List of unidentified murder victims in Florida

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Reconstruction of "Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee", discovered in 1971.

In Florida, there are a number of murder victims in the category of unidentified decedents, whose identities have yet to be found. In most of these cases, their murderer or murderers have also gone undiscovered.

"Woman in the Trunk"

Not to be confused with Cheerleader in the Trunk.

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Sketch
Second sketch

An adult female between twenty-five and thirty-five years old was discovered wrapped in plastic and concealed in a footlocker on October 31, 1969 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The murder weapon, a tie, was visible around her neck. Examination also concluded she had suffered blunt force trauma to the head. The murder had taken place within seventy-two hours of her discovery. She was five feet nine inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, she was the mother of at least one child, and the dental care she received in her life was relatively low, despite the fact that her wisdom teeth had been removed. Her face has been reconstructed twice, including by the University of South Florida.

"Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee"

Main article: Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee

The body of a young woman was found in the summer of 1971 underneath a bridge. She had been killed by strangulation. Analysis of the remains traced her place of residence to a village in Greece. She had given birth to at least two children between the ages of 17 and 24 years. Evidence of various dental work and a unique ankle surgery were present on the body, which may indicate she was from a well-off background. Reconstructions were created between 1971 and 2012.

Volusia County John Doe

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Shoe worn by the Volusia County John Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction
Profile
Digital reconstruction
Profile
Shirt

The body of a male aged eleven to fourteen was found floating in a pond on May 7, 1972 in Daytona, Volusia County, Florida. He had been stabbed to death three to four days before and was already decomposed when he was found, preventing the assessment of his eye color. The victim was white at a height of five feet two inches tall and weighed around 110 to 120 pounds. He had dark wavy hair and had no evidence of dental work, as his teeth were in very good condition. On his right leg, a benign tumor was found and the bones of his feet had fused together. Both of these traits were caused by different conditions but would not likely have symptoms. The victim also may have shaved his pubis, if he was at a reproductive stage in his life. He wore a denim jacket, a red and white striped shirt, gray pants, brown socks and one black shoe with a silver buckle. The latter articles of clothing were presumed to be dress clothes. The boy had a wallet with visible paint drops in his back pants pocket, although it is unknown if it assisted with finding clues about the victim's identity. The body was exhumed in 2013 to collect DNA.

Seminole County Jane Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction
Profile
3D reconstruction

The body of an unidentified white female was found on August 21, 1973. She was likely between the ages of 13 and 18 but may have been as old as 21. It was believed that she may have been a victim of Joseph Spaziano.

She was found within a wooded area beneath the body of Laura Harbers, whose murder Spaziano was later charged with. A witness claimed to have met a teenage girl in Daytona Beach, Florida, who was riding on a motorcycle with Spaziano. The girl asked the witness to watch over her purse until she returned. When the girl did not return, the witness looked through the purse but could only recall to authorities that the girl may have been from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Five days later, Spaziano returned and took the purse from the witness.

Seminole County Jane Doe was slenderly built, being between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 7 inches tall. She weighed about 110 pounds. She had light brown hair tied in a ponytail. Some of her teeth may have been found at the scene.

Marion County John Doe

Marion County John Doe

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Marion County John Doe's belt

On March 22, 1977, the skeleton of a male between 17 and 25 years old was found in Summerfield, Florida. He was probably white, although he may have been descended from someone of Caribbean race. His hair had been dyed, and his clothing was described as fashionable, indicating that he may have lived in an upper-class family. He was wearing a red long-sleeved shirt, dark trousers, and black boots. His belt was leather and had a distinctive buckle that was white and contained a circular stone.

However, his remains indicated that he may have not been well nourished when he was younger. Little money was found in his clothes. His teeth showed no sign of restorations.

A possible bullet wound was present on the skull, and a bullet casing was found at the scene.

Miami-Dade County Jane Doe (1979)

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The Miami-Dade County Jane Doe may be an Ohio runaway named Tina with the nickname "Sheeba."

