True Crime Tragedy

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

[morbidology]

During the course of 1942, the residents Pascagoula, Mississippi lived in fear due to the unsettling presence of a figure known as the "Phantom Barber."

Under the shroud of night, this intruder would infiltrate homes, but his intent was not to steal valuables. Instead, he enacted an unusual and disconcerting act—granting unwelcome nocturnal haircuts to women and young girls, departing with nothing more than a clutch of hair.

In the midst of June of that same year, the Phantom Barber struck with increased audacity, shearing the locks of three young girls within the span of a single week. The initial two victims, 11-year-old Mary Evelyn Briggs and 12-year-old Edna Marie Hydel, were sound asleep within the confines of their room at the Our Lady of Victories convent. Under the cloak of darkness, an intruder stealthily infiltrated their chamber and snipped away their hair.

The subsequent day saw the arrival of bloodhounds at the convent, diligently tracing the intruder's trail to the fringes of a nearby forest, where it appeared he had swiftly escaped using a bicycle as his getaway vehicle.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞:

The Phantom Barber • Morbidology

Throughout 1942, residents of Pascagoula, Mississippi were terrorised by a “Phantom Barber.” He would break into homes late at night but he

[morbidology]

When Dena Schlosser, referenced a bible passage one night to her husband, John, and said she wanted their 10-month-old daughter, Margaret, to go to heaven, he thought nothing of it. This would haunt him for the rest of his life.

John and Dena lived in Plano, Texas, with Margaret, and their two other daughters, six-years-old and nine-years-old. Before the birth of Margaret, Dena worked at Children’s World Learning Center. Afterwards, however, her mental health took a nose dive and was treated for postpartum depression for most of the year.

Just the day after giving birth, Dena attempted to take her life by slicing both of her wrists. On another occasion, she ran away from home, leaving the children home alone. She was picked up two miles away and released from the hospital less than 24 hours later. Child Protective Services had become involved and monitored the family for six months. They eventually closed the case when they believed Dena was better. They couldn’t have been more wrong.

On the 22nd of November, 2004, Dena called John at work and told him she had cut off Margaret’s arms. The police were alerted and as they sped to the scene, they called Dena. In a calm tone, she told them: "I cut her arms off."

When police arrived at the home, they found Dena covered in blood and clutching tightly to a knife. She was listening to a church hymn and had a deep gash on her own shoulder. The responding officers rushed to Margaret’s bedroom and found her in her blood-drenched crib. As Dena had said, both of her arms had been hacked off.

Tragically, Margaret was pronounced dead at the hospital.

After her arrest, Dena told psychiatrists that she had suffered from psychotic episodes and felt commanded by God to cut off Margaret’s arms followed by her own limbs and head. With the large gash on her own shoulder, it appeared as though she had attempted to comply to these voices.

During her trial, Dr. William Reid testified that those closest to Dena had missed the clear signs of severe mental illness that had been festering due to lack of treatment. Four months before the murder of Margaret, Dena had stopped seeing her doctor and had stopped medication.

Dena was ultimately diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and was found not guilty by reason of insanity. She was sectioned at the North Texas State Hospital where she shared a room with Andrea Yates. She was released in 2011 and went on to work at a local Walmart. After locals discovered her identity, she was fired.

[conradscrime]

Long Beach Jane Doe

July 26, 2023

On May 28, 1974, the body of a young woman was discovered on the jetty of Alamitos Beach in Long Beach, California. 

The woman was between 18-28 years old and had been raped and strangled. She was around 5′5″ and weighed about 118 pounds. She looked to possibly have Hispanic ancestry. She had brown/black hair and brown eyes. She had a unique scar on the back of her left hand, shaped like the letter T. She had another scar about an inch long on the back of her left thigh. 

Long Beach Jane Doe was wearing a white gold, 14-karat engagement ring with a small diamond. She was wearing a pinkish-orange suit with a faux fur black coat and calf-high suede boots. She had on her person a house key and padlock key, the padlock key was attached to a broken chain. 

No one who has gone missing in the area matches Long Beach Jane Doe’s description, and almost 50 years later, she is still unidentified. 

Investigators do have the woman’s DNA and fingerprints, as well as a facial reconstruction photo has been created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

While investigators still do not have an identity for the woman, her killer is known. Police had gotten a confession from a Texas man who claimed he had helped dump Long Beach Jane Doe’s body, leading police to another man. 

