MD MD - Woodstock, WhtFem 35-60, UP11923, found alive/injured in a field, died Sep'71, Jul'71

[SurrealisticSlumbers]

Doe Network Link: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1284ufmd.html
NamUs Link: https://identifyus.org/cases/11923

(Warning: Both of these pages contain a link to a hospital photo of the woman which may be disturbing to some. I really do not know if this was taken prior to death or postmortem.)

Case Details:

- Unidentified White Female
- Date of discovery: July 15, 1971
- Location of discovery: Woodstock, Howard County, MD.
- Estimated Date of Death: September 7, 1971
- State of Remains: Recognizable face
- Cause of Death: Unknown

Vital Statistics:

- Estimated Age: 35-60 years old
- Height: 5'0"
- Weight: 86 lbs.
- Hair Color: Light brown, beginning to gray.
- Eye Color: Brown
- Distinguishing Marks/Features: She had a hump in the midsection of her nose. Her right ovary and tube had been surgically removed. Blood type was O+.
- Clothing: Half slip and panties.
- Jewelry: None
- Additional Personal Items: None

Summary:

The unidentified woman was found alive, lying in a field near the intersection of Route 99 (Old Frederick Rd.) and Woodstock Rd., in Woodstock, MD, on July 15, 1971. The patient underwent brain surgery prior to dying on September 7, 1971.

 

[FlossyMay]

What in the world? I'm assuming she was found injured and taken to the hospital since it says she had brain surgery, but why is there no COD ? I wonder if she was in a coma.

 

[NadirCake]

I wish we had more information about what had happened to her. Like, was she injured? Or did she have some kind of serious health issue?

As it is, we don't know if this was an obvious homicide or if she had been ill/disabled for a long time and had been abandoned.

 

[kat913]

May be long shot...http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/stevens_shirley.html

http://insearchofshirleyfrew.blogspot.com/

Notice how her granddaughter states she was going with a boyfriend to a state that began with an "M".

 

[SurrealisticSlumbers]

I know, it is very frustrating that there is such a lack of information... Re: Cause of death, I have no idea, guys. I hunted the web for info that could point to why this lady was found, basically naked, lying in a field. Remember, she was alive for nearly two months... Just boggles the mind how the hospital personnel or investigating officers couldn't get to the bottom of who she was. She must have been in a coma, or else was just unresponsive for whatever reason. I mean, one would assume they'd have questioned her, and unless some terrible event occurred, i.e. amnesia, catatonic state, she would have been able to respond to their questions and communicate. As it is, we have no idea if she was even communicative. We have literally no idea why she was found, alive, lying in that field. What health condition led to her death? Why did she need brain surgery? The hospital has to have the records stored somewhere, or maybe they were destroyed?

This could be someone's mother. She was found in an area that is considered pretty affluent, a place where one might find something like this a rather unusual occurrence. It was surely newsworthy at the time, but this case gets very little attention nowadays.

 

[NadirCake]

I know, it is very frustrating that there is such a lack of information... Re: Cause of death, I have no idea, guys. I hunted the web for info that could point to why this lady was found, basically naked, lying in a field.

RSBM

I didn't mean to imply that I was exasperated with what you provided, SurrealisticSlumbers! It's great that you posted this case, even if there's not much info out there!

The case is a big head-scratcher. The lack of info is another big head-scratcher.

 

[carbuff]

May be long shot...http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/stevens_shirley.htmlView attachment 119430

http://insearchofshirleyfrew.blogspot.com/

Notice how her granddaughter states she was going with a boyfriend to a state that began with an "M".

Plus: surgery scar that would have been similar to the deceased woman's ovary removal scar

Big minus: denture not mentioned for deceased woman

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk

 

[rosesfromangels]

Im guessing alzheimers patient that wandered off.
I think her caretaker might have passed

 

[kat913]

Plus: surgery scar that would have been similar to the deceased woman's ovary removal scar

Big minus: denture not mentioned for deceased woman

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk

Yes and eyes are blue not brown....they wouldn't have changed color! Oh well....just a thought!!

 

[meanmaryjean]

Right ovary and tube removed is indicative of an ectopic pregnancy.
The post-mortem photo looks like she was edentulous (had no teeth) Some people have dentures but quit wearing them if they are ill-fitting (my sister-in-law being one).

 

[kat913]

Right ovary and tube removed is indicative of an ectopic pregnancy.
The post-mortem photo looks like she was edentulous (had no teeth) Some people have dentures but quit wearing them if they are ill-fitting (my sister-in-law being one).

Thanks that's what I thought as well...but the eye color is definitely different unless your eyes turn real dark with a head injury? Also hump on nose could be broken nose that was never repaired because she was an alcoholic and may not have cared for it (DV perhaps). I don't know to me (besides eye color) there are similarities and it was 1971....eons ago for identification!!

 

[meanmaryjean]

Thanks that's what I thought as well...but the eye color is definitely different unless your eyes turn real dark with a head injury? Also hump on nose could be broken nose that was never repaired because she was an alcoholic and may not have cared for it (DV perhaps). I don't know to me (besides eye color) there are similarities and it was 1971....eons ago for identification!!

Eye color does not change with injury. The only real change in eye color after infancy is when cataracts cloud the cornea- but that would not be mistaken by an ME or coroner for a completely different eye color.

I do sometimes wonder (not this case) about differing definitions of 'hazel'. I always thought it meant brown/ green. Some posters here have other ideas- but I wonder if there is a standard definition?

