Identified! WA - Clark Co., Fem Skeletal Remains, near Fly Creek, Feb'80 - Sandy Morden

This is from http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_060705_news_dead_woman.2ef852a7f.html
(login: douglas9 password: southbend)

The remains were determined to belong to a white female, approximately 15 to 16 years old at the time of her death, according to Sgt. Craig Hogman with the Clark County Sheriff’s Department.

The girl’s estimated date of birth is 1964 to 1967 and the estimated date of death is between November 1978 and April 1979, Hogman said.

Local police worked with the NCMEC to create a composite of the girl - the website has the composite on it. Hopefully this photo will be added to Doenetwork and other sites like it to help ID this beautiful young girl. Someone, somewhere is wondering what
happened to her.

 

oh, they've already got to it. I wonder how long it takes the news people to get interested in a story like this?

Here's her Doenetwork page - with the new composite drawing. Sorry if this is old news.


http://doenetwork.org/cases/427ufwa.html

 

Check out the link. They show the pictures of 2 of the missing girls. Do you think one of these girls could be the match to the skull that was found? Will this mystery finally be solved because of the new technology that can put a face to a skull? I personally find this really interesting and I hope one family finally finds an answer after 25 years.


http://katu.com/stories/77795.html

June 14, 2005

Families come forward in hopes of solving cold case
By Dan Tilkin

and KATU Web Staff

VANCOUVER, Wash. - Three families will have their DNA analyzed in the hopes of solving a cold case that dates back more than two decades.

Each family has compelling reasons to believe that a skull and bones found in 1980 in northeastern Clark County belongs to their loved one.

A father and son were mining for gold along Fly Creek 25 years ago, just south of Healy Road, when they stumbled across the partial remains.

At the time, detectives combed the area and investigated all the missing persons cases, but came up empty. Now, 25 years later, they are hoping a composite of what the young girl looked like will help them determine her identity.

Since that composite was released to the media, the families of three missing girls have come forward wondering if the mystery girl could be their loved.

KATU News has spoken with relatives of two of those missing girls - 16-year-old Jamie Grissim and 14-year-old Cherie Wyant. Police have not released the identity of the third missing girl.

The DNA from the three families in question is being sent to a special DNA lab in Texas. The results could take from two to four months to come back.

Although one of the missing girls may end up being identified as the girl whose remains were found 25 years ago, investigators are still keeping open the possibility that none of them match.

The girl in the sketch is described as white, with possibly Asian or Native American traits. She had enlarged neck muscles, indicating she was an athlete or laborer.

Investigators think she was killed between November of 1978 and April of 1979 and was between 15 and 16 years old at the time of her death.

 

Hey Anngelique - thanks for that update! I posted the other day about this case in the "cold cases" fourm - lots of people looked but no comments or discussion. It looks to me (my untrained and very tired eyes) like it could be either one, but I'm leaning towards the darker haired girl. I'll try and look them up later at Doenetwork or somewhere to find out the missing girls' stories. I hope one of these families, at least, finds some kind of answers from this new information.

 

Jamie Rochelle Grisim

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
# Missing Since: December 7, 1971 from Vancouver, Washington
# Classification: Endangered Missing
# Date Of Birth: November 11, 1955
# Age: 16 years old
# Height and Weight: 5'4, 125 pounds
# Distinguishing Characteristics: Red hair, brown eyes. Grisim's hair was bleached blonde at the time of her disappearance. She wears eyeglasses for reading. Her ears are pierced and one of her teeth is missing. Grisim's last name is spelled "Grissim" by some agencies.

Details of Disappearance
Grisim was last seen on the morning of December 7, 1971, as she left her residence in the vicinity of the 5300 block of northeast 58th Street for the day's classes at Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver, Washington. She was wearing blue hip-hugger jeans, a red and white striped blouse with a round neckline and puffed sleeves, white tennis shoes with drawings and the words "peace" and "love" written on them, and possibly a long brown corduroy coat and long, dangling earrings. She has never been heard from again. Grisim's purse, identification, and other possessions were found in May 1972, five months after her disappearance, in a wooded area alongside a road in the Dole Valley area of Northern Clark County, northeast of Vancouver.
Grisim is believed to be the first victim of a possible serial killer, who is thought to have raped and killed at least six young women in the Vancouver area. He was convicted of murdering one woman in 1978 and received a life sentence in prison. The bodies of five other women who are believed to be his victims have been recovered in rural Clark County, two of them not far from where Grisim's possessions were found.
The individual has not been charged in connection with Grisim's case, however, or in any of the other murders attributed to him. She remains missing and foul play is suspected in her case.


I was unable to find any information (just on a quick google search) on Cherie Wyant.

 

I agree the darker haired girl is really a good match. Unreal they can do these things now days.

 

We'd all KNOW if they'd just open the mouth of the composite and show her toothy smile.

Bla bla bla I sound like a broken record. Does anyone know, why they don't show the teeth on these composites, when that is really the only constant they have to deal with in recreating the image? When they find a skeleton, or a near skeleton, the only real constant anyone can recognize are the front teeth.

Open the mouths, and show the teeth. I really don't get it. I know I've become irritating in how many times I've remarked about this.

Why do these composites almost religiously have closed lips?

 

jamie the lighter haired girl and the composite have the exact same eyes and similar face shapes too. they both look like good matches. i wonder who the other girl is whose family has come forward?

 

Many times, via the elements/ animals, teeth break off or take off... where they can't find them. Teeth are not always a constant- My mom may remember me with a missing tooth, yet I am remembered by most people with all of my teeth- or with different teeth missing. They don't want people to rule out a match based on teeth that are variable through life.

 

i'm leaning towards the blonde. look at her neck...the article said the dead girl had enlarged neck muscles. The shape of the face and eyes match as well.

 

There are a lot of cases I see, though, where the body was intact and fairly recently deceased, and they cover the teeth. The thing is, that's the only thing that is FOR SURE - they have to guess at facial expression. Often they have to guess at hairstyle, type of makeup worn, etc., and they're willing to guess at those things as best they can, I just wish they'd show the teeth when there is no guesswork involved at all.

That would do it on this Jane Doe, she is or isn't one of the two people, and if we could see her teeth we'd know.

 

Bumping this thread.

Does anyone know what happened with the DNA tests?

 

DNA tests rule out skull as that of missing woman

It's not Jamie Grissum.

 

I was going to say that Jamie looks the most like the composite, but it's not Jamie.

 

When I read a story like this about a missing child's body found, I just cringe. While I hope there's a match to one of the concerned families, even if she's a runaway, how can a child not be identified for 25 years? Should there be a nationally funded organization dedicated solely to matching missing and located unidentified remains?

 

That is an interesting question. Its sad that we would need that in this country......but, anything to bring answers to families.

 

Bumping this thread, as it has now been 29 years since Clark County Jane Doe was found.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/427ufwa.html


Jamie Grisim has been ruled out, but does anyone know about Cherie Wyant? I really like her as a possibility. Doe Network says she even spent time in a Clark County foster home. http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1787dfca.html

Some more possibilities??

Cherry Greenman - Missing in WA, 1976 - Charley Project
Tara Cossey - Missing in CA, 1979 - Charley Project

 

Has anyone looked at this girl? It lists her age as 12 at disappearance, but her physical description would appear to be in line with 15-16 yo. Maybe she matured early? She's a runaway too. What do you think?

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2641dfwa.html

 

Should we move this thread to UID??

 

I think UID would be a good place...