Gary Stamp who was 61 years old at the time, was arrested on May 20, 2013. He confessed to killing the woman but did not know her name, suggesting it may have been “Anna.” Gary was arraigned on June 12, 2013. 

Gary stated that he had met the Jane Doe at a bar, and there had been prior evidence supposedly that she had been possibly seen at a bar. Gary Stamp died in January 2014 from cancer while in custody. 

[megatha-christie-deactivated202]

The Disappearance of Ashley Higgins

The last time nineteen-year-old Ashley Higgins was seen alive was on the 6th of November 1982 in Costa Mesa, California. She graduated from Newport Harbor High School the year before and had an apartment in Costa Mesa. Ashley had left her pet dog and cockatiel in the apparent when she disappeared.  

Ashley had travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada, with a friend but reportedly separated. According to the friend, she returned to California without Ashley and did not know Ashley’s whereabouts or that she hadn’t returned home.  

Before Ashley’s disappearance, she was informed that she would inherit $100,000 when she turned forty. Her fortieth birthday was in 2002, and she never stepped forward to claim the sum of money.  

As of 2023, what happened to Ashley remains unknown.  

[truecrimetragedy]

Sandra Renee Cantu • March 8, 2001 - March 27, 2009

On Friday, March 27, 2009, Sandra Cantu left her home located in Tracy, California. The eight year old lived with her mother, her grandparents, and her three older siblings. She went to go play at a friends house, but when she did not return home in time for dinner, panic began to set in and the young girl was reported missing at 7:53 PM. Along with a $22,000 reward for the girl, police dogs, equestrian teams, helicopters, and highway patrol cars were all called in to search, as security footage from near the family home displaying Sandra crossing the street played all over national news stations. Even the FBI came in, conducting home searches in the mobile home complex, Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park, the family lived in. Police had one suspect early on, however he was cleared of any involvement almost immediately.

Ten days later on April 6th, 2009, during routine draining of an irrigation pond, a suitcase was discovered and inside were the remains of poor Sandra Cantu. She had been beaten and sexually abused with a foreign object before being suffocated. Toxicology reports found Alprazolam, also known as Xanax, in her system.

After finding the body, police were looking into Melissa Huckaby, the mother of one of Sandra's friends, as well as a Sunday school teacher who also lived in the same mobile home park. There were a number of things bizarre about her behavior, including a text she sent the day Sandra went missing. She had texted Sandra's mother saying "tell the police I had something stolen today around 4 pm, I dont know if that makes a difference or not". She later approached FBI agents at Vigil, claiming she had found a note on the ground as she hyperventilated and cried. The note read "Cantu locked in stolin suitcase. Thrown in water onn Bacchetti Road and Whitehall Road. Witness." After reporting a suitcase stolen and finding the note, police looked further into Melissa. A witness had seen her at the irrigation pond that day, and during a search of the church she had worked in, FBI agents found a bent rolling pin in the kitchen with a bloody smudge on it, which later tested positive for Sandra's DNA.

On April 10, 2008, Melissa Huckaby was arrested and charged with the murder of Sandra Cantu. She pleaded guilty to first degree murder and kidnapping of the eight year old girl, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. After sentencing, Melissa said "I still cannot understand why I did what I did. This is a question I will struggle with for the rest of my life."

[truecrimetragedy]

For decades the people in Taos, New Mexico, have been tortured with this low pitch noise that most villagers can hear. Known as the Taos Hum, nobody knows where it comes from or why it happens, however the noise never stops.

[truecrimecrystals]

Cristina Prodan (27) was brutally murdered by her boyfriend Joseph Porter (25) on January 4th, 2018. Joseph reportedly confessed to punching Cristina repeatedly in the face following an argument. Afterwards, he put her into a chokehold until she lost consciousness and then placed her body into a suitcase before fleeing to New Orleans to dispose of her body.

The savage attack took place inside Cristina’s home in Edina, Minnesota, where Joseph had been living with Cristina. The two met on Facebook during the previous year, but Joseph was technically not a single man when he met Cristina. In fact, Joseph was married to a man whom he shared a home with in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is believed that the two men had an open relationship or were separated at the time Joseph met Cristina. Once Joseph moved into Cristina’s home, he reportedly began to show a violent side. According to Cristina’s mother, Joseph raped Cristina and beat her service dog. He also was accused of killing a puppy in Arkansas. In December 2017, Cristina took out an order of protection against Joseph. He was arrested for violating it right after it was put in place. Despite all of this, Cristina ultimately decided to let Joseph back in to her home.

