Identified! TX - Huntsville, 'Walker County Jane Doe', WhtFem 14-16, 91UFTX, Nov'80 #5 - Sherri Ann Jarvis

[Saywhatyoumean]

She ran away from the courthouse!


First, she went to Wisconsin. She was with some friends for a few days and then left by herself, presumably for Colorado.




She was probably resourceful and had some connections.

(Sorry I may not have all the facts correct. I'm going off my memory) They were looking for her and she was reported missing.
When she turned 18, law enforcement discontinued their investigation into her disappearance. However, I don't think it was a very serious investigation. LE did not go out of their way to locate runaways back then. Obviously, she was in Colorado in August and LE probably could have located her then, but I'm sure they didn't make an effort.

After Minnesota girl identified as 1980 Texas homicide victim, hunt goes on for killer

Witnesses reported seeing Sherri Ann Jarvis in two separate locations on the night she died.

www.twincities.com

She was 14 when she died wasn’t she

 

[Friday Fan]

She was 14 when she died wasn’t she

Yes, but back then cases were dropped when a missing runaway turned 18.

 

[Beekarina]

It's really crazy to me, to imagine a 14 year-old successfully traveling around on her own, for this length of time, in an era of pay phones, no internet, in places with very limited public transportation the distances she traveled and the amount of time she was alive without her being connected/involved with some adult(s) who know what happened.

I hope someday there will be justice for her. Poor kid.

 

[Vital Forces]

It's really crazy to me, to imagine a 14 year-old successfully traveling around on her own, for this length of time, in an era of pay phones, no internet, in places with very limited public transportation the distances she traveled and the amount of time she was alive without her being connected/involved with some adult(s) who know what happened.

I hope someday there will be justice for her. Poor kid.

Hitchhiking seems to have still been fairly common during that time period, which explains how she travelled so far.

 

[Friday Fan]

It's really crazy to me, to imagine a 14 year-old successfully traveling around on her own, for this length of time, in an era of pay phones, no internet, in places with very limited public transportation the distances she traveled and the amount of time she was alive without her being connected/involved with some adult(s) who know what happened.

I hope someday there will be justice for her. Poor kid.

Not hard at all. Happened with Tammy Alexander and numerous Does on WS. Hitchhike and make connections.

 

[Diavola]

Perhaps she traveled with a group of fellow hitchhikers, so they made it safe across the country, but the group fell apart.

 

[Alleykins]

Not hard at all. Happened with Tammy Alexander and numerous Does on WS. Hitchhike and make connections.

I agree. At 15, Anita Drake ran away from her abusive home and was able, at that young age, to create a whole new identity for herself and live the rest of her life with that assumed identity. Teens, especially ones who came from dysfunctional families, were more mature, independent, resilient and resourceful, and were already assuming a lot of adult responsibilities at a young age, back then. I truly believe a good portion of historical missing teen cases were voluntary runaways who found themselves in similar situations as Anita and simply left to escape it. Not all, but a good amount. And it makes me wonder how many of them went on to live out their lives, and are still living their lives, and didn't meet with foul play or meet a tragic end. If it hadn't been for Anita's daughter going through her things after she died and noticing something wasn't right, she'd never have been found out. And I believe she hitchhiked out of her hometown, iirc.

 

[CuriousCricket]

I agree. At 15, Anita Drake ran away from her abusive home and was able, at that young age, to create a whole new identity for herself and live the rest of her life with that assumed identity. Teens, especially ones who came from dysfunctional families, were more mature, independent, resilient and resourceful, and were already assuming a lot of adult responsibilities at a young age, back then. I truly believe a good portion of historical missing teen cases were voluntary runaways who found themselves in similar situations as Anita and simply left to escape it. Not all, but a good amount. And it makes me wonder how many of them went on to live out their lives, and are still living their lives, and didn't meet with foul play or meet a tragic end. If it hadn't been for Anita's daughter going through her things after she died and noticing something wasn't right, she'd never have been found out. And I believe she hitchhiked out of her hometown, iirc.

Agreed. It was a different world back then. We know only about those who did run into trouble and not the ones who managed to create new lives. To me, the world feels a lot more dangerous now than then when hitchhiking was a common way for people to get around. So many young service men hitchhiked home and back to base.

 

[jennytrevor]

Agreed. It was a different world back then. We know only about those who did run into trouble and not the ones who managed to create new lives. To me, the world feels a lot more dangerous now than then when hitchhiking was a common way for people to get around. So many young service men hitchhiked home and back to base.

The good news is that despite how the 24 hour news cycle may have us feeling, the US is actually a much safer place now than it was in 1980. In fact, in 1980 when Sherri was killed, the murder rate was at its all time high. It gives me solace in particular that young women and girls are much safer in their daily lives compared to then. I always feel so sad when I see the long list of missing teens who have been excluded as identities for Does. I do hope at least some of them made new lives.

 

[Beekarina]

I understand hitchhiking and resourcefulness. I was alive then. What I was getting at is I personally believe adults were involved here. To what extent and degree, I do not know. They may have been only a few years older, but I don't think she was hanging out with other 14 year-olds.

I would suggest the same for Anita Drake, or anyone else who stayed alive for any length of time and left at a very young age. JMO.

