True Crime Witch

Is A Serial Rapist Responsible For The Disappearance Of 15 Year Old Yasmin Acree?

15-year-old Yasmin Acree had a troubled early life, but she was determined to turn it around. In 2008, she was living with her aunt in Chicago, Illinois. Little did Yasmin know that a dark force was lurking around her. Then, she vanished. Police took little interest in her case, that was, until they discovered a convicted rapist had been living next door.

Yasmin Acree lived with her aunt, Rose Mae Stanes, at an apartment complex in Chicago, IL. In 2001, Yasmin and her brother were sent to live with Rose after social services removed them from her mother’s care. According to reports, Yasmin’s mother suffered from substance abuse and is now deceased.

In 2006, Rose Mae formally adopted Yasmin and her brother. To the outside world, the adoption brought with it peace and stability, but not everything was perfect. According to Rose Mae, Yasmin had behavioural issues, which resulted in her being physically punished with a belt.

As Yasmin got older, the issues worsened. Once a star student in middle school, she was now getting bad grades at Austin Polytechnic High School. In 2007, just a year after the adoption, Yasmin’s brother was asked to leave his aunt’s home due to unknown reasons. 

Following his removal, Yasmin’s poor grades continued, leaving her aunt at her wits' end. Rose Mae hoped that the dawn of a new year would bring peace for her niece, but the family would be struck by another tragedy.

January 15th 2008, was like any other day for Yasmin. She woke up, went to the local YCMA in North Lawndale and played sports with her friends. That afternoon, she returned home, put a load of washing on, showered and went to bed. When darkness fell, Rose Mae went to bed, not knowing what awaited her at dawn. 

January 16th rolled around, and when Rose went to wake her niece, Yasmin was nowhere to be found. Frantic, Rose searched the home and found some disturbing clues. Two locks to the outside fence had been broken, along with a broken lock on the basement door. 

Rose’s heart sank. Yasmin’s bedroom was located in the basement. When she entered, she couldn’t see any signs of a struggle. Yasmin’s glasses lay neatly on her nightstand, and nothing had been taken. After searching for her niece, Rose Mae contacted the Chicago Police to report her missing.

Unfortunately, the Chicago PD did not take Yasmin’s disappearance seriously. It is obvious to outsiders that race plays a huge role in this. Yasmin was Black, and we all know that the disappearances of Black/African American people are brushed to the wayside. 

The Chicago PD performed a very sloppy crime scene analysis at the Starnes home. It would later come out that they failed to take fingerprints or properly analyse any of the broken locks. With a sloppy investigation out of the way, the police told Rose her niece had likely run away.

As a toddler, Yasmin had been part of the care system. Children in the care system are far more likely to run away, and just as likely to be forgotten by the police and systems in place to keep them safe. 

Rose Mae and Yasmin’s family continued to pressure the Chicago Police Department to broaden their investigation. In 2009, the police received a tip that would change their outlook forever.

This tip would come from Rose Mae, who admitted to police that Jimmie Terrell Smith lived on the second floor of their building. In 2009, Jimmie was arrested for the rape of 5 women/girls, two of those being just 14 years old. Years earlier, Jimmie had also served time for attempted murder. 

Following his release for attempted murder, Jimmie moved into the second-floor apartment above Yasmin. Unfortunately, Jimmie struggled to keep his hands clean, picking up charges for selling drugs. It was also at this time that Rose Mae admitted that Jimmie, who was in his early 30s, had ‘taken a liking’ to 15-year-old Yasmin.

By the time investigators had learnt this, Jimmie was already in prison, beginning his 110-year sentence for the rape of 5 women/girls. From prison, Jimmie issued a press release stating that he knew what had happened to Yasmin.

He also added that he was responsible for 4 murders, for which he has yet to be charged with. It is unknown if Jimmie released any further details about what happened to Yasmin. But, seeing as though no charges have been pressed, it appears not. 

Jimmie is an unreliable narrator, but he was close to Yasmin. Close enough to be mentioned in her diary. Despite all of this information, the Chicago Police Department are still no closer to finding Yasmin. Someone out there knows something, and it is time they did the right thing.

