IL GRUNDY COUNTY JANE DOE: BF, 18-23, found in ditch at Route 6, IL - 2 Oct 1976 *JOANNE "VICKIE" SMITH*

Namus UP17621

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Unidentified Body/Remains (Black Female)
Found October 2, 1976 in Grundy Co, IL
Body Condition: Recognizable face
Probable year of death: 1976 to 1976
Estimated postmortem interval: 1 Days

Vital Statistics
Estimated age: 18-23 (Adult - pre 30)
Approximate Height: 67 estimate
Approximate Weight: 150 estimate
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Scars and marks: Scar on right hip, lower right abdomen, which could be a birthmark

Clothing & Accessories
Clothing: Red, White and Black knit sweater
Jewerly: nothing
Footwear: nothing
Accessories: Green plastic bag, along with black electrical tape

Identifiers
Fingerprints: Fingerprint information is available elsewhere
Dentals: Dental information / charting is not available
DNA:Sample submitted - tests not complete

Case History: On October 2, 1976, an unidentified female black, between the ages of 18 and 23, was found deceased in a ditch.

#JaneDoe was found in a ditch on US Route 6, 1.4 miles east of the LaSalle County line at around 3:00 PM on October 2, 1976. #ILLINOIS

The body was not likely at this location for very long. She had been shot once in the back of the head with a .38 caliber revolver. Her head was covered with a green plastic bag bound with black electrical tape, along with a multi-colored knit...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[Romulus]

401UFIL - Unidentified Female

Reconstruction of the victim by Kim Parkhurst, Carl Koppelman, NCMEC and Beth Buchholtz; images of sweater.

Date of Discovery: October 2, 1976
Location of Discovery: Erienna Township, Seneca, Grundy County, Illinois
Estimated Date of Death: 1 day prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 15-27 years old
Race: Black
Sex: Female
Height: 5'7" to 5'9"
Weight: 130 to 150 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Scar on right hip, lower right abdomen, which could be a birthmark.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Nude. A red, white and black knit sweater was around her head.
Jewelry: None.
Additional Personal Items: None.

Circumstances of Discovery
The victim was found in a ditch on US Route 6, 1.4 miles east of the LaSalle County line at around 3:00 PM on October 2, 1976. The body was not likely at this location for very long. She had been shot once in the back of the head with a .38 caliber revolver. Her head was covered with a green plastic bag bound with black electrical tape, along with a multi-colored knit sweater. Authorities ran the woman's photograph in the Chicago Daily Bullitin newspaper and submitted her fingerprints to the FBI and other crime labs in the United States but there were no results. After 54 days, she was buried in an unmarked grave. The DNA Doe Project, known for their research in genetic genealogy, was eventually contacted for assistance. In November 2019, the organization announced a fourth cousin or niece/first cousin were identified in Alabama.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Grundy County Coroner
Agency Contact Person: Deputy Chief Coroner Brandon Johnson
Agency Phone Number: 815-942-3792
Agency E-Mail: bjohnson@grundyco.org
Agency Case Number: 10-76-36

NCIC Case Number: U910029125
NCMEC Case Number: 1339118
NamUs Case Number: 17621

Information Source(s)
NamUs
NCMEC
Facebook
ABC 33

1401UFIL

The Quest to Identify ‘Jane Seneca Doe' in Grundy County

Her case has baffled authorities in Grundy County for over four decades. In the fall of 1976, the body of a young African American woman was found on the shoulder of a rural highway near downstate Seneca. She was wearing a colorful red sweater, with a bottle of wine in the pocket. It was...

www.nbcchicago.com

*Click the Report button if you'd like this case moved to the general discussion area to be opened for commenting.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Grundy County Jane Doe - DNA Doe Project

Follow this DNA Doe case of a black woman found by a farmer in Illinois. As the case progresses, we will update this page.

dnadoeproject.org

On October 2, 1976 around 3:00 pm the nude body of an unidentified, black woman was discovered by a farmer and his young granddaughter in a ditch on US Highway 6 a couple of miles east of the LaSalle County line in Erienna Township near Seneca, Grundy County, Illinois. The woman had been shot with a .38 caliber revolver once in the back of the head. A multi-colored knit sweater had been wrapped around her head and covered with a green plastic bag tied off with black electrical tape. She had brown eyes and black hair, was 15-27 years old, stood 5’7 and weighed 150 pounds. The manner of death was determined to be homicide. After nearly two months of unsuccessful attempts to identify her, she was buried in an unmarked grave.

DNA Doe Project Status: Research in process


Additional reconstructions:

1401UFIL

The victim was found in a ditch on US Route 6, 1.4 miles east of the LaSalle County line at around 3:00 PM on October 2, 1976. The body was not likely at this location for very long.

She had been shot once in the back of the head with a .38 caliber revolver.

Her head was covered with a green plastic bag bound with black electrical tape, along with a multi-colored knit sweater.

