Artistic renderings of the victim; Victim's clothing; (mouse over to enlarge) To view postmortem photos, please click: Photo 1 and Photo 2
Identified...Identified...Identified
Artistic renderings of the victim; Victim's clothing; (mouse over to enlarge) To view postmortem photos, please click: Photo 1 and Photo 2
Date of Discovery: April 24, 1981
Location of Discovery: Newton, Miami County, Ohio
Estimated Date of Death: April 23, 1981
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide by strangulation, she also had suffered blows to the head and neck
Estimated Age: 18-26 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6" (measured)
Weight: 125 - 130 lbs., (measured)
Hair Color: Reddish-brown plaited into thick pigtails.
Eye Color: Light brown to brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Her complexion was freckled and ruddy. She was in remarkably good physical condition. Had excellent personal hygiene. Her ears were not pierced. Several scars - 7/8" scar beneath chin, a 1/4" x 1/4" scar on lateral aspect of left arm, a 2 1/4" scar along radial aspect of the left wrist and forearm, a 1" scar along anterior aspect of left wrist, a 7/8" scar along posterior aspect of the right hand at the base of the middle finger, a 1 1/8" scar along medial aspect of right ankle, and a 3/4" scar on dorsal aspect right foot. A 3/4" x 1/4" tan birthmark is on anterior aspect left thigh. There is a light brown raised nevus (mole) below and slightly to the medial aspect of the right breast, and another brown nevus on left arm.
Dentals: Available. Her teeth were in good condition and she still had all four of her wisdom teeth. She also had a porcelain-metal crown on her top right central incisor.
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available
Clothing: Patterned brown and orange turtleneck sweater (size L), white bra (size 32D), Wrangler jeans (size 30L), and a distinctive handmade buckskin hoodless poncho with a purple satin lining. No shoes were located.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
A passerby reported a fully clothed woman in a ditch on Greenlee Road near State Route 55 in rural Miami County. A coroner's report revealed that she died of strangulation. She also had suffered blows to the head and neck. She was not sexually assaulted.
Evidence indicates that the body was transported to the scene from another location. Investigators believe she may have been a runaway or just a wanderer, hitching rides from one state to the next, although it did not appear that she had been on the road very long.
In 2016, isotope and pollen testing were performed on the victim's hair, fingernails and clothing. The tests showed that she had spent time in urban areas, based on soot on her clothing. Pollen found indicated she spent time in regions consistant with the South Western and South Eastern part of the United States or northern Mexico. The isotope testing indicated she likely originated from the Northeastern part of the United States or Canada.
Dubbed "The Buckskin Girl," she is laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery in Troy, Ohio.
Agency Name: Miami County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Stephen Huffman
Agency Phone Number: 937-238-8912
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 55085684
Agency Name: Miami County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: Detective Steve Lord
Agency Phone Number: 937-440-3965 ext. 6633
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 8104240101
NCIC Case Number: 8104240101
NamUs Case Number: 4790
NCMEC Case Number: 1107106
Namus
NCMEC
Wikipedia - Buckskin Girl
YouTube - Miami County, Ohio Jane Doe 1981
WDTN News
Unsolved Mysteries
Dayton Daily News 8/6/07
Added: 7/22/00; Last Updated: 4/26/17
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
Return Home