Cristina’s family members were aware of Joseph’s violent tendencies, so they were inevitably worried when they learned that Cristina had taken him back. During the early morning hours of January 5th, 2018, Cristina’s mother grew so worried that she called the police and asked them to do a welfare check at Cristina’s home. When the police arrived, they found the place disheveled, and Cristina and Joseph were nowhere to be found. Police entered Joseph’s car into a database and discovered that he was stopped by a state trooper in Missouri on the evening of January 4th. The trooper noted that Joseph was alone, and he had a large suitcase in the back of his car, along with a pick axe and a shovel. Joseph told the trooper that the tools were for his job. About five hours later, he was pulled over in Arkansas, still in possession of the suitcase and tools. At this point, Joseph’s welfare had been accounted for, but Cristina still remained missing.

A few days later, Joseph had yet another run-in with law enforcement. This time, an Arkansas Officer spotted Joseph sleeping in a car with burns all over his face. It was noted that this car was different than the car he had previously been driving. The police would later learn that the vehicle had been stolen. When this particular officer asked Joseph why he was sleeping in the car, he told him that he was having car troubles and was getting some rest before attempting to fix it again. The next day, officers investigating Cristina’s disappearance noticed that Cristina’s phone had been turned on in Cabot, Arkansas—the same area where the officer had spotted Joseph sleeping in the car. Investigators learned that Cristina’s phone had been pawned at the Wal-Mart in Cabot. Surveillance footage revealed that Joseph and his husband were at Wal-Mart around the same time.

Joseph was arrested at the home he shared with his husband in Little Rock on January 6th, 2018. After that, he confessed to savagely beating and choking Cristina. Joseph then admitted that he placed Cristina’s body in a shipping container and then placed several tires on top of her. He used several gallons of gasoline, burning himself in the process as he attempted to burn any evidence of her body. Authorities found Cristina’s remains in New Orleans shortly after this confession.

Joseph was ultimately charged with kidnapping and second degree murder. He was charged in Hennepin County, Minnesota and remains behind bars at the Sherburne County jail as the case proceeds.

[truecrimecrystals]

UPDATE: On January 12th, 2019, Joseph Porter pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder. Judge Holton Dimick sentenced Joseph to 20 years in prison. The recommended sentence was 15 to 18 years, however after Joseph admitted that he did not call the police after accidentally killing Cristina, the judge gave him a longer sentence. At the sentencing, the judge told Joseph, “When I read the criminal complaint, I thought I was watching a television movie of atrocious actions of a horrible person. I couldn’t believe how you treated this young lady.”

[truecrimetragedy]

Austin Yogurt Shop Murders • December 6, 1991

On December 6, 1991, in Austin, Texas, four teenage girls were murdered inside of I Cant Believe its Yogurt. Jennifer Harbison, 17, and Eliza Thomas, 17, were both employees of the shop working the evening shift. Jennifer’s sister, Sarah Haribson, 15, was visiting her sister after shopping with her close friend Amy Ayers, 13, and waiting to get a ride home together after closing up shop.

Just before midnight, a patrolling officer in the area noticed a fire coming from the shop and called it in. After firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire, 4 nude female bodies were found, each shot execution style in the head with a 22 lead bullet. Each body had been found bound and gagged, except for Amy who was found in a different part of the shop. Amy was found with 2nd and very early 3rd degree burns on almost 30 percent of her body. She had a sock around the neck, and had been shot twice when the first bullet missed her brain. It is believed that the bodies had all been stacked on top of each other, however investigators believe Amy had been able to pull herself up and drag herself to a different part of the store. Accelerant was used in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Oddly enough, over 50 people have confessed to committing this disturbing crime. Included are Kenneth Allen McDuff, a known serial killer who was executed for his crimes, and two Mexican nationals, all of which were ruled out in court.

On Wednesday, October 6, 1999, 4 suspects were arrested in connection to the murder. Robert Burns Springsteen Jr, 24, Michael James Scott, 25, Maurice Pierce, 24, and Forrest Wellborn, 23. Using DNA found at the scene, more than 70 people including these men were all tested and none were a match. The Austin grand jury failed to indict Wellborn, leading to the charges against him being dropped. Later, only Scott and Springsteen were brought to trial, as the charges against Pierce also were dropped. Austin police struggled with internal complications when Detective Hector Polanco was fired for coercing confessions, but was later reinstated for suing the city for discrimination. In 2009, Scott and Springsteen were both released on bond pending the upcoming trials, however on October 28, 2009, all charges against them were dropped and they were all free men.