Ginger Jane Doe, 1973

On August 22nd 1973 the body of a young woman was found in a garbage dump site in the heavily wooded area off Forest City Road in Altamonte, Florida. Her body had been dumped underneath another young woman, later identified as 18-year-old Laura Lynn Harberts who worked at the Orlando Hospital. Whilst their bodies were found together, investigators have only ever been able to identify one of them.

Anthropologists looked at the skeletonised remains and determined she was white, 13 to 18 years old [some estimates say 18 to 20 y.o] with brown wavy hair pulled into a ponytail and 5’1” to 5’7”. The Doe also had an abnormality to her 5th lumbar vertebra and possibly crooked teeth. Her teeth were not attached and were found in the surrounding soil. 

Investigators dubbed the girl ‘Ginger Doe’ and many believe she may be a runaway. She was found wearing a size 6 white gold ring with an alexandrite setting and the ring was manufactured or sold at Davidson & Sons Jewellers in New York City. Alexandrite is also the birthstone of June, which could have been her birth month.

A witness later came forward, telling investigators she saw a young girl riding on a motorcycle with a man named Joseph ‘Crazy Joe’ Spaziano. The witness recalled how the girl asked her to hold onto her purse for safekeeping. The girl never returned, but Spaziano arrived at her door days after the incident, demanding she hand it over to him.

The witness was able to take a quick peek inside, however, all she could recall from the ID document was that it was issued in Ann Arbour, Michigan. Spaziano would later go on trial for the murder of 18-year-old Laura Lynn Harberts and the proceedings were complicated. Ultimately, Spaziano was convicted of 1st-degree murder, a charge that was overturned in 1998.

Spaziano is currently serving a life sentence for the 1974 r*pe of a 16-year-old girl in Orange County, Florida. In 2021, Spaziano’s release date was changed to 2060, which would make him 115 years old, ensuring he never sees the light of day again. Spaziano has never confessed to taking the life of Ginger Doe and her identity and that of her killers remains unknown. 

MISSING: JACK O’SULLIVAN

22-year-old Jack O’Sullivan mysteriously vanished from Bristol in March 2024. Jack was in his second year of a law conversion degree after gaining an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Exeter. He decided to move home and continue his studies in his home city of Bristol.

On March 2nd 2024, Jack left the family home for the final time. He told his mother, Catherine, that he was debating whether to attend a house party near Hotwells, Bristol. In the end, Jack attended the party and exchanged texts with his mother during the night.

At 1:00 AM, Jack texted his mother, Catherine, telling her he was going to call a taxi. His next confirmed movements were at 3:30 AM when he called a friend. The friend later told police that the call was odd, Jack only said ‘hello’ before the call disconnected.

Between 1:00 AM and 3:30 AM, CCTV captured Jack walking from the party towards the city centre. At 3:40 AM, 10 minutes after the bizarre call, Jack was spotted walking along Bennett Way slip road toward Hotwells.

Sadly, Jack never made it home and at 5:00 AM, Catherine awoke with a sick feeling in her stomach. Jack’s bed remained empty and he wasn’t answering her calls. At 6:44 AM, Jack’s phone went dead with the last ping placing him at an address in Granby Hill, Bristol.

Catherine and Alan, Jack’s father called the Avon and Somerset Police to report him missing, but they informed the family they would need to wait another 12 hours. Jack’s parents fought with police and finally, at 11:00 AM, they opened an investigation.

They uncovered CCTV and phone records, which showed Jack’s final movements as detailed above. The Avon and Somerset Police have received criticism from Jack’s family, as they believe they failed to take the case seriously and investigate all avenues from the get-go.

Catherine O’Sullivan spends every waking moment looking for her son, dredging through every area of Bristol, whether it be urbanised or forested. She also created a website called ‘findjackosullivan.co.uk’ and a Facebook group called ‘Find Jack’ with over 63,000 members.

A GoFundMe was also created to help the family pay for a private investigator and a reward. Jack’s friends and family remain active in their search for their beloved and ask others to share his story to keep his name alive.

At the time of his disappearance, Jack O’Sullivan was described as a white male with brown hair, blue eyes, 5’10” with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a cream knit lambswool jumper, navy blue chinos, brown Ralph Lauren trainers and a green/khaki Barbour jacket. He was carrying an Apple airtag, driving license, a black iPhone 11 in a red case, a Boss watch, a black card holder with a Monzo debit card, a Peugeot 108 key and his house key.

