Doe Network

1526UFNY - Unidentified Female

NO IMAGE

Date of Discovery: May 13, 1992
Location of Discovery: Brooklyn, Kings County, New York
Estimated Date of Death: Months prior
State of Remains: Decomposed
Cause of Death: Homicide

Physical Description

Estimated Age: 20-50 yrs
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 140 lbs.
Hair: Brown; long.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Dermoid cyst on left ovary, which caused swelling. She may have had tattoos, although further descriptions are unavailable. She was possibly addicted to cocaine.

Identifiers

Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Unknown.
DNA: Unknown.

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: Unknown.
Jewelry: Unknown.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown.

Circumstances of Discovery

Sanitation workers discovered the victim's body in a 55-gallon oil drum that was floating in Newtown Creek, at North Henry Street.

She was initially believed to be a drug mule who died of an accidental overdose after one of the cocaine-filled condoms in her stomach ruptured.

After his capture in 1993, serial killer Joel Rifkin confessed to her murder, saying she was the ninth of seventeen victims he killed. He could not remember her name, but he remembered her tattoos. Rifkin elaborated that she was a pickup from Manhattan, New York.

Rifkin’s victims were drug addicts and prostitutes, often both at the same time. Rifkin is now serving 203 years to life in prison, for nine murder convictions, in the Clinton Correctional Facility.

This woman is the only unidentified victim of Rifkin, alongside another whose remains have yet to be located. Another long-term unidentified victim was identified as Heidi Balch in 2013.

Investigating Agency(s)

Agency Name: New York City Office of the Cheif Medical Examiner
Agency Contact Person: Angela Soler
Agency Phone Number: 447-2030
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: K92-02970

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 8295

Information Source(s)

NamUs
Wikipedia
Murderpedia
ToughtCo

Admin Notes

Added: 3/5/20 Last Updated: 3/5/20


Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team

** Listed information may be estimated.

Return Home