Identified! PA - White Haven, 'Beth Doe' & Unborn Baby 169UFPA, 16-22, Dec'76 - #1 - Evelyn Colon

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UNIDENTIFIED GIRL found 20 December 1976 WHITE HAVEN, PA

DOB: Jan 1, 1954 - 1960 (aproximate)
Found: Dec 20, 1976
Age when found: Aproximately 16-22
Age Now: 44-50
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
Weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)
Found: WHITE HAVEN, PA, United States

On December 20, 1976, the remains of this white female were found along the Lehigh River in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, under a bridge of westbound Interstate Route 80. It was determined that she had been dead less than 24 hours from the date she was found. Her year of birth was estimated between 1954-1960. She was carrying a full-term White female fetus. She had a small circular mole above her left eye, a mole on her cheek and a 5.5" scar on her left leg, just above the heel. Both photographs are computer-assisted facial reconstruction done by a forensic artist at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Facial features such as the nose and the hair style are an artist's estimation to complete the image. The "DOB" and "Age Now" fields are approximations.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) or contact NCMEC Cold Case Review Unit at 1-877-446-2632, ext. 6235 or 6295

Pennsylvania State Police - 1-570-459-3890

Link
http://www.missingkids.com/missingk...aseNum=400049&orgPrefix=NCMU&searchLang=en_US
 
Unidentified Caucasian Female
Located on December 20, 1976 in White Haven, Carbon County, Pennsylvania
Vital Statistics
Estimated Age: late teens to early 20s (year of birth 1954-1960)
Approximate Height & Weight: 5'4", 130 - 150 pounds
Dentals: X-rays are available. She had fillings and there were some teeth missing.
Fingerprints: available
DNA - not available at this time
Distinguishing Characteristics: medium length, natural (not dyed) brown hair. Brown eyes. Small circular mole above left eye, mole on left cheek. 5 1/2" scar on left leg, just above the heel. No previous fractures. She may have been of Mediterranean (Italian or Spanish) heritage.
Estimated time of death: 7 to 24 hours prior to being found.
Cause of death: she was strangled and then shot in the neck.
Other: She had been carrying a full-term, white female fetus. The remains of the fetus were also found at the scene. It is possible that the moles on her face developed at some time during her pregnancy.
Case History
On December 20, 1976 at about 4:30 p.m. a local boy made a grizzly discovery on the banks of the Lehigh River in White Haven, Carbon County.
The dismembered and mutilated remains of a young, white female and her unborn child had been stuffed into three suitcases and thrown from a bridge along Interstate 80 over the Lehigh River. Police theorize that the killer, traveling westbound on I-80, tossed the suitcases over the bridge in an attempt to throw them into the river, however, one of the suitcases landed on the banks of the river and the other two landed in a wooded area some 20 feet from the river.
The impact of the 300-foot drop broke two of the suitcases open, scattering the head, torso and fetus. The third suitcase, which remained intact, contained the arms and legs. The gender of the victim was not immediately apparent, but was determined at autopsy to be a young, white female. The fetus was recognized at the scene as that of a white female.
The dismemberment was not haphazard and was performed with a fine, serrated tool. While it was not a surgeon's type cut, an investigator was quoted as saying of the killer "he knew what he was doing". The arms, legs and head had been severed from the body. The torso was cut into two pieces. The ears and nose had been cut off and were not recovered at the scene. Some of the body parts had been wrapped in a chenille bedspread and the torso had been covered with a newspaper.
Additional Details
The three suitcases are all the same size (23" x 14" x 7 1/2"). Two of them are blue, soft vinyl with side zippers and bearing a red, white and blue stripe on one portion. The third suitcase is a blue and tan plaid with brown vinyl trim and side zipper. The handles had been cut off of the suitcases and the zippers were painted with a flat, black paint.
The chenille bedspread was cut into three pieces. It was worn and dirty but appeared to be a rust or coral color with an embroidered yellow flower with dark green and pink design.
The newspaper was determined to be six sections of the New York Sunday News, dated September 26, 1976.
Also found in the suitcases were straw and dry packing foam.
There were letters and numbers written in ink (color of ink unknown) on the palm of the left hand of the victim. While there have been different interpretations of what was actually written on the hand, almost definitely was WSR. Next to that was either a 4 or a 5. Below and to the right was either a 4 or 7. Police checked license plates and CB call signs but were unable to determine the significance of the notations. The ink would have probably lasted 8-12 hours on living flesh.