To this day, no new leads have come of the unfortunate case, and the four main suspects are free men with the exception of Maurice Pierce, who was shot during a routine traffic stop gone bad on December 13, 2010.

[kimzplace]

SUMMER WELLS MISSING JUNE 15,2021

[megatha-christie-deactivated202]

Unsolved Murder

In 1977, Earlene Williams lived with her three daughters, Ivy Matory, 12, Violet Matory, 9, and seven-year-old Yolanda Williams, in Compton, California. On the evening of the 20th of July 1977, three-year-old Sir-Kristopher Marshall was staying the night at Earlene’s home. The following morning, her home was burnt to the ground. Earlene’s body was discovered near the front door. She had been strangled to death. The children were nowhere to be found. A trail of blood was discovered leading from the house to an alleyway, where it ended. It is reported the bleeding person had gotten into the car there.  

At the time of her death, Earlene was estranged from her ex-husband and Yolanda’s father, James Wiliams. The couple separated after James was charged with child molestation and sexual assault in relation to a 1976 attack on ivy. After the fire, James was arrested and questioned. However, he was later released. He was rearrested again after it was discovered Earlene was murdered. The day after the fire, James was seen at a Denny’s restaurant in Grapevine, California, with ivy, violet and Yolanda. Friends later picked James up in Riverside, California, but neither his children nor Sir-Kristopher was with him. During questioning, James claimed that at the time of the fire, he had been driving to Bakersfield, California, but had to sleep in his car as it had broken down.  

In August 1977. James was charged with the murders of all four children. The authorities discovered that all three girls were due to testify against him in the sexual abuse case the day after they disappeared. James was tried twice for murder, but both times the jury was deadlocked. By the time a third trial could take place, his case was dismissed. James has since deceased.  

Ivy’s skeletal remains were discovered in Corona, California. The other children have not been located.  

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Kelly Dove

It was June 18, 1982, when Kelly Dove went to work the night shift at an Imperial gas station in Harrisonburg, Virginia, she had no idea what was waiting for her.

Shortly after midnight, Kelly called the police to report an unknown harasser who had made rude comments to her over the phone. She asked the police to look into the matter, but the police did not go to the scene. Later, Kelly called the police again and claimed that a male customer was harassing her by treating her disrespectfully.

Around 2:30 a.m. on the third call, Kelly complained to the police about another phone call. She claimed the same person had stopped in the parking lot in a silver Ford. Police then decided to go to the scene, but by then Kelly was gone. Her bag was at the scene, but no signs of a fight or robbery were found. The police were sharply criticised for not going to the scene until the third call. Several say they also made a mistake by not closing down the petrol station and not taking fingerprints at the scene.

Kelly’s family has always believed that a former high school classmate, who had a history of trouble with the law and phone harassment, may be responsible for her disappearance. However, no evidence was ever found against him in this case. Kelly Drove’s whereabouts are still unknown.

Interestingly, she wasn’t supposed to be working that night: she had swapped shifts with her sister. Since then, a DNA sample has been taken from her mother, Rachel Bergh, in case her daughter is ever found and identified.

Some strangers could be criminals or murderers, looking for their next victim. The cheerful atmosphere of the gas station cafe masks a deep, hidden danger that lurks in the shadows. People come and go quickly, and no one is sure what any given person is capable of. The cops do their rounds every now and then to ensure the safety of everyone at the gas station but there are times when they are not around and people are left to fend for themselves. The usual sense of security that comes with being in a public place can quickly disappear as soon as something goes wrong.

The darkness of night brings out the worst in people, and the gas station is no exception. The wind howls through the parking lot, carrying with it a sense of dread that no one can shake off. The flickering light of the street lamps casts an eerie glow on the parking lot, revealing faces that can’t be trusted. Everyone is a stranger here, and no one is sure what lurks in the shadows. The only thing that everyone knows for sure is that they should stay vigilant and keep their distance from anyone they don’t know. It’s better to be safe than sorry after all – you never know what kind of danger could be lurking around the corner. So perhaps the best thing we can do is not to trust anyone and keep our distance – just until we’re sure it’s safe again.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

The Mysterious Coral Castle

The extraordinary Coral Castle, located in the suburbs of Homestead, Florida, is made entirely of oolite limestone, and one man single-handedly built it. Ed Leedskalnin, a Latvian immigrant, pursued his project as a dedication to his long-lost love. The massive work took place over the course of 28 years, and it still stands today as an ode to love imbued with mystery.