Authorities ran the woman's photograph in the Chicago Daily Bullitin newspaper and submitted her fingerprints to the FBI and other crime labs in the United States but there were no results.

After 54 days, she was buried in an unmarked grave.

The DNA Doe Project, known for their research in genetic genealogy, was eventually contacted for assistance. In November 2019, the organization announced a fourth cousin or niece/first cousin were identified in Alabama.

The DNA Doe Project suggests the following: The victim was likely born between 1948 and 1960 and would have been missing by October 1976. Her parents may have come from Selma, Alabama. One set of her grandparents were from Selma, Alabama. One of her grandparent's was likely named Calhoun. One great-grandparent may have been named Harris. Other possible areas her relatives reside: Dallas County or Wilcox County, Alabama. At least one branch of her family moved to Ohio. She may have siblings, who were unaware of her existence.

 

[Windstorm]

Grundy County Jane Doe was added to Gedmatch by the DNA Doe Project. AS of February 22, 2021, she has just over 1,000 DNA matches. Her highest match is 253 cM - first cousin once removed, second cousin, half great aunt/uncle/niece/nephew, half first cousin range. She is on the Google Drive spreadsheet at;

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Unidentified woman murdered in 1976 in Illinois appears to have Cincinnati connection

Investigators are working to identify a woman who was murdered 47 years ago in Illinois.

local12.com

by WKRC
Wednesday, February 1st 2023

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Investigators are working to identify a woman who was murdered 47 years ago in Illinois. Genetic genealogy has determined she likely had relatives in Cincinnati.

The Grundy County Coroner's Office said the woman was found dead in a ditch in unincorporated Seneca, Illinois on Oct. 2, 1976. She'd been shot in the head.

The coroner said she was African-American and was believed to be between 15 and 27-years-old. An artist-rendered image of how she may have looked was released in 2019.

She was buried in an unmarked grave in an Illinois cemetery.

Investigators from the coroner's office exhumed her remains in Dec. 2018, hoping that newer forensic science and DNA techniques might lead to her identification.

In 2019, the coroner's office began working with the DNA Doe Project which uses genetic genealogy to help identify the unidentified. They were able to find a close match to the woman they've called Jane Seneca Doe.

There is an extensive family tree and investigators are hoping someone can help.

Most of her family seems to have come from Selma, Alabama, including one set of grandparents and her parents. She likely had a grandparent named Calhoun. A great-grandparent may have been named Harris. She may have siblings who didn't know she existed.

They've been able to determine at least one branch of her family moved to Cincinnati.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Deputy Chief Coroner Brandon Johnson of the Grundy County Coroner’s Office at 815-941-3359 or e-mail: bjohnson@grundycountyil.gov.

 

[Romulus]

Identified for Doe

1401UFIL

 

[Guess Who]

Identified for Doe

1401UFIL

View attachment 22208

Wanna bet she looks a lot like Carl's image?

 

[Sunburst]

So glad she has been identified!

 

[Summer_Breeze]

MSN

Illinois cold case victim identified as Ohio woman nearly 50 years after she was killed​

Story by Charlie De Mar
• 1d
MORRIS, Ill. (CBS) – A woman found murdered on the side of a rural road about 50 miles southwest of Chicago in 1976 has been identified, officials announced Thursday.

The woman found dead in Grundy County had been nameless. Officials identified her on Thursday as JoAnne "Vicki" Smith, who was only 20 years old when she died.

Detectives said the woman's DNA led them to surviving relatives. Earlier this year, a DNA match led authorities to identify the body as Smith's.

For nearly 50 years, her family has wondered what happened to their loved one, who vanished from their home in Ohio in 1976.

"The case went cold," said John Callahan, the Grundy County coroner.

But then in 2018, the coroner's office took another look and the unidentified woman's remains were exhumed. This year, the woman's genetic profile led investigators to the Smith family, originally from Ohio.

"I remember that morning that she went missing," said Ronnie Smith, her brother.

Ronnie said JoAnne was his older sister and the "apple of my mother's eye." She went missing from their family home in Cincinnati in 1976 and was never heard from again. Ronnie was just 8 years old when his sister disappeared.

"That wasn't something that was normal in our household," Ronnie Smith said. "No one stayed out at night. That just didn't happen, not at my mother's home. I can't imagine anything more devastating to be buried in an unmarked grave."

Smith said while he has closure knowing what happened to his sister, his focus is now on finding the person responsible.

"We will always believe, and we will believe, that whoever perpetrated this crime against her, if they're alive, they will be brought to justice," he said.

William Button, the Grundy County coroner back in 1976, called the identification "amazing."

"Unbelievable, I'll tell you the truth," Button said. "Because, look at what DNA's done."

Investigators said JoAnne "Vickie" Smith was adopted, and her name changed several times, which added to the complexity of the case and tracking down loved ones.

Her remains will be interred with her late parents in a future ceremony.

 

[Kimster]

So young and beautiful! I hope they’re able to track down what happened to her.