 
This is so sad, Yaya. It makes me think that she was pregnant by a boyfriend who didn't want the baby. He was probably a deer hunter. She was probably alienated from her family. These are the stories that are popping into my head. In those years, pregnancy without benefit of marriage was a hugh scandal to families. It could be because of her dental condition that you reported she wasn't from an upstanding family but one of lower class. One that would not have compassion for her "getting herself pregnant".
 
If only there were a viewable pic of the printing on her hand...It appears to me that she most likely came from NYC, that someone transported her across Jersey on 80 then dumped up when he got to an area that felt comfortable (possibly driving into the night).

I am still looking into the possibility that the letters/numbers on her hand are an address of some type...Rt 4 is a divided highway which parallels I-80 from the Hudson River to the town of Patterson (WSR 4..."West State Route 4"?) It is heavily travelled and is used to access the towns of Hackensack, Paramus, Teaneck, Englewood, Ridgefield, and many others.

A serrated blade...Possibly a large filet knife?
 
concernedperson said:
This is so sad, Yaya. It makes me think that she was pregnant by a boyfriend who didn't want the baby. He was probably a deer hunter. She was probably alienated from her family. These are the stories that are popping into my head. In those years, pregnancy without benefit of marriage was a hugh scandal to families. It could be because of her dental condition that you reported she wasn't from an upstanding family but one of lower class. One that would not have compassion for her "getting herself pregnant".
All of the above information was taken directly from the Pennsylvania Missing Persons site. I cannot take credit for putting this together. It is posted here exactly the way it was posted on their site. http://www.pennsylvaniamissing.com/pages/8/index.htm

:waitasec: I don't know if you misunderstood something you read but... I have not made the assumption she was from a lower class family or am I misunderstanding your statement? I haven't posted any opinions on this case.


 
Yaya said:
All of the above information was taken directly from the Pennsylvania Missing Persons site. I cannot take credit for putting this together. It is posted here exactly the way it was posted on their site. http://www.pennsylvaniamissing.com/pages/8/index.htm

:waitasec: I don't know if you misunderstood something you read but... I have not made the assumption she was from a lower class family or am I misunderstanding your statement? I haven't posted any opinions on this case.



I am only posting to the fact that teeth were missing. This indicates to me that she or her family couldn't afford bridges to overcome the gap. Most families would see to it that teeth were replaced given the opportunity to do so. So, I am assuming they couldn't/wouldn't afford it.
 
concernedperson said:
I am only posting to the fact that teeth were missing. This indicates to me that she or her family couldn't afford bridges to overcome the gap. Most families would see to it that teeth were replaced given the opportunity to do so. So, I am assuming they couldn't/wouldn't afford it.
I totally understood the excellent point you were making. I just didn't understand this particular part of the statement... it seem to be saying that I personally had said she wasn't from an upstanding family but one of lower class.

"It could be because of her dental condition that you reported she wasn't from an upstanding family but one of lower class."

I just wanted to clear that up... :blowkiss:
 
This has always bothered me because I just get the feeling that her parents aren't looking for her. Maybe they knew she was pregnant and they kicked her out and just figured she moved on and led her own life away from them. :( This case is one of them that makes me so sad.
 
Paradise said:
This has always bothered me because I just get the feeling that her parents aren't looking for her. Maybe they knew she was pregnant and they kicked her out and just figured she moved on and led her own life away from them. :( This case is one of them that makes me so sad.

That was the point I was trying to make. Given the fact that she was pregnant and given the fact that she had teeth missing. It tells me of a lack of love for this child.
 
:( I just can't get past the thought that someone would murder a full term pregnant woman and dismember her body with the child inside. I agree with you ladies... the thought of a family not caring about their daughter is almost unbearable to me. I would give my life for my children without hesitation.

What do you think about this statement?
"Police theorize that the killer, traveling westbound on I-80, tossed the suitcases over the bridge in an attempt to throw them into the river, however, one of the suitcases landed on the banks of the river and the other two landed in a wooded area some 20 feet from the river.