On a cold December evening in 2001, three men were attempting to drive to the village of Lia, Georgia. Their path was covered with snow and the men were forced to abandon their journey. They began making a campsite when they came across two cylinders measuring just 6 inches tall. The snow around the objects had completely melted and was hot to On a cold December evening in 2001, three men were attempting to drive to the village of Lia, Georgia. Their path was covered with snow and the men were forced to abandon their journey. They began making a campsite when they came across two cylinders measuring just 6 inches tall. The snow around the objects had completely melted and was hot to the touch.

The three men decided to use the cylinders to keep themselves warm through the night, putting their backs on the objects. By morning, the men found themselves feeling dizzy, nauseous, vomiting and with a splitting headache. These symptoms worsened as the days went by and it wasn’t until 3 weeks later that they were admitted to the hospital.

The men presented with worrying symptoms accompanied by horrific burns. The burns were treated, but they failed to heal. Tests on the men showed that they were radioactive and officers were sent to their makeshift campsite. Unbeknownst to them, the three men had huddled around an orphan source of Strontium-90 from an abandoned Soviet RTG [Radioisotope thermoelectric generator].

Strontium-90 has a half-life of 28.8 years and is a product of nuclear fission. When used correctly, it has purposes in medicine, but when left in the hands of those untrained, it has serious consequences. Two of the three men were sent to hospitals in Paris and Moscow for intensive treatment that spanned two years.

The photos shown are just some of the injuries these men suffered at the hands of the radioactive source. One of the three men sadly died two years later from multiple organ failure as a result of exposure to radioactive material. The two cylinders were retrieved successfully, with the crew being given just 40 seconds each around the source before it became too dangerous. The two men who survived now suffer long-term consequences for that cold December night.

45-year-old Ruth May Foster disappeared from her Canton, Ohio, home on October 20th 1996. There are few details surrounding her disappearance, and she was last seen at around 10:15 PM. Days after she disappeared, her car was found abandoned at a Holiday Inn in Jackson Township, Ohio. Ruth’s disappearance failed to make headline news, and she was not reported missing until she failed to show up for work at the Hoover Co.

Years after Ruth disappeared, the Canton Police Department discovered hand bones in a cornfield off Trump Avenue SE. These bones were later attributed to a John Doe found in the same area. Investigators have stated Ruth’s disappearance is suspicious, but there is no evidence to suggest whether she is alive or dead. 

By the time Noquisi ‘Quis’ Ama Blossom was 15 years old, she had lived in 5 U.S states before settling in Makawao, Hawaii, with her mother, Autumn Leaf and her siblings. Like any teenage girl, Noquisi argued with her mother, but she was said to have been a good student who always got good grades. Noquisi was outgoing and was able to make friends anywhere she went, likely a product of her moving around 6 U.S states in her childhood.

By mid-1995, Autumn noticed a change in her daughter; the once straight-A student was skipping class and breaking curfew. Noquisi had also begun to experiment with drugs and alcohol, and according to Autumn, she was abusing them. This caused daily arguments between the mother and daughter, which culminated in Noquisi moving out of her mother's home and in with her friends.

It was around this time that Noquisi also began dating a 25-year-old man named Gary. Autumn was outraged by this relationship, but Noquisi continued to see her boyfriend. In early October 1995, Noquisi confided in her mother that she had become pregnant by her 25-year-old boyfriend. Autumn consoled her daughter and advised her to terminate the pregnancy.

On October 9th 1995, Noquisi attended a local clinic and went through with the termination. On October 18th 1995, just 9 days later, Noquisi was seen leaving her home in Makawao for the last time. She was reported missing shortly after to the Wailuku Maui Police Department. She did not take any of her personal belongings, but the local police classified her case as a runaway.

Autumn Leaf did not believe her daughter ran away, instead fearing that her daughter had met with foul play. According to a Web Sleuths user, Autumn Leaf passed away in August 2010 from a single gunshot wound to the chest [self-inflicted]. Gary, Noquisi’s boyfriend, was questioned, but he claimed to have no idea of her whereabouts. He has never been named a suspect or charged with Noquisi’s disappearance.

