Identified! MA - Provincetown, Race Point, 'Lady in the Dunes' WhtFem 27-49, UP11840, Jul'74 - Ruth Marie Terry

[mysteriew]

A summer day became a horror on July 26, 1974, when a young girl walking her beagle stumbled upon a mutilated body in the dunes near Race Point Beach.

The victim's hands had been severed. They were never found. Her head was nearly removed. Investigators determined the woman had been dead anywhere from five days to three weeks. Cause of death: blunt trauma.

She has never been identified. Locals refer to the mystery woman as "The Lady in the Dunes."

Staff Sgt. Warren Tobias has just received an image of the victim from the state crime lab in Sudbury that he hopes will breathe new life into the case.

"The computerized reconstruction looks so lifelike that I'm hoping to get the image out there, hopefully nationwide," Tobias said. "I hope it rings a bell with somebody, somewhere

http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/technologycould8.htm

 

[Richard]

Hadden Clark graduated from a Chef School in New York in January 1974 and soon obtained work as a chef in the Cape Cod area. Years later, he confessed to killing women in Cape Cod, including one whom he buried in a sand dune after cutting off her hands and using the fingers for fishing bait. Clark is currently serving two life sentences for murders committed in Maryland.

link:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_...rk/index_1.html

 

[Richard]

Amy Billig has been missing since March 1974 when she allegedly rode off with bikers from her home in Florida. The story of the Lady of the Dunes mentions that bikers often visited the area back then. See the thread about her in "missing but not forgotten".

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: March 5, 1974 from Coconut Grove, Florida
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: January 9, 1957
Age: 17 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5, 110 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair, brown eyes. Amy has a two-inch scar on her abdomen from an appendectomy. She may have a tattoo. She has a high-stepping gait.
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[amazing-sea-monkey]

My goodness, I was struck by the likeness of the computer reconstruction to Amy Billig, missing since 1974, making the time frame seem logical. Also, the biker angle in the story makes me even more curious if Amy is the unidentified dune lady. Please gang, take a look at the pic and lets see if it can at least be checked out, they have DNA.

 

[mysteriew]

I took a look at Amy Billig's picture and that is an uncanny resemblence. I also looked at the picture of her mother- and there is a strong resemblance. I know nothing of how to handle getting this info to the proper authorities, so please someone do this. This article doesn't say if DNA has been run on the lady of the dunes and entered into the NCIC, so I would guess it has not.

 

[mysteriew]

I just read about Haden Clark and he does fit the timeline, but as they have taken him back there a couple of times to look for the women he supposedly murdered, I would think that they would have considered him. Still it wouldn't hurt to mention to LE that he did describe a murder he committed where he removed the woman's hands.
Note: He liked to keep their jewelry as a souvenier(sp)

 

[Richard]

I contacted Eric Williams who write the Cape Cod Times story about the Lady of the Dunes and provided him with information and links about Hadden Clark and Amy Billig. I have suggested that he relay the information to investigators and forensic experts there.

His story indicates that DNA was recently obtained from the unknown "Lady of the Dunes". So it might be possible to run a comparison between her DNA and that of Amy or her family members.

 

[KatherineQ]

The Lady in the Dunes does resemble Amy Billig. I just don't get it, I know I sound like a broken record, WHY DON'T THEY SHOW THE TEETH??

When they did the computerized reconstruction, they must have had access to her teeth - a very distinct feature of Amy Billig's in that they are perfect. Her teeth are absolutely perfectly straight. A big clue, if the Lady in the Dunes teeth are perfect also.

I just don't get it, why they consistently conceal this fairly easy to reproduce clue.

Prayers for closure in this horrible case.

 

[mysteriew]

I contacted Eric Williams who write the Cape Cod Times story about the Lady of the Dunes and provided him with information and links about Hadden Clark and Amy Billig. I have suggested that he relay the information to investigators and forensic experts there.

