The Doe Network:
Case File 535UFMA
Unidentified White Female with Admixture
* The victim was discovered on October 14, 2005 in Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
* Estimated Date of Death: She could have been deceased anywhere from 3 months to five years before discovery.
* Skeletal Remains
* Formerly Hot Case # 312
Vital Statistics
* Estimated age: 25-35 years old. (+/- 5 years)
* Approximate Height and Weight: 5' 2" (+/- 3"); small-medium build.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Mixed: Caucasian/Hispanic with possible Black or Asian Ad-mixture Female. Eye color unknown. Black or Dark Brown hair, past shoulder length. X-rays showed no broken or healed bones or any other injuries during life. There were no visible scars or tattoos. She was wearing red plastic fingernails. She had at least one child.
* Dentals: Lost posterior lower teeth, her molars were gone, front lower teeth present. She had a very unique upper partial dental plate, which held three teeth only two were present. Based on certain grooves on her teeth, it is believed that this acrylic plate replaced a metal one that she had worn previously. A civilian dental expert indicates that the style and construction of the plate shows it may have been made either in the Caribbean or in the United States by a dentist from Haiti or Jamaica. A dental expert said the plate was probably black market or underground.
Case History
The victim was located in Dorchester, Massachusetts on October 14, 2005, in an apartment building just outside Boston, at 1719 Winter Street. A chimney sweep was hired to clean out the basement chimney and fix the heating in the apartment building.
In the late 1960s, the chimney was used as an incinerator, but since then an air conditioning unit was placed at the opening. Behind the air conditioner was a slab of cement and a piece of particleboard. The chimney sweep made a small hole through the board and began to pull out debris. He pulled out what he thought was a tree branch. However, when he looked closer at it, he saw that there were red plastic fingernails attached. He immediately called 9-1-1 and the Boston Police Department discovered a female body entombed in the chimney.
The lead investigator for the case says he thinks she was there since 2002. "Somebody who had some association with the building -- a resident, an employee or someone familiar with a resident or employee -- has some knowledge about whatever happened."
Between January 2002 and January 2005, he said, an access door to the building basement was typically left unlocked. Whoever buried the woman knew that, he said, and knew of the chimney as a hiding place.
The Massachusetts State Medical Examiner's Forensic Anthropologist was called to the scene to recover, and examine the body. The Anthropologist conducted an extensive examination and population profile of the deceased and the results denote strong Caucasian genetics. However there were several other genetic identifiers/traits pointing to population mixture, such as her mouth, and jaw-line. The victim's hair was straight, and black or dark brown and past shoulder length. She may or may not have appeared to be Caucasian by her skin color, or other visual racial/ethnic features. She may also have appeared to be Caucasian, and claimed or been of another racial/ethnic background independently. Therefore, these facts should not eliminate the possibility of her being from either the Caucasian/Hispanic, Black or Asian population/race. Grooves in her hips "suggest" childbirth, she possibly could have had children.
Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
Boston Police Department Homicide Unit
Sergeant Paul Donovan
617-343-4433