On September 4, 1979, a young woman's body was found lying in an apartment complex parking lot next to a dumpster in Dade, Miami-Dade County, Florida. She was believed to have died just hours before, leaving her face in a recognizable condition. She had not been murdered at that location and had likely been killed at a different area. Her eyes were described to be hazel, although the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System states that they were a grayish-green. Her hair was strawberry blond and she was at a height of five feet five to five feet eight inches tall with a weight of 120 pounds. She was between seventeen and twenty-five years old at the time of her death. On her calves, burns were found, possibly from coming in contact with tail pipes from riding on a motorcycle. The victim also had acne on her face and some fillings in her mouth. The body was found clad in a white tee shirt, a yellow scarf with flower designs and blue jeans. Recent developments in her case have turned up the possibility that she may have been an Ohio runaway named Tina with the nickname "Sheeba." However, no information has been published if this lead has had results. The missing girl had left Ohio in 1977 and has never been seen or heard from since. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children published this information on their Facebook page dedicated to unidentified children, hoping for additional tips.

Volusia County Jane Doe (1980)

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NCMEC reconstruction
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A young woman's remains were found in Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida on November 5, 1980. She was murdered several weeks before and had most likely died due to stab wounds that occurred in her upper torso. The victim was a prostitute, according to convicted murderer Gerald Eugene Stano, who stated he choked the victim, instead of stabbing her, and had met her a few years before she was found dead. She was likely Hispanic, although she could have been White/Black biracial as well. She was estimated to be between fifteen and twenty five years old, to have been subjected to labor that involved using her arms, had been between five feet seven to five feet eleven inches tall and weighed between 115 to 135 pounds. Her height and weight ranges were difficult to estimate, as her skeleton was partial. She had fillings that contained a metal that had been outdated at the time. She also had some teeth that had been removed as well as some that never developed. She wore a red shirt, green shoes and a red pair of shorts. She also had a handkerchief and twenty-seven cents in her possession. Her face was digitally reconstructed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2014.

Miami-Dade County Jane Doe (1981)

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1981 Miami-Dade County Jane Doe

A female of African ancestry aged sixteen to twenty-six was discovered within a day of her death on February 3, 1981 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The female had been beaten to death, as numerous injuries were noted on her body and was then left in a Japanese Garden. She was clothed, wearing a "white/beige shirt," blue jeans and white undergarments, the bottoms with the words "Rest Area Visitors Welcome." The young woman had a gap between her two front incisors and she had bleached her kinky black hair blond in some places. She was estimated to be five feet two inches tall and to have weighed 90 pounds.

Glades County Jane Doe

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Digital reconstruction
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Sketch

A white woman's body was found floating in a canal in Moore Haven, Glades County, Florida, on March 9, 1981, approximately one day after she was killed by a blow to the side of her head. Although she had died recently, her body was already decomposing and was unrecognizable. The victim may have been seen earlier at two local restaurants before her death. She was between twenty-five and forty-five years old, wearing a pink shirt, a white bra, jeans, blue knee-high socks and brown ankle-high boots. The letter N was tattoed amateurishly on the top of her right thumb, which may have represented her or a loved one's name. The woman had painted her toenails with a copper-colored polish but not on her fingernails. This is possibly due to her being a nail-biter, as her nails were chewed short. She had hazel eyes with auburn hair and she was between five feet four to five feet six inches tall as a weight of approximately 125 pounds.

South Bay John Doe

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Most recent reconstruction of the South Bay John Doe

On February 3, 1984, the skeleton of a male aged seventeen to twenty-eight was found in South Bay, Palm Beach County, Florida. It is believed that he had died within a year of his body being found. The victim was approximately five feet nine inches to six feet tall with a weight at around 110 to 130 pounds. He was found clothed; he wore blue underwear underneath a pair of white swim trunks and white socks with a blue stripe. Analysis of his bones indicated he had broken some ribs weeks before his murder and he had also suffered trauma to his right hand that failed to heal properly, which may have distorted the way his thumb looked. The young man had fillings in his teeth and had one of his back teeth extracted a year or more before. The cause of death was ruled as homicide, as he had been struck with a blunt object in the back of his head. His hair was brown and was somewhat curly. One missing person, Terry Stokes, has been excluded from the case.

Broward County Jane Doe

The unidentified victim from Broward County may have been killed by a serial killer.