Back in the 1900s, Leedskalnin had been engaged to his love Agnes Skuvst, to whom he referred to affectionately as his “Sweet Sixteen.” Agnes broke off the engagement one day before the wedding ceremony, and fraught with pain, the broken-hearted Leedskalnin decided to move to North America and create a monument in remembrance of his love.

He first began the project of the Coral Castle (originally called the Rock Gate Park) in Florida City. However, Leedskalnin purchased 10 acres of land in Homestead and decided to relocate the great structure there.

The sculptural garden surrounded by a coral gate features a geomantic landscape—a moon pond representing the phases of the moon, a sundial that accurately tells time, and a towering telescope aligned to the North Star. The structure also includes a giant coral rock table shaped like a heart, an ode to his valentine Agnes.

Nevertheless, how the remarkable work was built remains an enigma. Leedskalnin never divulged how he was able to lift and position the gigantic stones. Residents had noticed the trucks carrying the coral rocks along the South Dixie Highway, but no one ever saw how Leedskalnin was able to unload them. To protect his privacy during construction, he was very particular about working at night—to avoid any detection—and even went on to build “lookouts” along the castle’s walls.

Though he came from a family of stonemasons, his methods have stumped engineers who have compared his techniques to that of the amazing Stonehenge. Some of the stones are even calibrated according to celestial alignments, and the stone walls fit seamlessly together without the use of materials like cement. Leedskalnin once claimed that he discovered not only how the ancient builders in Peru and Egypt were able to set in place blocks of stones with only primitive tools but also the secrets of anti-gravity.

He wrote a series of pamphlets on magnetism, one titled Magnetic Current (available at the Coral Castle gift shop).

Numerous rumors have attempted to explain the seemingly miraculous techniques used by Leedskalnin, from magnetism to magic, but the methods used by this eccentric stonemason to create his fortress are a secret he took to his grave.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

10 year anniversary of the death of  Lowell Badger

On December 8th, 2012, 85-year-old Lowell Badger was found deceased at his rural Sullivan County, Indiana home. Lowell was discovered by his son, Alan, beaten and shot on the floor of his living room early that morning. It was estimated by the coroner that Lowell had most likely died sometime between 9pm on the 7th and 5am on the 8th.

The motive was clearly robbery, as numerous electronics were missing including Lowell’s television, and the house had been completely ransacked. Also missing was Lowell’s safe. The safe was manufactured by John D. Brush and Company, was light to medium dark gray and measured 23 1/2” tall, 17” deep, and 17” wide, and was described as being in “pristine” condition. The safe was located in the basement of Lowell’s home. 

During the initial investigation, electronics were discovered discarded along rural roads leading away from Lowell’s house that were later confirmed to belong to Lowell. Police believe the safe holds the key to solving this mystery, however even after multiple dives in local ponds, lakes, and even the nearby river, the safe has never been found.

Lowell was well-known and very loved in his small Indiana community. He and his wife, who sadly passed away in 2008, raised 3 children together. He was described as a family man, and a very loving father and husband. Lowell devoted his life in retirement to the church, spending nearly all of his free hours volunteering to help with anything they needed. His neighbor described him as being “the kindest man I’ve ever met.”

Two years ago, surveillance footage was released, taken from the closest gas station to Lowells house around the time he was murdered. Due to the towns extremely small size, police were hoping to identify several people from the video to question them about their whereabouts that night in an attempt to finally solve this cold case. Unfortunately, still no arrests have been made.

[criminol]

The Murder of Alexis Sharkey

Alexis Leigh Sharkey, born Alexis Leigh Robinault, was a 26-year-old social media model and influencer living in Texas. She was a biology major who was interested in wellness and nutrition. Alexis married her husband, Tom Sharkey, in 2019.

