Reconstruction of the victim; loction of the victim's discovery (photos by Liz Chapman).
Reconstruction of the victim; loction of the victim's discovery (photos by Liz Chapman).
Date of Discovery: May 30, 1996
Location of Discovery: Southport, Bay County, Florida
Estimated Date of Death: 4 weeks prior
State of Remains: Decomposed
Cause of Death: Homicide
Estimated Age: 21-40 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'6" to 5'9"
Weight: Unknown
Hair: Brown hair with blond highlights. Shoulder length and wavy.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Previous injuries suffered more than a year before death: fractured ribs, a leg and knee injury and a broken nose. These injuries may have been from an auto accident.
Dentals: Unknown. She had some dental work performed. There was nothing unique about the dental work that would point authorities to a specific region. She had all of her front teeth, but was missing a right lower tooth and her upper wisdom teeth. She also may have been missing two molars.
Fingerprints: Available. 2 complete fingerprints and a partial.
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: Blue or bluish-green pullover sweatshirt with a Laguna logo on the front and an L.A. Gear red and white striped sports bra.
Jewelry: 7-inch, gold-plated bracelet on her left wrist. The bracelet, which was about 2½ inches in diameter, indicates that the woman probably had a small build.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
The woman, known only as Jane Doe 96, was found murdered in the tall reeds of the backwaters of Warren Bayou on May 30, 1996 at 11:00. She was raped and killed on a dirt road near the Steam Plant canal six weeks before her discovery. Her remains were so deteriorated that it made visual identification impossible.
She was last seen alive leaving Tan Fannie's, a topless bar, on Beck Avenue the night of April 20, 1996 with a man who was convicted of her murder, Billy Frank Hansen. Investigators have reason to believe that the woman tried to contact a friend at an apartment on Beck Avenue the night she allegedly was killed, but that person has not been located or identified as of this date.
Hansen said he and a friend were out drinking at Tan Fannie's topless bar on Beck Avenue when they met the victim. Hansen said he and his friend arrived at the bar around 22.00 and left around 3:30. He said that the woman asked for a ride home, but was so drunk that she didn't notice when they bypassed it. Hansen's friend was driving and Hansen sat in back. The woman sat in front, Hansen said. His friend said that the woman told Hansen that she would have sex with him, but then she demanded money.
Hansen was sentenced to 21.8 years of prison time for the second-degree murder of this woman.
She may have been native to the Czech Republic.
Agency Name: District 14 Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Whit Majors
Agency Phone Number: 904-630-0500
Agency E-Mail: medex(at)baycountyfl.gov
Agency Case Number: 1996-0175
Agency Name: Bay County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: Detective Harbuck
Agency Phone Number: 850-747-4700
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 1996-00000
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 1111
NamUs
The Newsherald
Added: Prior to 2003; Last Updated: 5/1/19
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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