The body of a young, white woman, aged eighteen to thirty five, was located face-down in a canal in Davie, Broward County, Florida on February 18, 1984. The woman wore only shorts, although the possibility of her being sexually assaulted has not been confirmed. The Jane Doe stood at five feet four inches and was 120 pounds with curly blond or strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes. She had a gap between her front teeth, which may pose an important role in identifying her. She had been strangled around two days before her body was located. It is possible that she was murdered by Christopher Wilder.

Altoona Jane Doe

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Sketch of the Altoona Jane Doe

On April 18, 1984, a seventeen to twenty-year-old female was found in the woods in Altoona, Lake County, Florida, several weeks after she died. Her remains were severely decomposed and had mostly been skeletonized. She was approximately five feet to five feet five feet one inch tall and weighed between 90 and 110 pounds. The victim had straight light brown to auburn hair and is believed to be white. She wore a black shirt reading "here comes trouble," a whitish shirt with the words "have you kissed your child tonight?", jeans, tan shoes with blue trim, tan underwear and a gold necklace. She may have fractured two of her ribs during her life, which may assist in identifying her. It is known that her left ear was pierced but she wore no earring when found. Decomposition prevented knowing if the other ear was pierced. She had also painted her nails an orange-red. After a dental exam, she was found to have been missing two teeth on the top jaw and had some that were discolored a reddish-purple color. The victim may have been new to the area, as initial reports state.

Broward County John Doe (1985)

For the unidentified vehicular accident victim, see Broward County John Doe (1979).

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Sketch

A man was found on March 12, 1985 in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, shortly after his death. He was murdered and left in a hotel room by two people, who were convicted in his murder. The man was between twenty-one and thirty-five years of age when he died and was five feet eight inches tall, weighing 181 pounds. The John Doe had brown hair, brown eyes and a mustache and was possibly of French origin, but this has not been confirmed. Although he was found naked, a blue shirt and tan pants were found in the room.

Dade County John Doe

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Artist's rendering of the Dade County John Doe

On January 5, 1988, the body of a young male was discovered inside of a hotel room in Miami, Dade County, Florida. The victim, ages sixteen to twenty-one, was five feet six inches and weighed 145 to 153 pounds. The boy had blond hair, gray or brown eyes and had scars on his wrists, hands and on his right thigh. Claiming he was a foster child native to New York selling magazines, the John Doe had given some his name, Robert Copland, with associated nicknames. However, investigators are unable to verify that it was his actual name. The boy wore a white shirt with a flag design, jeans and ankle-high socks. No dental fillings or signs of orthodontic treatment were observed, as his teeth were described to have appeared fairly healthy. He was previously believed to have been missing person Chester Wetmore, but he was ruled out after their fingerprints were compared.

Wilderness Park John Doe

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3D reconstruction

The remains of an Asian man were found in Wilderness Park, Hillsborough County, Florida on March 14, 1988. He stood between five feet five and five feet six inches tall, his weight unknown due to skeletonization, his age estimated between twenty-eight and thirty-four years old. He was found wearing a tee shirt reading "Drunken State" and jeans, and possessed a blue wallet. A cause of death has not been determined, although he was believed to have been murdered. His face was reconstructed by artist Wesley Neville, who has created several other reconstructions of other unidentified people.

"Valentine Doe"

External images
NCMEC reconstruction
Profile view
Digital reconstruction

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1993 reconstruction of Valentine Doe

Not to be confused with Valentine Sally.

The body of a sixteen to twenty-five-year-old female was found, around the day after her death on February 15, 1991 in Big Coppitt Key, Monroe County, Florida, located in the Florida Keys. She had been strangled, beaten and left in the woods in the Bahia Honda State Recreation Area. Authorities also suspect that she may have been raped. The victim wore multiple earrings in each ear, had dark eyes and brown hair as well as two tattoos, one being a heart on her left arm reading "love" and the other a small cross on the left hand. She likely wore a striped blue and red sweater, jeans, and moccasins decorated with turquoise beads, which were found near the body. The clothing that she wore indicated she was not from the area, as well as the fact that she didn't have any tan lines. Other distinguishing characteristics include stretch marks on her stomach and cysts present on her Fallopian tubes and ovaries. She may have also been pregnant at one time in her life. The victim was five feet four inches and weighed 145 pounds. Her face and clothing were reconstructed into a composite image in 1993 and was later reconstructed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Her case was featured on America's Most Wanted.