12-year-old Delema Lou Sits Poor was last seen on February 20th 1974, in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. That morning, she and another 12-year-old girl were seen leaving Delema’s home and heading along a road that led from Oglala to Manderson within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The walk would have taken them around 7 hours, and temperatures that day had dropped well below freezing.

Delema’s friend turned back shortly after reaching the Red Cloud Indian School as her hands and feet were frost bitten. According to the friend, Delema wanted to carry on walking, and this was the last time she was ever seen or heard from. Her family reported her missing shortly after to the Pine Ridge Police Department, but there has been little movement in her case.

On the morning of August 30th 1978, a witness saw a car throwing bin bags [garbage bags] in the Waterloo Recreational Area of Waterloo Township, Michigan. The witness sensed something was not right and decided to investigate the bags. When he opened them, he was met with a gruesome sight. Two decayed bodies had been bound, wrapped in plastic bags and dumped like trash.

Detectives quickly arrived at the scene, and shortly after the discovery, they positively identified one of the bodies as 24-year-old Charlene Gywnn from Detroit. Charlene was a known sex worker, and investigators believed this may have played a role in her death. The other body was initially identified as belonging to a Black female around 28 to 40 years old and 5’5” and 130 lbs.

The unidentified victim was also found wearing a wavy auburn wig along with blue jeans, a violet long-sleeved blouse, an outer shell beige coloured long sleeve blouse, a reddish brown neck scarf, tights [panty hose], a bikini bar, bikini panties and black high heeled shoes. The coroner also noted the victim had a surgically implanted screw in their shoulder, a healed nasal fracture and 10 missing teeth.

Due to the level of decomposition (Near-complete or complete skeleton), the coroner was unable to determine a cause of death. Investigators believe that the two cases are linked. For many years, authorities believed the Waterloo Township Doe was female, however, in 2021, DNA testing revealed the victim was biologically male.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫.

19-year-old Jackson Alexander Miller left his home in Cupertino, California on May 15th 2010, in his silver 2004 Honda Pilot, headed for an unspecific location. Jackson, who was a student at DeAnza College, had been suffering from OCD, depression and anxiety for many years and had been given medication to manage his conditions.

In May 2010, Jackson stopped taking his medication and became increasingly paranoid and erratic. When he failed to return home, his parents immediately reported him missing, and a search was conducted. On May 17th 2010, investigators found Jackson’s Honda Pilot parked at the south entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge. CCTV footage confirmed that at 4:10 PM on May 15th, Jackson parked the car and left on foot.

None of the CCTV cameras on the bridge captured anybody jumping or any splashes in the water. Jackson left his iPod, phone and wallet behind in his car, and there has been no activity on his accounts since. Multiple sightings have been made of Jackson as recently as 2021 in Woodland, California, although these sightings remain unverified.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞: 𝐃𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐲 & 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐯.

Dmitry and Natalia Baksheev are known in the Russian media as “The Krasnodar Cannibals” and are believed to be two of the worst cannibalistic killers in the world.

Dmitry was born in 1982, Natalia in 1975 in Russia. Dmitry worked as a nurse in the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School of AK Serov Pilots. However, he was dismissed due to his rampant alcoholism.

Dmitry is no saint, though he had previously been tried for robbery and car theft, but by the time this case came to light, those convictions had been wiped. He then took up work as a repairman in the apartment block where he lived.

Dmitry and Natalia began living together after Natalia had inherited the flat where the pair lived from her ex-husband. Many people who knew the couple said that they lived an “anti-social” lifestyle.

The couple reportedly started their reign of terror in 1999, often luring their victims in with the promise of a friendly drink or by finding them on online dating websites. They would drug their victims with Corvalol (a tranquiliser) before savagely attacking them.

It is unknown if the couple were together in 1999 and performing these acts or whether the photograph belonged to either Natalia and Dmitry, and they were displaying it as ‘inspiration’ for their crimes together.

The only confirmed victim of the couple is Elena Vakhrusheva, who was born in 1982. The three were drinking together in the couple's flat when an argument broke out between Natalia and Elena. The argument happened after Natalia thought Elena was flirting with Dmitry and getting too close to him.

Natalia ordered Dmitry to murder Elena before joining in. Elena was then stabbed multiple times before being dismembered by the pair. They also kept some of her remains in the house whilst disposing of the rest.