Could the suitcases have been thrown from a car causing them to land so far apart? If so... wouldn't that mean there was more than one person involved? One driving and one throwing the suitcases.
 
Yaya said:
:( I just can't get past the thought that someone would murder a full term pregnant woman and dismember her body with the child inside. I agree with you ladies... the thought of a family not caring about their daughter is almost unbearable to me. I would give my life for my children without hesitation.

What do you think about this statement?
"Police theorize that the killer, traveling westbound on I-80, tossed the suitcases over the bridge in an attempt to throw them into the river, however, one of the suitcases landed on the banks of the river and the other two landed in a wooded area some 20 feet from the river.

Could the suitcases have been thrown from a car causing them to land so far apart? If so... wouldn't that mean there was more than one person involved? One driving and one throwing the suitcases.

Definitely, it could be her parents and a brother. The one that caused the pregnancy and the ones that didn't want to deal with it.
 
I wonder what they base this statement on?
"She may have been of Mediterranean (Italian or Spanish) heritage."

Is it possible that she was of South Asian decent? Based on the fact her ears and nose had been cut off leads me to think it is possible. It is a common practice in some South Asian cultures for husbands to cut off the ears and nose of their wife if they believe they have committed adultery.

This womans body was treated with a great deal of anger and brutality.


The fact those body parts were not recovered at the scene may also lean toward this. I have read that husbands treat these as trophies and even give them to their own fathers as a show of authority over their wives. Sort of a means of bragging. I don't know if this is true. But it would tend to explain why the body parts were not found with the body. Could the husband have sent them home to the family?


I know this may be stretching... but it's just a theory.
 
Yaya said:
I wonder what they base this statement on?
"She may have been of Mediterranean (Italian or Spanish) heritage."

Is it possible that she was of South Asian decent? Based on the fact her ears and nose had been cut off leads me to think it is possible. It is a common practice in some South Asian cultures for husbands to cut off the ears and nose of their wife if they believe they have been unfaithful.

The fact those body parts were not recovered at the scene may also lean toward this. I have read that husbands treat these as trophies and even give them to their own fathers as a show of authority over their wives. Sort of a means of bragging. I don't know if this is true but it would tend to explain why the body parts were not found with the body. Could the husband have sent them home to the family?

I know this may be stretching... but it's just a theory.

I am still leaning to the redneck variety.The parts may have been spread across a large area and animal activity would take care of this in short order.
 
I posted this in the other discussion of her, is anyone close to this area that could possibly get a copy of the photo of the writing on her hand? I understand a very poor quality photo existed? To actually see it may just trigger something with someone.

This case really boggles me. If the family or the BF decided to kill her because of the baby, why wait until she's nearly ready to give birth?

I think she may have been a runaway (maybe she ran away because she was pregnant, or, she was a runaway who worked as a prostitute to survive, got pregnant). Anyway, I feel she may have been travelling to somewhere to have her baby. And, I suspect the suitcases she was found in were her own.

I've been trying to think of a "home" or an organization that would have existed at that time where she could have gone, had her baby, put it up for adoption possibly, and leave.
 
LButler said:
I posted this in the other discussion of her, is anyone close to this area that could possibly get a copy of the photo of the writing on her hand? I understand a very poor quality photo existed? To actually see it may just trigger something with someone.

This case really boggles me. If the family or the BF decided to kill her because of the baby, why wait until she's nearly ready to give birth?

I think she may have been a runaway (maybe she ran away because she was pregnant, or, she was a runaway who worked as a prostitute to survive, got pregnant). Anyway, I feel she may have been travelling to somewhere to have her baby. And, I suspect the suitcases she was found in were her own.

I've been trying to think of a "home" or an organization that would have existed at that time where she could have gone, had her baby, put it up for adoption possibly, and leave.
Here are my very random thoughts about this case:

The Catholic Church often paid for lodging, etc., for unwed mothers. If she really was of Italian or Spanish heritage, she may well have been Catholic and might have turned to one of these organizations for help.

I don't know about her being a runaway. It seems like a very pregnant woman wanting to run away wouldn't carry three suitcases with her (assuming the suitcases she was found in were her own.)