In October 2020, Sharkey went on a trip with her friends who stated she was acting uneasy and that it was clear she was afraid of someone and worried about her safety. On 25th November, she last spoke to her mother. Alexis was last seen alive on the evening of 27th November and was reported missing the next day by her husband Tom who claimed she had left, Alexis stopped responding to messages and calls which her friends told police was highly unusual for her.

The next morning Alexis’ nude body was discovered in undergrowth at a roadside, it was believed the body had been there overnight. The cause of death was strangulation

Tom made a series of bizarre appearances claiming that Alexis was not as happy as she presented herself but that their marriage was happy, he ended a conversation with police saying ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m not a jerk, I’m just destroyed.’ About two weeks after the murder, Tom left Texas and failed to make funeral arrangements for Alexis. After many attempts by police to contact Tom he eventually agreed to submit a DNA test but then failed to do so. On 29th September, police got a warrant for Tom’s arrest naming him as the only person with the means, motive, and opportunity to kill Alexis. On 5th October, it was discovered Tom was staying in Florida, at 1am the next morning, after learning about his impending arrest, he ran upstairs and shot himself in the head.

Authorities stated they are not looking for anyone else in connection with Alexis’ death. Tom had been evasive and dishonest during the investigation and there was a history of domestic violence between him and Alexis.

[truecrimetragedy]

Lady of the Dunes • Found July 26, 1974

On July 26, 1974, a nine year old girl was walking her dog in the Race Point Dunes, located in Provincetown, Massachusetts when she made a grisly discovery. Yards away from the road, the body of a woman lay covered in bugs, surrounded by footprints, laying face down on part of a beach blanket. With no sign of struggle, police originally theorized she may have know her killer or was sleeping during the time of attack. Along with her body, police found a blue bandana and a pair of wrangler jeans.

Several of her teeth had been removed, as well as one forearm and one hand. She was found almost decapitated, with one side of her head crushed, which is what was ultimately named her cause of death. Possible signs of postmortem sexual assault were also discovered during autopsy. It is believed that the location she was found was a secondary location due to extensive searches of the surrounding area turning up no new evidence.

The case went cold by October of 1974 after police scoured through thousands of missing-person reports and investigating approved vehicles that had driven through the area during the time leading up to the discovery. In 1979, the first ever facial reconstruction of the victim was made out of Clay. In 1980, her remains were exhumed, and then again in March 2000. No new evidence or leads came from these attempts, and then in May of 2010 her skull was recreated with a 3D printer to create photos to be used by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

There have been few leads, ranging from a Canadian woman claiming her friend saw her father strangle a women in Masschusetts during this time, and someone claiming the victim looked similar to a woman seen with Whitey Bulger. Joe Hill, son of famous author Stephen King, even suggested the woman resembled an extra in the 1975 "Jaws", who can be scene wearing a blue bandana and similar jeans during the "4th of July Crowd Arrives" scene. "Jaws" was filmed between May and October 1974, mainly on Martha's Vineyard, about 100 miles away from Provincetown. Nothing has come from this speculation, despite a lead investigator taking interest in this possible lead.

The Lady of the Dunes is described as having long Auburn or red hair which was pulled back into a ponytail by a gold, elastic band. Her toenails were painted pink, and she was estimated to be around 5 feet 6 inches tall. With an athletic build, she weight around 145 pounds. Her dental work was estimated to be worth $5,000-$10,000. Her age speculation ranges from 25 to 40 years old, or 20 to 49.

Laid to rest in Saint Peter's Cemetery in Provincetown, Massachusetts, there is no other information about the victim's identity, killer, or anything else involving this cold case.

[truecrimetragedy]

UPDATE: Sharing the press release from my stat police in regards to identifying the Lady of the Dunes:

"'LADY OF THE DUNES' -- MURDER VICTIM FOUND ON PROVINCETOWN SEASHORE AND UNIDENTIFIED FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY -- IDENTIFIED AS TENNESSEE WOMAN

STATE POLICE, PROVINCETOWN POLICE, CAPE AND ISLANDS DA, AND FBI NOW TURN TO FINDING HER KILLER

The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Office of the Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe, the Provincetown Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, today announced that after nearly a half-century, the oldest, unidentified homicide victim in Massachusetts, dubbed the “Lady of the Dunes,” has been identified as Ruth Marie Terry of Tennessee.

The FBI identified Ruth Marie Terry, previously identified by investigators seeking her identity as the “Lady of the Dunes” using investigative genealogy. This is a unique method that can generate new leads for unsolved homicides, as well as help identify unknown victims.