 

[42d19]

I don't know if they have bite mark impressions or DNA for Robert Ben Rhoades, aka the "Truck Stop Killer", but he's an obvious candidate and I'm betting they've recently visited him in the Illinois prison where he is incarcerated. His MO seems to fit what happened to Sherri quite well. He was actively raping and killing on his trucking routes during this time while he lived in Houston. There has been significant forensic analyasis of his travel log books, and I suspect he traveled through Huntsville routinely.
Robert Ben Rhoades - Wikipedia

Chuck

I’m a retired Law Enforcement Officer in Texas. I am familiar with this case. I remember first hearing about it in 1983 at a Criminal Justice Seminar on serial murder. Her case was talked about. I currently live in Huntsville after retiring. I lived there in the eighties when I attended Sam Houston State. I used to get gas at the old Gulf Station, where Sherri had been dropped off. The Hitchin Post back then was much more isolated than it is now. It was long 6 or 7 mile walk from the Gulf Station to the truck stop. I firmly believe Sherri met her killer right after talking to the waitress. It was dark, she was tired looking for place to crash. There was no way she was going to be able to walk to the Ellis Prison Unit. It is 15 miles away. Even if she did, they’re not going to let her in. I know she was thought to go meet an inmate at the prison. I don’t think she was, she could have been someone and the prison was a prominent landmark and it was a halfway point for whoever was coming to get her. The Sheriffs office could find no correlation between Sherri and the prison. I do not believe whoever she was going to meet had anything to do with her murder. Her killer most likely a trucker, told hey I’ll take you but it will have to be in the morning. Hey you can stay with me in my sleeper. The greatest mistake she made. I believe he killed her right in his sleeper in that parking lot. All the truck engines are running, radios on. They wouldn’t have heard her. She arrived at 2030hrs and the Medical Examiner puts her death at 0300hrs. So that’s 6 hours she was with him. After killing her he quietly left the truck stop and dropped her body 4 miles north on I45. The entrance ramp to I45 is a mere 100 ft from the truck stop exit. I can guarantee they are looking at or have looked at him and ruled him out. If it wasn’t Ben Rhoades it was somebody like him. There are differences to his later murders than to Sherri’s. But he could have been honing his skills earlier. Ben Rhoades lived in Houston in the late 70’s and 80’s. I have no doubt he travelled I45 and I’m sure he’s been to the Hitchin Post. Their is a few things similar to his other murders. Ligature Strangulation and he kept his victims clothing as souvenirs. Sherri’s clothing other than her shoes, pantyhose and panties, were never found. Also Sherri was raped horribly by a blunt object. Whoever killed her got off to that and might have been impudent. Using the object as his penis. I don’t know if Ben Rhoades was impudent but I don’t think he has any kids. I do know Sherri’s case is in good hands and we have a good Sheriff and high quality passionate officers. They will never give up on finding her killer. If it is Ben Rhoades, they will prove it. The case is active. Also I helped Cold Case Detective Ken Mains on his YouTube show Unsolved No More. I did the research for him and took all the videos and photos for the show. My video is a little shaky, I was using a new High Def video camera. You can watch it on YouTube Unsolved No More, Sherri Ann Jarvis

 

[JennyJukes]

Their is a few things similar to his other murders. Ligature Strangulation and he kept his victims clothing as souvenirs. Sherri’s clothing other than her shoes, pantyhose and panties, were never found.

Makes me wonder what happens to the trophies these killers have after they pass away. Do they keep them locked at home and relatives throw them out not knowing what they are? Bury the items and visit them regularly? I can't imagine them disposing of them long before their death (or inability to care for themselves) because they'd want to have that ease accessibility and reminder of their victims..

 

[Melt71]

@JennyJukes apparently some stashes get found eventually. This thread is LE trying to locate the owners of items found in a predator's vehicle.

CO Thread 'CO - Aurora, FBI seeks ID of items found in serial predator's vehicle, active late 70s - early 90s'

Aug 8, 2021

FBI website posted article seeking info about items found in serial predators vehicle. Article is listed as Aurora Colorado but states perp was long haul truck truck driver with victims in over 30 states from late 1970s to early 1990s.......wonder if this peep has been identified publicly???


ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY - AURORA, COLORADO — FBI

• lex8396
• Replies: 60
• Forum: The Unidentified

• 

 

[42d19]

Makes me wonder what happens to the trophies these killers have after they pass away. Do they keep them locked at home and relatives throw them out not knowing what they are? Bury the items and visit them regularly? I can't imagine them disposing of them long before their death (or inability to care for themselves) because they'd want to have that ease accessibility and reminder of their victims..

That’s a good question. I really don’t know. Believe it or not, theirs a lot of people that are out there, that are apathetic. They might think it’s strange when found but don’t call the police and just throw it away. It’s like Sherri at the truck stop. It’s possible someone saw her with the possible killer. She was a pretty petite girl. They probably thought she was just a prostitute and didn’t really pay attention closely enough. People see things happening but don’t realize what there seeing until later. Now the police might have witnesses that saw something but they keeping their cards close to their chest. I don’t know.

Makes me wonder what happens to the trophies these killers have after they pass away. Do they keep them locked at home and relatives throw them out not knowing what they are? Bury the items and visit them regularly? I can't imagine them disposing of them long before their death (or inability to care for themselves) because they'd want to have that ease accessibility and reminder of their victims..

Makes me wonder what happens to the trophies these killers have after they pass away. Do they keep them locked at home and relatives throw them out not knowing what they are? Bury the items and visit them regularly? I can't imagine them disposing of them long before their death (or inability to care for themselves) because they'd want to have that ease accessibility and reminder of their victims..