Headless Female Child - Found in Missouri 2-28-1983

[til_they_are_home]

This little girl was found lying on a basement floor, on her stomach, in a vacant apartment building at 5635 Clemens Avenue in St Louis Missouri. Her hands were tied behind her back with red and white nylon rope. Detective Carroll, the one in charge of the case, says that it is the type commonly used on boats. This young black girl had been sexually assaulted and someone had removed her head with a large bladed knife after she was murdered. She was killed somewhere else, the apartment complex was just a convienient place to leave her body. There were no signs of previous abuse, such as extensive bruising or previous broken bones. LE has reached the conclusion that she might have been from out of state since after checking hundreds of thousands of school records they still were no closer to an ID. At the time she was the youngest decapitation victim in the country. SHe was between the ages of 8 and 11, 4 foot 10 inches tall and weighed about 70 pounds. She was well-nourished and had a medium complexion. She was wearing a yellow v-necked orlon sweater with the tag cut out and two coats of red fingernail polish.

Here's the link to the Doe Network page and a picture of the sweater.
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/54ufmo.html

Any and all thoughts are welcome.

[Roamer]

Bless her sweet heart. I hope they find something that can help find her killer and/or family.

[packy]

Seems as if the FBI has done a lot to help find her family. They say they put her information in papers across the nation. Yes, bless her little heart.

[packy]

An older article. http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2004-12-01/news/the-case-that-haunts/

On a mild winter day in February 1983, two men rummaged through the basement of a vacant apartment building at 5635 Clemens Avenue in northwest St. Louis. Their purpose, they would later tell police, was to find a metal pipe they could use to fix their broken-down jalopy.


After searching the main floor, the men crept downstairs into the basement. Blinded by the darkness, one of the men flicked a cigarette lighter. The horror revealed by the flame sent them running for the police. (much more at link with the story of how it haunted the detective who never gave up.)

[Nut44x4]

There needs to be a television show that runs every night with stories like this. Many more 'unidentified' would be identified and sent home to their loved ones. It is a CRIME that there is not a show like that. I still miss 'Unsolved Mysteries'. THAT was a good show.

[Nut44x4]

Long shot........leave no stone unturned.
Missing Since: February 25, 1983 from New York City, New York
Sharaun Cole
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cole_sharaun.html

[packy]

Long shot........leave no stone unturned.
Missing Since: February 25, 1983 from New York City, New York
Sharaun Cole
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cole_sharaun.html

It could be possible. The body was found three days later. Wish they had what clothing Sharaun was last wearing.

[til_they_are_home]

I'll call the Sharaun Cole possibility in, since I call Detective Carroll every fw months anyway. I don't hold out a lot of hope, though since Sharaun was so much larger, physically than Little Doe. Still, it's a missing person that I hadn't noticed yet. So loads and loads of thanks.
They think that her body might have been there for 5-6 days before she was found and that's because of the mold that was present on her neck. (I know awfully gruesome. Sorry.)
But I will pass it along, thank you very very much.
And since I'm here, I might as well get this off my chest while I'm here. The Cold Case detectives seem to think that it was a family member that killed her. My only question is, if it was a family member, why are there no signs that she had been abused previously? Typically, by the point that an abused child is killed, they have been being abused for awhile. And abuse to that extent, leaves evidence. Grrrrrrrr~ I know I'm grumbling...get off the board. Alright, I'm going.

[Roamer]

You're right about the usual abuse. Also, even if a family member had killed her, wouldn't other family members know she was missing?

Nut, I would LOVE to see a TV show like that!! If it was nationwide, so many people might be brought home.

[packy]

I can't imagine a family member tying her up for some reason.

[TigressPen]

This is another child that seems to be left behind where justice is concerned.
I agree with the family member angle and the tying her up as she was. Such a sad case. And that poor detective who didn't want to give up.

[til_they_are_home]

I wonder if they checked CPS records for a child of similiar body style that was returned to the parents or maybe not removed in the first place. Or are those records protected? Hmmmm....that goes on the list of good questions to ask.

[til_they_are_home]

ANd since I'm here, taking her head seems to be more of a trophy thing than a sign of being a family member. If it was someone trying to keep her from being identified wouldn't they have taken her hands too? Just in case? Most kids of that age have done some school projects that leave pretty clear fingerprints. Like with tempur paint and stuff.

I have got to stop thinking out loud.

[Inletwatcher]

There needs to be a television show that runs every night with stories like this. Many more 'unidentified' would be identified and sent home to their loved ones. It is a CRIME that there is not a show like that. I still miss 'Unsolved Mysteries'. THAT was a good show.

I second and third this request !! And show it on the internet so us overseas folks can help look too.
and yes EVERY night !!!
Inlet

[wheezer]

I have always wondered why there can't just be one station, just one, that runs the pictures of the missing and the unidentified. Just 24 hours a day. Can you imagine how many people might be found or identified and returned to their loved ones.

[London Lass]

The show is an excellent idea.

[packy]

With as many missing persons we have on a daily basis a show like that would help reach a lot of people.

[Claudia]

I have always wondered why there can't just be one station, just one, that runs the pictures of the missing and the unidentified. Just 24 hours a day. Can you imagine how many people might be found or identified and returned to their loved ones.

I have thought that many times myself. There are so many stupid channels on the digital cable line up, they could devote ONE to something good.

[packy]

This case bothers me so much, and I've tried to find more since LE said they were going to go national with her case but haven't found much.

Did find a website that Anthrobones from Websleuths posted there. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/6865/jd.html

Somebody knows her and I believe somebody in or around that neighborhood might have a memory of something that might help tell us who she is.

[Faith]

Unidentified Black Female girl in St.Louis Missouri in 1983

more here:

http://icaremissingpersonscoldcases.yuku.com/topic/904

[TigressPen]

With as many missing persons we have on a daily basis a show like that would help reach a lot of people.



I had that same thought. They could spend 15 minutes per case and run 24/7 and not touch all the cases of missing children and adults out there in a year's time. Family of the missing could be on it with interviews and updates ... a ticker list of those missing could run at the top or bottom of the screen. If they had live host and guest people would watch that channel as closely as they use to watch CTV.

This child could be identified!! And finally given back her name!!:1222423:

[packy]

Since they say she was sexually assaulted please tell me they have some DNA.

[packy]

So sad that no one claimed this little girl. The only identifying item was her yellow V-neck long sleeve sweater. It's been 26 years.

[texanne]

Since no mother came forward looking for her child, I wonder if this was a child in the "system". Possibly a child that the mother had given up. We know that some child welfare officials are very negligent in protecting the children they are supposed to be supervising. Were foster parents, etc in the area ever checked?