On July 26, 1974, Terry was found deceased in the dunes about a mile east of the Race Point Ranger station inside the Cape Cod National Seashore in Provincetown, MA. The cause of death was determined at the time to be a blow to the head and is estimated to have occurred several weeks prior. Her hands were missing, presumably removed by the killer so she could not be identified through fingerprints and her head was nearly severed from her body.

For nearly five decades, investigators have worked tirelessly to identify this victim through various means, including neighborhood canvasses; reviews of thousands of missing-person cases; clay model facial reconstruction, and age-regression drawings. Since this crime was committed, many investigative and scientific techniques have either improved or been created through new advances in technology. One of these methods is Investigative Genealogy and combines the use of DNA analysis with traditional genealogy research and historical records to generate investigative leads for unsolved violent crimes. Recent FBI investigative efforts through genealogical examination of this infamous cold case have led to the positive confirmation of Terry’s identity.

In addition to Tennessee, investigators believe Terry had ties to California, Massachusetts, and Michigan.

The case is being investigated as a homicide by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Office of the Cape and Islands District Attorney, the Provincetown Police Department, and the FBI.

The public is being asked to review Terry’s Seeking Information Poster that includes newly released photographs.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the FBI’s Toll-Free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Massachusetts State Police at 1-800-KAPTURE (1-800-527-8873) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov or [email protected].

* * *

REMARKS OF MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE COLONEL CHRISTOPHER MASON FROM PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING IDENTIFICATION OF MURDER VICTIM RUTH MARIE TERRY

I would like to start by thanking our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their collaboration and work on this case and recognize the value of their extraordinary capabilities in investigative genealogy. Thank you to both the Boston Field Office, and the Lakeville RA in particular and for the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Joseph Bonolovonta.

Today, over 48 years after her murder and discovery, we can finally say her name, Ruth Marie Terry.

We know Ruth had family and friends who loved her. And we are aware that this development has not been an easy one for them; so we keep them in our thoughts today during this difficult time. Certainly, during the years they were in contact with her, they never envisioned this outcome for the child, the teenage girl, the young woman they knew, loved and cared about. We hope today’s announcement help shed light on some of the many questions they have had these many years and marks another step to answering more.

For many police investigators at the end of their careers, there is often an unresolved case that haunts them, that intrudes upon the days, years and decades of their rest of their lives.

This case has been that for generations of Provincetown Police Officers and Massachusetts State Troopers. To the many investigators, forensic and evidence technicians and countless others that have played a role in the investigation to date, we are appreciative of and grateful for your tireless work.

To the people of Provincetown, Cape Cod and the Commonwealth who never forgot her, thank you.

Today’s identification of the Lady of the Dunes is not the end of this case, or even the beginning of the end. But this achievement does mark an important milestone towards holding the offender accountable. It represents a critical discovery which makes possible the rest of the work that lies ahead.

Now, almost a half century since her own voice was silenced in the most horrible of ways, we focus our work entirely on determining what Ruth Marie Terry did in life, on what led her to the very easternmost point of our state, what led her to the dunes of Provincetown, and to who did this to her.

To her loved ones and friends, today we express our heartfelt condolences and pledge to continue walking the hard road toward justice for Ruth.

The Massachusetts State Police, the Provincetown Police Department, Cape and Islands District Attorney Office, and the FBI will not rest easy until we complete the unfinished work still ahead. We now must diligently and methodically learn everything we can about Ms. Terry’s life, what she did, where she went, who she associated with — all in the hope that those details and that timeline will lead us to her killer.

That work has already begun. We ask that the public continue to partner with us and provide whatever information they may have that could assist investigators in the resolution of this case. If you know anything about the victim or the murder, please contact either the FBI or the Massachusetts State Police at the numbers and email addresses provided on the poster you see here and posted on our social media sites.

So now, almost a half-century after that terrible discovery in the Cape Cod dunes --

for this victim,

for all who knew, loved and missed her,

for the sake of justice --

We redouble and reaffirm our mission to speak for Ruth Marie Terry.

Thank you.

***

Provincetown Police Department

FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation"

[morbidology]

The goldschmidt toad has a mutation that causes its eyes to grow inward into its mouth. Therefore it needs to open its mouth to see.

[truecrimetragedy]

So what is everyone's feelings on Ryan Murphys new "Dahmer" out now???