The discovery of their crimes was a complete accident, and it is highly likely that they would have continued to get away with it. Dmitry’s lost phone was found by road workers, who decided to check through its contents, perhaps in hopes of finding its owner.

On the phone were pictures of Dmitry posing with human remains and even a picture of Dmitry holding a severed human hand in his mouth. The road workers reported everything to the police.

The pair were immediately detained and taken to the local police station. Dmitry argued during his interrogation that he had found the remains in the bushes and simply posed with them. He later recanted this and confessed that he had killed the victim in question before posing with her remains.

It is rumoured that the couple killed and tortured their victims before making them into many different dishes and sometimes even keeping the remains canned. It’s also been reported that Natalia gave these canned goods to the school where the pair worked and lived.

Dmitry Baksheev confessed to committing a murder in 2012, which is possibly the same murder as the one pictured on his phone that was found. Natalia Baksheevy apparently confessed to being responsible for over 30 murders.

Throughout the duration of their interrogation and questioning, Dmitry and Natalia would confess and then retract their statements and even claim that they were forced to confess by corrupt police officers.

Natalia Baksheev tried to enter a plea of not guilty by insanity, thereby saving her from going to trial and instead being sent straight to an institution, as seems to be the common practice in Russia. Instead, Natalia was found to be sane (somehow) at the time of her accused crimes and, therefore, was deemed fit to stand trial in the near future.

During the investigation of the flat where the Baksheevs lived, there were fragments of human flesh stored in saline solution along with other frozen ‘meat’ parts. In the basement of the complex, police also found remains along with other frozen parts.

The flat was completely filthy and in complete disarray when it was searched by the Police officers. Upon entering, they were hit with the unmistakable stench of death and rotting flesh. It appeared that the flat hadn’t been cleaned for some time either.

Vadim Bugaenko, the head of the Investigative Department of the Russian Democratic Republic for Krasnodar Krai, told reporters that all of the remains found by police belonged to one person. Possibly the remains of Elena Vakhrusheva.

According to media reports, during the search of the apartment, the police recovered 19 pieces of human skin, 7 body parts, photos of possibly human meat being used in dishes, canned food made from human meat and even a recipe book detailing how to cook humans.

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕸𝖚𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖋 𝕶𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖆 𝕬𝖓𝖈𝖔𝖌.

18-month-old Kytana Ancog was last seen on January 31st 2021, at the home of her father, Travis Rodrigues, in Kaulainahee Place, Aiea, Hawaii. Travis had Kytana for a visitation as the couple had split up. On February 10th 2021, Kytana’s mother filed a missing person report when Travis failed to return her. A search for Kytana was conducted, but the investigation would take a dark turn just days later.

Travis Rodriguez eventually admitted to killing his daughter on February 4th 2021. In his confession, he told the police he “hit his daughter in the face, shook her, then squeezed her against his chest until she lost consciousness.” He then claims he stuffed Kytana’s body into a duffle bag and handed the bag to his friend, Scott Michael Carter, for disposal.

In the days before Kytana’s death, witnesses saw Travis ‘kicking, slapping and shaking’ her whilst shouting and swearing. He appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamines and is even alleged to have given Kytana a pipe, claiming that ‘she liked it’. Witnesses saw Kytana’s bruised and bloodied body, but Travis assured them that these injuries had stemmed from an accident in the home.

Travis Rodriguez and Scott Michael Carter were both arrested and are currently awaiting trial. In September 2022, it emerged that Travis was refusing to appear in the Oahu court to face charges. He was subsequently given a psychiatric evaluation to measure whether he was fit to stand trial. An evaluation had been ordered by Travis’ defence in 2021, but at the time, he refused to cooperate with the doctors.

Kuru: The Disease with a 100% Mortality Rate.

The name Kuru comes from the Fore word for ‘shiver’ or ‘tremble’. The Fore people live in the forests of Papua New Guinea and were the first to expose this terrible disease to the world. Kuru is a type of prion disease, a degenerative disease that slowly misfolds proteins in the body. Once enough of these prions are activated, the disease takes over its host. Kuru is fatal; there is no cure and few ways to alleviate the symptoms. 

