FL FL - Tampa, WhtFem UP61522, 11-15, most likely 12-14 years old, Jan'91


Oh, great!
I'm on the USF Tampa campus frequently because that is where the cancer center is. I go back next Thursday and will drive around a bit. Personally, I really don't think a child this young would be found on a college campus. I suspect whoever entered her online simply picked the zip code of the local police office, or zip code of where the remains were found. A zip code is too vague. There are some nice areas in that zip code and then there's some really high crime areas. I wish there were GPS coordinates because then I could speak more specifically about the location.

Mind boggling, the location......should we ask the University Police if they know something about this case. It would be all speculation how she could have ended up there...sister of a student, friend of a sister of a student....child of a construction worker who worked at the site, etc.
 
Oh, great!


Mind boggling, the location......should we ask the University Police if they know something about this case. It would be all speculation how she could have ended up there...sister of a student, friend of a sister of a student....child of a construction worker who worked at the site, etc.
I doubt the USF police / security staff would have any idea of the history of this case. The campus is pretty deserted at this point.

I think the Hillsborough Police/Sheriff would be the group to contact. I’ve never reached out regarding a case.
 
In NamUS, there are two agencies from 2 separate counties: Hillsborough (USF campus in Tampa) and northward, Hernando. This also makes me suspect that this case did not happen on USFs campus. These 2 counties are separated by Pasco County.

Contacts
Investigating Agencies
CASE OWNER

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
(813) 247-8200
Agency Case Number: 20-365986
Moises Garcia

Hernando County Sheriff's Office
(352) 754-6830
George Loydgren, Detective
Agency Case Number: CC 94-00018
 

Attachments

  • 8656783E-8218-418C-953F-4F2F11834DEE.jpeg
    8656783E-8218-418C-953F-4F2F11834DEE.jpeg
    90.5 KB · Views: 16
  • 769EE0A3-D473-41A1-B0AE-68164C783384.jpeg
    769EE0A3-D473-41A1-B0AE-68164C783384.jpeg
    147.2 KB · Views: 19
  • DC2B5DF8-AD0A-443D-B5D7-A1FABFB104A8.jpeg
    DC2B5DF8-AD0A-443D-B5D7-A1FABFB104A8.jpeg
    88.2 KB · Views: 15
In NamUS, there are two agencies from 2 separate counties: Hillsborough (USF campus in Tampa) and northward, Hernando. This also makes me suspect that this case did not happen on USFs campus. These 2 counties are separated by Pasco County.

Contacts
Investigating Agencies
CASE OWNER

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
(813) 247-8200
Agency Case Number: 20-365986
Moises Garcia

Hernando County Sheriff's Office
(352) 754-6830
George Loydgren, Detective
Agency Case Number: CC 94-00018

Actually this is quite interesting. Maybe they found separate remains of her in both counties?
 
Hmm. I'm having trouble finding articles about her. I'm now wondering if the date of discovery (January 1, 1994) is correct, or if that's just a default date because they don't actually know. I know of some other UID cases where we don't even know the date or circumstances of discovery because of a mix-up or clerical error at the M/E's office. I just find it very unusual that the discovery of the remains of a teenaged girl would go completely unnoticed by the local press.

I'm going to continue looking. If I can't find anything, I'll call them and ask.
 
Hmm. I'm having trouble finding articles about her. I'm now wondering if the date of discovery (January 1, 1994) is correct, or if that's just a default date because they don't actually know. I know of some other UID cases where we don't even know the date or circumstances of discovery because of a mix-up or clerical error at the M/E's office. I just find it very unusual that the discovery of the remains of a teenaged girl would go completely unnoticed by the local press.

I'm going to continue looking. If I can't find anything, I'll call them and ask.

That was my first thought too, luck of any information, plus default date January 1st. Good catch that two different counties are in charge of the case.
 
