Harris County Does

The Harris County Does consist of two currently unidentified youths discovered on January 12, 1981, in Houston, Harris County, Texas near Wallisville Road. An extensive investigation has been conducted with few leads.[1]

Harris County Jane Doe
Reconstruction of victim
Born1955 – 1965 (aged 15 to 25)
StatusUnidentified for 40 years and 23 days
DiedNovember or December 1980
Cause of deathHomicide by strangulation
Body discoveredJanuary 12, 1981
Houston, Harris County, Texas, United States
Known forUnidentified victim of homicide
HeightBetween 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
and 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)(approximate)
Harris County John Doe
Reconstruction of victim
Born1950 – 1964 (aged 15 to 30)
DiedNovember or December 1980
Cause of deathHomicide by beating
Body discoveredJanuary 12, 1981
Houston, Harris County, Texas, United States
Known forUnidentified victim of homicide
HeightBetween 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
and 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)(approximate)

Victims

Both victims, a male and female, were found murdered, approximately eight weeks to two months before, between November and December 1980.[1][2][3] Although their weights were impossible to estimate and the faces were not recognizable due to decomposition, their fingerprints, dental records and DNA were taken.[2][4] Both of their bodies were hidden on private property in the woods around 100 yards from the road and later found by a dog.[5][1][2] They were both buried in indigent graves near to the then-unidentified Michelle Garvey, who was later identified and transported to Connecticut in 2014.[6][5]

Female victim

The female, who was white with a possible Native American-admixture, was between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, although she may have been as young as fifteen.[3] The cause of her death was ruled to be strangulation.[7] She was estimated to have been around five feet four inches to five feet nine inches tall. Her hair was eighteen inches long and reddish-brown, styled in a ponytail.[8] Her eyes were believed to have been brown and both of her ears were likely pierced, although only one earring was found in her right ear.[1][2] She had excellent dental hygiene, as did her companion.[5] The victim was found near a pair of green jogging shorts and a "bloody towel" and no clothing was found on her body.[7] What are considered to be identifying factors for the victim is that she likely had an abnormal amount of hair on her face, and she had a gap between her two front teeth.[1] She was presumably a nail biter, as her fingernails were noticeably short.[9] Her wisdom teeth were emerging at the time of death.[3] Nine missing people from Texas, including Mary "Rachel" Trlica and one from Pennsylvania have been ruled out as possible identities of the female.[2]

Male victim

The male was somewhat older, estimated to be twenty to thirty years old, although he could have been as young as fifteen.[1] Like the female, he was also white, had brown eyes and brown hair, although it was wavy and six inches long. The male was around five feet three to five feet nine inches tall at the time of his murder, which had been committed through beating.[10][7][11] Unlike the female, he was bound and gagged.[5] He had prominent eyebrows and some deterioration of some of his upper vertebrae in the neck region, possibly the result of an injury in the past or the presence of an abnormal joint.[4] As for dentals, one filling was found in one of the molars; he also had restorations and his upper wisdom teeth were not found, as they may have been removed or they may not have developed.[12] Seven missing men were ruled out as possible identities for the male victim.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Jane Doe 1981". missingkids.org. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  2. "NamUs UP # 701". National Missing and Unidentified Persons Database. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  3. "Harris Texas Jane Doe January 1981". canyouidentifyme.org. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  4. "Harris Texas John Doe January 1981". canyouidentifyme.org. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  5. Olsen, Lise (27 November 2011). "Investigators hope DNA provides answers in 30-year-old murder". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  6. Olsen, Lise (30 May 2011). "'Detective' will exhume bodies in victim identity hunt". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  7. Betz, Dean (30 May 2011). "Cold cases: Details on 28 cold murder cases from 1952 to 1999". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  8. "Unidentified Person's Details: Case Number: U8801002". Texas Department of Public Safety. 24 January 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  9. "Case File 476UFTX". doenetwork.org. The Doe Network. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  10. "NamUs UP # 703". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  11. "Unidentified Person's Details: Case Number: U8801003". Texas Department of Public Safety. 24 January 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  12. "Case File 753UMTX". doenetwork.org. The Doe Network. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
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