Symptoms of Kuru include poor coordination, difficulty walking, difficulty swallowing, dementia and behavioural changes. The disease progresses in three stages; by the third stage, sufferers cannot sit up, eat, drink or swallow on their own, leading to a grizzly death. Many of these symptoms mimic a stroke or other neurological disease, but unlike a stroke, Kuru is largely preventable. 

In the 1960s, anthropologists and scientists discovered that the women and children of the Fore tribe in Papua New Guinea seemed to be the only ones afflicted by the disease. After spending years with the tribe, they discovered why. When a tribe member died, the women were tasked with preparing their bodies. They believed that the women and children needed to consume parts of the deceased in order for their spirits to ascend. 

The most common organ consumed by the Fore women and children was the brain. The brain would be removed, cooked and consumed in a ritual meant to release their spirit. Whilst the Fore people carried out their traditions, they had no idea of the chaos that was lurking around the corner. Soon, more and more people became afflicted by Kuru. 

In the West, the most common way of getting prion disease is through eating contaminated meat. CJD, Creutzfeldt-Jackob’s disease, is most commonly seen by neurologists. After many years of research, scientists found that sufferers had eaten meat contaminated with brain matter from cows. The spinal cord and brain were often mixed into final meat products in slaughterhouses; however, after the discovery of CJD, the practice was quickly banned. 

Dying for Beauty: Lead Makeup

Beauty standards rise and fall and in some parts of the world, paleness is something that is still sought after, with many people being subjected to racism within their own communities for being ‘too darked skinned’.

The practice of a pale complexion was also at its height during the times of Queen Elizabeth I. Men and women alike would use lead based makeup to make their skin look deathly white, a reflection on their social status as they were rich enough to not have to work outside and could spend their days lazing in their mansions. 

The foundation was a mixture of lead and vinegar that was often called ‘Venetian ceruse’. As mentioned before, a pale complexion was a symbol of status as well as acting to cover up smallpox scars, or other blemishes. People soon discovered that the lead in the mixture would cause permanent skin discolouration, hair loss and even rotted teeth! 

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐎𝐄: 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐃.

December 20th 1976, was the day residents of Carbon County, Pennsylvania, were shaken from their notion of safety and security. That morning, underneath a bridge on Interstate 80 near Exit 273, a passerby noticed 3 suitcases that had been dumped from the bridge above. Curious, they began to open the suitcase. As the zips peeled apart, the site of human remains was slowly unveiled. The Pennsylvania State Police were quickly summoned to the scene and took over the investigation.

Across 3 suitcases, police found the remains of a young woman who had been dismembered at the torso, head and joints. Disturbingly, investigators also found a fetus that was at 9 months gestation that had been removed during the woman's dismemberment. She had been shot in the neck and strangled to death before being hacked into pieces. Her killer had gone so far as to remove her ears, nose and breasts in a bid to conceal her identity.

Unfortunately, the killer's plan worked, and nobody came forward to claim the young woman, who was estimated to be white or Hispanic, 16 to 25, with brown hair and brown eyes. The woman had something written on her left hand in ink; according to the Doe Network, this was ‘WSR’ followed by a 4 or a 5 and then a 4 or a 7. The woman’s dental records were extremely unique, and she had suffered from dental problems in her short life and would likely have been in pain at the time of her death.

Despite these unique features, nobody came forward to identify her. Whilst her killer had mutilated her face, her remains had been preserved by the Pennsylvania cold, and her face was recognisable at the time of autopsy. A composite sketch of the young woman was made, but still, nobody came to claim her. Investigators dubbed the woman ‘Beth Doe’ and vowed to get her name back.

It would take until 2020 for the case to pick up again when Beth Doe’s femur was sent to Othram for analysis. Othram were able to extract a DNA profile and began genealogical research. Another genealogy company also helped Othram, and within a few weeks, they had found a possible family member. This family member submitted a DNA profile for comparison.

In February 2021, the Pennsylvania State Police and Othram called a press conference in which they identified Beth Doe as 15-year-old Evelyn Colon of Jersey City, New Jersey. Evelyn was last seen in December of 1976 and was pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Evelyn had been living with her boyfriend, 19-year-old Luis Sierra, who was abusive toward Evelyn. In 1977, months after the pair disappeared, Evelyn’s family received a letter written in Spanish which claimed she (Evelyn) and the baby were well.