 

[SurrealisticSlumbers]

I really like the Alzheimer's angle...Dementia a strong possibility with this one. I also agree that she looks like she's missing teeth. Both things that would put her on the later end of her estimated age. I personally think she looks even older than 60, but maybe it was also the ravages of whatever health condition she had that aged her so much. That photo is so depressing, which is why I had to put the warning there. She looks like she is wasting away and totally uncared for. She was obviously underweight/malnourished... this woman (probably) did not come from the immediate area.

 

[sunnynz]

When I first read the summary, and before reading the comments, I had the impression from what she was wearing and the brain surgery that she was a victim of a violent sexual assault, and that once found they tried to help her recover from head injuries with brain surgery. i.e. the brain surgery was after her being found, not before. Just how I interpreted it.

Those suggesting Shirley Stevens/Frew https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/7394/837, agree that the surgery scar for an ectopic pregnancy and a hysterectomy in that era could have been interpreted as one and the same. Both issues were commonly treated with a laparotomy in the 1960s/early 70s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterectomy#Technique http://www.ectopicpregnancy.co.uk/for-professionals/perspectives/surgery/ Shirley's scar is only mentioned on Charley and not on Namus - it doesn't seem definitive what her scar actually was. But she also had a very prominent scar on her shin and the Jane Doe's file doesn't mention that.

Regarding eye colour - I read about a case the other day (I can't remember which one) where a body was recovered and the eye colour had actually changed in post-mortem so it's always possible I guess.

Here's a side by side of Shirley and Jane Doe - Kat913 do you think you might submit this?

 

[rosesfromangels]

I really like the Alzheimer's angle...Dementia a strong possibility with this one. I also agree that she looks like she's missing teeth. Both things that would put her on the later end of her estimated age. I personally think she looks even older than 60, but maybe it was also the ravages of whatever health condition she had that aged her so much. That photo is so depressing, which is why I had to put the warning there. She looks like she is wasting away and totally uncared for. She was obviously underweight/malnourished... this woman (probably) did not come from the immediate area.

I would put her between 66-72 yrs old.

 

[rosesfromangels]

When I first read the summary, and before reading the comments, I had the impression from what she was wearing and the brain surgery that she was a victim of a violent sexual assault, and that once found they tried to help her recover from head injuries with brain surgery. i.e. the brain surgery was after her being found, not before. Just how I interpreted it.

Those suggesting Shirley Stevens/Frew https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/7394/837, agree that the surgery scar for an ectopic pregnancy and a hysterectomy in that era could have been interpreted as one and the same. Both issues were commonly treated with a laparotomy in the 1960s/early 70s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterectomy#Technique http://www.ectopicpregnancy.co.uk/for-professionals/perspectives/surgery/ Shirley's scar is only mentioned on Charley and not on Namus - it doesn't seem definitive what her scar actually was. But she also had a very prominent scar on her shin and the Jane Doe's file doesn't mention that.

Regarding eye colour - I read about a case the other day (I can't remember which one) where a body was recovered and the eye colour had actually changed in post-mortem so it's always possible I guess.

Here's a side by side of Shirley and Jane Doe - Kat913 do you think you might submit this?
View attachment 119442

Shirley's nose is longer and her chin pointy. Doe has a squarish chin and a shorter nose. At least thats how i see it from the pics. Too bad we cant see the ears. Thats the only way i get a good read.

 

[kat913]

When I first read the summary, and before reading the comments, I had the impression from what she was wearing and the brain surgery that she was a victim of a violent sexual assault, and that once found they tried to help her recover from head injuries with brain surgery. i.e. the brain surgery was after her being found, not before. Just how I interpreted it.

Those suggesting Shirley Stevens/Frew https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/7394/837, agree that the surgery scar for an ectopic pregnancy and a hysterectomy in that era could have been interpreted as one and the same. Both issues were commonly treated with a laparotomy in the 1960s/early 70s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterectomy#Technique http://www.ectopicpregnancy.co.uk/for-professionals/perspectives/surgery/ Shirley's scar is only mentioned on Charley and not on Namus - it doesn't seem definitive what her scar actually was. But she also had a very prominent scar on her shin and the Jane Doe's file doesn't mention that.

Regarding eye colour - I read about a case the other day (I can't remember which one) where a body was recovered and the eye colour had actually changed in post-mortem so it's always possible I guess.

Here's a side by side of Shirley and Jane Doe - Kat913 do you think you might submit this?
View attachment 119442

I actually think it's worth submitting...there's always a detail that may be "off" or seem "wrong" but these many years later (she was only submitted in recent years) anything could be possible and Shirley does have a family who have been wondering for a long time.

I am not too versed on how to submit....does it go thru NamUs or Doe?

Anyone want to help with this long shot? At this stage anything is worth something....it has been way too long.

Thanks!!

 

[SurrealisticSlumbers]

I mean, do you guys think that she was taken there, like, dumped or dropped off by someone else, or that she got there by herself? Would she have been trying to escape from a group home or nursing home type of situation? Do you think she was homeless or on drugs (could explain malnourishment)?

 

[FlossyMay]

This poor woman. All the does just break my heart.

 

[kat913]

I mean, do you guys think that she was taken there, like, dumped or dropped off by someone else, or that she got there by herself? Would she have been trying to escape from a group home or nursing home type of situation? Do you think she was homeless or on drugs (could explain malnourishment)?

My opinion sticks with she went off with someone and something happened to her....drunken fall or beaten and left for dead and she was in a strange state (Maryland) and no one knew it. If it is Shirley (only a small guess at best!) she went off with a boyfriend to a state that started with an "M". She was an alcoholic and anything bad could have happened to her.

My opinion only of course!