So I noticed that Tampa Girl's NamUs was created November 12th, 2019, and her recon was added June 2nd, meaning this 26 year old case has been heating up quite recently. I must admit I was intrigued to why Hernando county also was named as an investigating agency, so I looked up cold cases in Hernando and came across the unsolved murder of 12 year old Jennifer Odom, who was killed in February 1993. This case has also been heating up lately, due to the possibility of using forensic genealogy to finally catch the perp once and for all. The lead investigator? None other than det. George Loydgren (also the head of the cold case unit). From this link about him solving a rape case from 1983:
Recently the case detective George Loydgren became aware of a DNA company in Virginia called Parabon NanoLabs, which specializes in DNA phenotyping and genetic genealogy.

"Fortunately for us Detective Loydgren also works very very hard at staying up to date on the latest advances in testing cold cases, and the evidence associated with those," Sheriff Nienhuis said.
The video link posted further down this post is also very informative.

So, here are some questions I've been wondering about: Is there any biological evidence to tie Tampa Girl to Jennifer's case (or another case in Hernando county)? Is Loydgren scouting for potential victims in different counties to tie to a specific case, or gathering ammo, so to speak, against suspected perp to build up a case?

For a case that's been ice cold for as long as Tampa Girl's case with literally no info anywhere, I have a feeling she might be a part of something bigger in the long run, but if that turns out to be a dead-end, I hope this renewed interest in her case leads to her being identified.



Additional sources:

Hernando County Sheriff's Office

Hernando County Sheriff's Office


ETA: Turns out that Jennifer Odom has a thread and that the connection to Tampa Girl's case is also made in that thread! Jeffrey Norman Crum Sr is a POI in Jennifer's case; perhaps Tampa Girl's too?

Jennifer Odom's WS thread:
FL - FL - Jennifer Odom, 12, Blanton, 19 Feb 1993
 
Last edited:
Hmm. I'm having trouble finding articles about her. I'm now wondering if the date of discovery (January 1, 1994) is correct, or if that's just a default date because they don't actually know. I know of some other UID cases where we don't even know the date or circumstances of discovery because of a mix-up or clerical error at the M/E's office. I just find it very unusual that the discovery of the remains of a teenaged girl would go completely unnoticed by the local press.

I'm going to continue looking. If I can't find anything, I'll call them and ask.

Thank you very much for the effort. You might be right about the default date. I hope you can find out more.
 
This is about another victim of J.N. Crum Sr., attacked in Spring Hill, Hernando county in 1992.

Mother of cold case victim had prayed that attacker was dead

Article from 2015.
Authorities announced Thursday that they had arrested Jeffrey Norman Crum, 53, of Holiday and charged him with sexual battery and attempted murder of Fagan's daughter, Carolyn Murray. Murray was 17 on Jan. 16, 1992, when investigators allege Crum intercepted her as she got off the school bus and led her behind a vacant house. There, authorities allege Crum hit her over the head with a blunt object so hard it crushed part of her skull and caused her to lose part of her brain.

The cold case had gone unsolved for more than two decades until Florida Department of Law Enforcement specialists, using a sophisticated technique called familial DNA searching, were able to link DNA from semen left at the scene with that of Crum's son, Jeffrey Crum II, 34, who is in prison. That finally led them to the elder Crum, who was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon.

When doctors got their first look at Murray, they believed she wouldn't survive, Fagan said. The teen was in a coma and underwent two surgeries on what remained of her brain. When she awoke, her left side was paralyzed and she could not form full sentences.

To this day Murray, now 40, cannot speak in full sentences. She communicates through broken syntax and individual words, and by using her right hand, according to her mother.
 
By lack of PMI. Could she be Tavia Bailey? Missing since 1985, Pensacola Florida, 15 years at the time.

Tavia had run away several times before, once traveling as far as New York City, but she always kept in touch with her mother. After her December 1985 disappearance, she never called home again.

Tavia Elizabeth Bailey – The Charley Project

tavia_elizabeth_bailey_1.jpg
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
173
Guests online
3,429
Total visitors
3,602

Forum statistics

Threads
592,164
Messages
17,964,512
Members
228,711
Latest member
OldDustyBooks
Back
Top