His story indicates that DNA was recently obtained from the unknown "Lady of the Dunes". So it might be possible to run a comparison between her DNA and that of Amy or her family members.

Would you let us know if you hear of anything further on this?

 

[marylandmissing]

Think I read somewhere, maybe in the book by Billig's mother, that Amy had some tooth problem.

 

[upallnite]

I've been curious,there was another woman from Jessup Maryland,named Billie Jean Hall.She dissappeared on her way to a biker ralley in Daytona,Fla in February 1985.Hadden was living in Silver Spring,Maryland with his brother and it is very close to Jessup.She was never found and I've never been able to find out if she was wearing any jewelry or if they found her vehicle.Anyone know?Oh,by the way,I'm new here.Hi,everybody!!!!!!

 

[marylandmissing]

They know BJH was in Florida and Georgia.

 

[upallnite]

There hasn't been any evidence apparent to me that she was ever there.I was just saying,maybe she had to travel through Silver Springs to get to Florida and maybe that guy snatched her.I was wondering if anyone knows if they ever found her vehicle?

 

[upallnite]

Was just wondering if anyone knew because I happened to notice that they said BJH was traveling in a Nissan Camper,and Hadden had that Nissan truck with a cab on it.Just curious,probably just speculation on my part.

 

[marylandmissing]

There's plenty of evidence she was there. Her mother's been in a couple Baltimore Sun articles in the past about BJH. And there's witnesses that place her in the South.

 

[upallnite]

I always hate when you hear about someone missing and just because you don't live near there,you never hear any updates.very interesting.Wonder where the heck she went?

 

[Richard]

Never heard back from Eric Williams regarding either Haden Clark or Amy Billig. The origional link doesn't work any longer. Try the below...

Technology could help solve 1974 Provincetown murder
From Cape Cod Times Archives
Author: ERIC WILLIAMS
Publish Date: April 8, 2005
Word Count: 391
Document ID: 1095B48D14D6FAB8
PROVINCETOWN - A summer day became a horror on July 26, 1974, when a young girl walking her beagle stumbled upon a mutilated body in the dunes near Race Point Beach.
The victim's hands had been severed. They were never found. Her head was nearly removed. Investigators determined the woman had been dead anywhere from five days to three weeks. Cause of death: blunt trauma.

She has never been identified. Locals refer to the mystery woman as "The Lady in the Dunes."Now a ...

Link
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives

 

[sharon25]

Never heard back from Eric Williams regarding either Haden Clark or Amy Billig. The origional link doesn't work any longer. Try the below...

Technology could help solve 1974 Provincetown murder
From Cape Cod Times Archives
Author: ERIC WILLIAMS
Publish Date: April 8, 2005
Word Count: 391
Document ID: 1095B48D14D6FAB8
PROVINCETOWN - A summer day became a horror on July 26, 1974, when a young girl walking her beagle stumbled upon a mutilated body in the dunes near Race Point Beach.
The victim's hands had been severed. They were never found. Her head was nearly removed. Investigators determined the woman had been dead anywhere from five days to three weeks. Cause of death: blunt trauma.

She has never been identified. Locals refer to the mystery woman as "The Lady in the Dunes."Now a ...

Link
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives

If you can tell me the states the two women disappeared in and the cities I can call the local LE.
None of the links worked for me.

 

[mysteriew]

If you can tell me the states the two women disappeared in and the cities I can call the local LE.
None of the links worked for me.

I just googled the lady in the dunes and came up with this blog where they are talking about her:

http://towleroad.typepad.com/towleroad/2005/04/the_lady_in_the.html

But the original article seems to have disappeared (I hate when they do that)

 

[mysteriew]

I found these abstracts from the past:

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonh...ZAR&desc=Dune+slay+victim+a+mystery+once+more

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonh...A+tests+reveal+nothing+in+P'town+murder+probe

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonh...ice+exhume+`Lady+of+Dunes'+in+hopes+of+DNA+ID

http://www.capecodconfidential.com/1892-1902.shtml