Sorrento Jane Doe

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A woman found in Sorrento, Florida was wearing very distinct earrings but was never identified

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Sketch

In Sorrento, Lake County, Florida, a woman's body was discovered on December 7, 1991. She had been murdered approximately twelve hours prior and had been raped and was naked below the waist. She was between five feet four to five feet five inches tall and weighed between 120 and 125 pounds. Her hair was brown with blond-dyed ends. She wore a sweatshirt, sports bra and a pink and blue top. Her teeth were healthy and her eyes hazel; she had bore at least one child and possibly another. Although she had also been tortured, the victim, aged twenty-five to thirty-five, was killed by strangulation. Her face was recognizable and she wore unique earrings with gold-colored heart and star shapes, but was never identified, her killer was arrested and charged for her murder, but did not know her name.

Palm Beach County Jane Doe

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The Palm Beach County Jane Doe had an abnormality in her lower spine, which may have impacted the way she walked.

A skeleton of a female between sixteen and twenty years old was found hidden under brush on August 28, 1993 in the Everglades, near the border between Palm Beach and Broward Counties. She was around five feet one to five feet five inches and was approximately one hundred pounds. Men's shorts and a large boot were worn by the young woman. No other clothing or the cause of her death were discovered. She had an abnormality in her spine which may have caused difficulties when walking. The female was dead for up to two years. Currently, one person has been ruled out as a possible identity of the decedent.

Palm Beach County John Doe

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Palm Beach County John Doe

A white male between thirty-six and forty-five years of age (some sources say as young as twenty-five) was discovered skeletonized on October 25, 1993. He was murdered by a blow to the head. Other physical descriptions include that one of his legs was not as long as the other and he had previous damage to his nose and spine. The clothing he wore read "Road Kill Cafe, You Kill It, We Grill It." He also had long brown hair.

"Baby Belle"

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Sketch of "Baby Belle"

The decomposing remains of an infant were found on May 23, 1996 in Clewiston, Palm Beach County, Florida. The child was female, approximately one to one and a half feet tall and weighed around five pounds. Her body was concealed in a multicolored blanket that appeared to be made in a Mexican or Native American design. The baby was white with Hispanic characteristics, as she had dark hair. Also at the scene, four other blankets, a red bucket and a sweater were located. The infant was approximately three weeks to two months old when she died several days before her body was found by a man collecting cans along a road, which was near interstate 27. Her case is being treated as a murder, as her lower and upper jaws were fractured. Her footprints were compared to many taken at local hospitals but none matched.

Bay County Jane Doe

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3D reconstruction

The remains of a white woman, possibly native to the Czech Republic, were found on May 30, 1996 in Southport, Bay County, Florida. She was between five foot six to five foot nine inches tall, but her weight was not possible to estimate, although she was of petite build. Examination of her body indicated that she may have been in a vehicular accident when she was alive, as there were healed fractures on her nose, knee and ribs. Some of her teeth were also missing. Her hair was light brown, wavy and had blond highlights and she wore a gold bracelet, a bluish pullover and a sports bra. She was approximately twenty-one to thirty-five years old. A woman matching the victim's description was seen on 20 April 1996 with a man, leaving a gentleman's club. The man, Billy Frank Hansen, was convicted of second-degree murder of the woman, who he confessed to raping and murdering after he agreed to drive her home. The victim was apparently heavily intoxicated and stated that she would have sexual intercourse with Hansen if he paid her. These events took place on April 20 of the same year.

Hillsborough County John Doe (1998)

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3D reconstruction
Second 3D reconstruction
Sketch

A black male, clothed only in shorts, was unearthed from a shallow grave on April 6, 1998 in Plant City, Hillsborough County, Florida. The victim had been shot with a shotgun and was then wrapped in a carpet after his murder earlier in the 1990s. Raymond Crocker went on trial for the murder after the body was found and his wife confessed to assisting him with disposing the body in 1994. She claimed that her husband murdered the man in Zephyrhills, Florida because he was in debt to the victim for cocaine. The victim was between twenty-five and forty-five years old and was five feet seven to five feet nine inches tall and weighed around 180 pounds.

See also

• List of unidentified murder victims in the United States

External links

• The Doe Network
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• National Missing and Unidentified Persons System