Reconstructions by NCMEC and GBI artist Marla Lawson; duffle bag containing body; bedding items and dumpster.
Identified...Identified...Identified
Reconstructions by NCMEC and GBI artist Marla Lawson; duffle bag containing body; bedding items and dumpster.
Date of Discovery: February 14, 1988
Location of Discovery: Millen, Jenkins County, Georgia
Estimated Date of Death: 4-7 days prior
State of Remains: Decomposed
Cause of Death: Undetermined; presumed homicidal asphyxiation
Estimated Age: 16-25 years old
Race: Asian or Asian/White. There is some speculation she may have been Hispanic or Native American.
Sex: Female
Height: 5'4" to 5'6"
Weight: 135 to 145 lbs.
Hair Color: Thick, dark brown to black, long, coarse, and straight.
Eye Color: Unknown, possibly brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Her legs were recently shaved.
Dentals: Available. Her teeth were in fairly good condition. Upper teeth were crooked, which may have been a characteristic known as "winging" present in Asian and Native American people. She had a lower molar extracted not long before death, although the socket was healed.
Fingerprints: Available. A single print was recovered.
DNA: Not available.
Clothing: None.
Jewelry: None.
Additional Personal Items: A nylon duffle-bag with a distinctive zipper pattern with steel wheels. An "ornate" light green pillow with a flower design, possibly used for decoration instead of sleeping. A maroon bedspread had a matching design. Both items had a "rosette swirl" satin design in the cloth. Sheets found at the scene were not embroidered. A light blue towel had a butterfly embroidery. A half-full gas canister was found, but may not be related.
On Sunday, February 14, 1988, the victim's body was found in a dumpster, wrapped with plastic and duct tape inside a large, nylon duffle bag. The body was found between 2:00 and 3:00 PM.
The scene was located off Kaiser Road (now the Bypass) and Old Perkins Road in Millen. Local residents frequently used the dumpsters, which were out of sight to pedestrians. Whoever disposed of her body was likely familiar with the area and was possibly a resident.
Additionally, the dumpsters had been emptied the previous Friday, indicating the body was placed on or after February 12.
Millen had a population of about 3,300 at the time, with a high poverty rate. 0.4% residents were Asian. It is believed she was not from the area.
A man looking for cans made the discovery in one of two dumpsters present at the site, as his girlfriend waited in their car. They did not alert police until they returned with a friend. They claimed a "small, brown vehicle" was present at the scene, which left upon their arrival. At least one other person noticed the scent of decomposition at the site, but did not alert authorities.
Two children reported seeing a similar vehicle on February 12, hearing a distressed voice crying out for "my baby." A middle-age couple was observed throwing something into one of the dumpsters.
After police were informed, the dumpster was transported to the GBI office in Atlanta. There, a closer examination of its contents would be made of its contents. The body was first transported to a funeral home and later to the GBI lab to be autopsied.
It was initially assumed she was Hispanic. Examination later indicated she was of East Asian descent, and the original age range was 20-30. The autopsy report included the possibility she was Hispanic or Asian, without reference to a Caucasian admixture.
There were no obvious signs of trauma to the body, although her feet were tied. She appeared to be healthy at the time she died; no drugs were in her system. No biological evidence was recovered to indicate she was sexually assaulted. The fact that a tooth was extracted, instead of being treated or replaced, may indicate she had less disposable income.
The remains were later cremated, before DNA from the victim could be recovered.
In 1998, the evidence was examined again, and a brownish-gold carpet fiber was found on the tape around the victim's body.
The initial sketch of the female was "not as accurate" as the GBI hoped, as decomposition greatly affected an "accurate" representation of the victim.
No suitable matches were found in the early stages of investigation. After Lawson's reconstruction and case details were released, they also faced difficulty identifying a suspect or person of interest.
Some tips, lacking specific details, were called in to report individuals who resembled the sketch. These leads were unsuccessful to identify the victim.
One man, thought to have murdered his children for insurance reasons, reportedly had a girlfriend of Asian heritage who disappeared after the children died. Tipsters noted a resemblance to the sketch and bedding. They failed to connect the two cases.
The bedding appeared to have originated from a household (the victim's or her killer's) and not a hotel. They may have also originated from an employer she or the responsible party was affilliated with. Their design was mentioned to likely originate from the home of a teenager or young adult or an employer of females that age.
There is a possibility the victim was a foreign national who entered the United States without documentation. Atlanta is a so-called "port city" where some immigrants arrive. She may have been the victim of human trafficking. Victims of this nature are primarily Chinese in the state of Georgia.
Massage parlors throughout the country are often along highways, frequented by truckers. Bedding in these establishments have been described as embroidered. Many employees are undocumented and forced to provide services.
One investigator attempted to trace the manufacturer of the bedding to North or South Korea.
It is known that a group of mostly Hispanic migrant workers relocated north, to Georgia during 1988. They left the area two weeks before the Jane Doe's murder, and none were reported to be absent.
An additional group of thirty migrants registered to camp at a national forest in Millen on February 25, 1988.
Johnny Young, now deceased, allegedly confessed to this murder. A tip was called in on February 17 suggesting his involvement. Young was 23 and lived in Millen, having arrived from Orlando, Florida with a suitcase (large enough to conceal a body) on February 9.
During the interrogation, Young denied responsibility, initially, and asked if his uncle had named him. His uncle later stated Young was involved in drug trafficking. A local woman informed him that one of Young's accomplices was acquainted with a Puerto Rican woman, who later left with Young after money was stolen. She feared the Jane Doe was the woman in question.
After investigators met with the woman; she denied making any statements regarding Young's activities. A man suspected to be Young called police in 1991, claiming responsibility. After he was located, he denied the confession and implicated his uncle and another individual. His uncle denied Young's claims.
Another relative of Young, who had picked him up after his return from Orlando, had carpeting in his bedroom similar to the fiber found on the tape that bound the victim.
There are other theories connecting the case to serial killers Larry DeWayne Hall, Keith Hunter Jesperson and Samuel Little, along with similarities to the 1989 murder of Jean Marie "Annie" Tahan. These connections are stated to be unlikely, primarily through circumstances.
Serial killer Christopher Below resided in the Southeast during the mid-1980s and is believed to be responsible for the disappearance of Kristina "Krissi" Porco of South Carolina. Porco was later excluded as a potential identity for this victim.
Evidence in the case has been sent to the regional office to be retested, and requests have been made to obtain records kept in storage. There is a possibility the cremated remains of the victim could reveal new information about her age and ethnicity, if bone fragments still exist.
Agency Name: Jenkins County Coroner's Office
Agency Phone Number: 912-982-4221
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 501850188
Agency Name: Georgia Bureau of Investigations - Statesboro
Agency Phone Number: 912-871-1121
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: Unknown
Agency Name: Jenkins County Sheriff's Office
Agency Phone Number: 912-982-4211
NCIC Case Number: U292381150
NamUs Case Number: 4697
NCMEC Case Number: 1113140
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Added: 7/23/10; Last Updated: 10/25/19
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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