I think too much is being read into the "missing teeth". Yes, she had teeth missing, but she also had fillings in some teeth, so at some point in her life she received dental care. The missing teeth could have been the result of a recent accident.

Do we know for a fact that Jane Doe was traveling alone? Perhaps she was traveling with her husband/boyfriend, who was also a victim of the killer. He was killed quickly and dumped somewhere, then the killer took his time with Jane Doe.

About the writing on her hand - I wonder if there were any billboards along the highway with phone numbers or addresses on them that would match what Jane Doe wrote on her hand. She jotted it on her hand because she didn't have anything to write on, perhaps?
 
I ran across an article in the Syracuse Herald Journal dated 3/25/77 which reported that Devernon LeGrand (52) and his son Steven LeGrand (28) murdered two teenage girls and dumped their dismembered bodies into a pool on their 58 acre upstate New York property. One of the girls was the wife of another of LeGrand's son, and the other woman was her sister. Devernon wanted to prevent them from testifying against him in an upcoming rape case.

The DA's office at that time was investigating the disappearance of about 15 people associated with Devernon LeGrand. He had a "corps" of about 50 women who wore nuns' habits and begged about $250,000 a year for him.

I haven't had a chance to check further to see if any other murders were attributed to the LeGrands, but I wondered about Carbon County Jane Doe. Could it be possible that she was one of his "nuns"? I know that's a little farfetched, but I figured it was worth posting.:rolleyes:

Edited to add: I'm running across more info about LeGrand, so apparently he's pretty well known. In one place he is referred to as the "Bluebeard of Brooklyn." It appears he may have been in jail during the time Carbon County Jane Doe was killed.
 
Marilynilpa said:
I ran across an article in the Syracuse Herald Journal dated 3/25/77 which reported that Devernon LeGrand (52) and his son Steven LeGrand (28) murdered two teenage girls and dumped their dismembered bodies into a pool on their 58 acre upstate New York property. One of the girls was the wife of another of LeGrand's son, and the other woman was her sister. Devernon wanted to prevent them from testifying against him in an upcoming rape case.

The DA's office at that time was investigating the disappearance of about 15 people associated with Devernon LeGrand. He had a "corps" of about 50 women who wore nuns' habits and begged about $250,000 a year for him.

I haven't had a chance to check further to see if any other murders were attributed to the LeGrands, but I wondered about Carbon County Jane Doe. Could it be possible that she was one of his "nuns"? I know that's a little farfetched, but I figured it was worth posting.:rolleyes:

Edited to add: I'm running across more info about LeGrand, so apparently he's pretty well known. In one place he is referred to as the "Bluebeard of Brooklyn." It appears he may have been in jail during the time Carbon County Jane Doe was killed.
Very interesting. Especially considering the thought about the Catholic church helping ladies in her situation. She may have been one of his "nuns". Who knows, the baby may have belonged to one of these animals as well. Too close to the other stories and at the right time to be one of their kills. And, not based on anything other than a "feeling", I wondered if she may have came from NY. Good info!!

YaYa .... that's a good thought too. If someone could just give her a name, that WSR might just "hang" someone.

What a sad story. The recreation of her just looks so sad, scared and alone.
 
LButler said:
Very interesting. Especially considering the thought about the Catholic church helping ladies in her situation. She may have been one of his "nuns". Who knows, the baby may have belonged to one of these animals as well. Too close to the other stories and at the right time to be one of their kills. And, not based on anything other than a "feeling", I wondered if she may have came from NY. Good info!!

YaYa .... that's a good thought too. If someone could just give her a name, that WSR might just "hang" someone.

What a sad story. The recreation of her just looks so sad, scared and alone.
Unfortunately my subsequent research revealed that LeGrand was in jail at the time Jane Doe was murdered.
 
The individual who killed this young woman and her baby was a pervert who took a lot of time dismembering her. This wasn't the work of someone acting on the moment out of anger at being told that his girlfriend was pregnant, or of the girl's family getting together to kill her.

The elements of the crime would indicate someone who had some experience at it, and who could be deliberate in his actions. He may have been a butcher at some time, or may have butchered deer in the past.

She may have come from New York, but not necessarily. The New York Sunday paper has a wide distribution, and he also could have picked it out of the trash at any bus station or rest stop.
 
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