Valentine Doe.
She was 14 years old in 1987 when she ran away from North Bergen, New Jersey. She left a note saying she was running away to Miami, Florida and took $200.00 with her and some clothing. She had been staying with her Aunt Teresa Lopez and her family resided in Hialeah, Florida. That's awfully far from home.
Diana is also described as white/hispanic, 5'1 at the time of her disappearance with black hair and green eyes. Diana would have been around eighteen years old in 1991. There has been no contact with Diana Martinez since the day she was reported missing.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Click to expand...
Too bad (and sad) that there are no pics of Diana.
NJ - NJ - Diana Martinez, 14, North Bergen, 20 Mar 1987
 
SisterGrimm said:
Although there aren't any pictures of her I wonder if Diana Martinez is Valentine Doe.
She was 14 years old in 1987 when she ran away from North Bergen, New Jersey. She left a note saying she was running away to Miami, Florida and took $200.00 with her and some clothing. She had been staying with her Aunt Teresa Lopez and her family resided in Hialeah, Florida. That's awfully far from home.
Diana is also described as white/hispanic, 5'1 at the time of her disappearance with black hair and green eyes. Diana would have been around eighteen years old in 1991. There has been no contact with Diana Martinez since the day she was reported missing.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Click to expand...
Did you submit this?
 
Has anyone ever suggested Debra Cressotti?
DCressotti.jpg
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The Doe Network: 3100DFMA - Debra A. Cressotti
MA - MA - Debra Cressotti, 29, Blandford, 30 April 1985
Valentine Doe

Here height and weight are within the same ranges as VJD. Debra's age is older than the estimate but there is discussion in her thread that the age she went missing may have actually been 25 not 29 (due to some records found saying she was younger). She's from MA which could explain the clothing choices, althoguh there is a gap from when she disappeared in 1985 and when VJD was found in 1991.

(If anyone thinks this is a good possiblity please send it in, I'm only going to suggest here)
 
MandiH82 said:
Going on the theory that our UID was not local to FL and possibly even foreign to the US, what do you all think about Christina Hermert, missing from Germany since 1990?

The Doe Network: Case File 1062DFDEU

Physically, her facial structure looks promising, especially when compared to the actual autopsy photos. Nose, lips, eyes, jaw line.

  • She would have been 25 at the time (upper range of UID age) MATCH
  • Hair color/length (although Christina's is listed as curly - maybe she curled it? Maybe the humidity?) MATCH-ish
  • Height 5'4" MATCH
  • No eye color listed on MP
  • No weight listed on MP aside for "slim" which is subjective.
  • No tattoos or real identifiers listed
  • Shoe size is listed at 6, UID was wearing 6 1/2 ... I know I am the same size and can wear both.
  • She does have two children.
  • The circumstances are not super detailed but it's known she was separated from her husband but still living with him. She had started working to try to gain sole custody of the kids. Nothing points to why she would end up in FL but maybe she decided to sneak off to America to establish herself and had plans to return for the kids? It's a reach for sure
Just going off the two earlier posters who were close to the case and reported that investigators believed her to be from outside of the US.

Thoughts? @hec60504 @SpanishMossAntiques
Click to expand...

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Interpol has some additional photographs of Christine. Her age on the Doe Network is incorrect, she was actually 22 at the time of her disappearance.

61353154
61353150
61353152


zd649Xb.png
 
Just a theory here... Its possible she voluntarily left home because she found out she was pregnant and was scared of telling family. Maybe she had no destination in mind (explains the clothing if she just randomly ended up in Florida), it could be that she hitched as far as one driver was going and then hitched a ride with another regardless of end location. Just to get away. My theory is that she had her child without medical help (the anaemia is possibly from this) just another Avenue to try out is to see how many babies were found abandoned in the US in the 12/24 months before Valentine Doe was found and see if there is a DNA match to any of them. I think she either abandoned the baby or put it up for adoption. That is only IF she had had a child.
I think she had only been there for 2/3 days, I think she possibly met a local who offered to show her around and the best places to hang out. He took her to this 'party' area under the pretence of hanging out and possibly getting high so he could sexually assault and murder her.

ETA: add a missing word.
 
Has anyone suggested Laura Ann Hook yet? She is listed as missing since 2/08/1992 from North Carolina. I wonder if the year is wrong. I'm only convinced that the year could be wrong because she has 2 possible homemade tattoos that are described as a heart on her arm and cross on one of her hands. Her ears are pierced.

The Doe Network: Laura Anne Hook - 668DFNC
Laura Anne Hook – The Charley Project
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
NC - Laura Anne Hook 18 missing from From Wadesboro, North Carolina 1992
 

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SisterGrimm said:
Has anyone suggested Laura Ann Hook yet? She is listed as missing since 2/08/1992 from North Carolina. I wonder if the year is wrong. I'm only convinced that the year could be wrong because she has 2 possible homemade tattoos that are described as a heart on her arm and cross on one of her hands. Her ears are pierced.

The Doe Network: Laura Anne Hook - 668DFNC
Laura Anne Hook – The Charley Project
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
NC - Laura Anne Hook 18 missing from From Wadesboro, North Carolina 1992
Click to expand...
It’s worth looking into, maybe see if you can find any old newspaper reports to verify dates.
 
SisterGrimm said:
Although there aren't any pictures of her I wonder if Diana Martinez is Valentine Doe.
She was 14 years old in 1987 when she ran away from North Bergen, New Jersey. She left a note saying she was running away to Miami, Florida and took $200.00 with her and some clothing. She had been staying with her Aunt Teresa Lopez and her family resided in Hialeah, Florida. That's awfully far from home.
Diana is also described as white/hispanic, 5'1 at the time of her disappearance with black hair and green eyes. Diana would have been around eighteen years old in 1991. There has been no contact with Diana Martinez since the day she was reported missing.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Click to expand...
Was there any follow up on this and were authorities given the tip?
 
IDENTIFIED!! rbbm.
June 15 2020
Florida Keys murder cold case from 1991 solved, sheriff says
6CFAUWWZ5JH7VDTGOF37JWNDKM.jpg

This picture of Wanda Deann Kirkum was taken in 1989, two years before her death , investigators say. (Monroe County Sheriff's Office)
''MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – It became known as the “Valentine Jane Doe Homicide” and was chronicled on “Unsolved Mysteries” and other shows.

Three decades later, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says it has cracked the cold case.

Sheriff Rick Ramsay announced Monday that the previously unknown young woman discovered on Feb. 15, 1991, in a wooded area off U.S. 1 near Mile Marker 35 has now been identified as Wanda Deann Kirkum, who was 18 and lived in Hornell, New York.

The Sheriff’s Office says that her killer has been identified as Robert Lynn Bradley, who was himself killed in a homicide in Texas in April 1992 at age 31.

The agency says that its major crimes unit detective Vince Weiner partnered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and used new DNA technology to ID the victim and killer.

“I would like to personally thank Major Crimes Unit Detective Vince Weiner and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their efforts in solving this very serious and tragic crime,” Ramsay said. “This case is a testament and shining example of this agency’s commitment to solving crime, no matter how old the case and no matter the challenges.”

Investigators say that Kikhum was never officially reported missing to law enforcement. Both her parents are now deceased.

Bradley’s DNA was obtained from the 1991 crime scene in the Keys, the Sheriff’s Office says. That DNA was recently compared to DNA from the Tarrant County, Texas, scene where he was killed and determined to be a match. There’s evidence that suggests Bradley lived in Miami in late November 1990, investigators say.''
 
Wow! This is amazing. Thanks so much for the update. The sketch was not too far off and she's right in the middle of the age range. It looks like she'd lost quite a bit of weight while on the road. I wonder if she has any living siblings? I'm so happy that another person has her name back!
 
Moonwalker9 said:
Amazing news! Been following this case for ages. See what modern technology can do. Rest in peace Wanda. Does anyone have a photo of her killer?
Click to expand...
No luck so far regarding pic of the killer, hopefully one will pop up soon, guessing this was not his first or last rodeo, imo, speculation.
 
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