169UFPA - Unidentified Female

Identified...Identified...Identified

Artistic renderings of the victim by NCMEC, Carl Koppelman and Frank Bender. Suitcases and blanket the victim's remains were placed in. Facial features such as the nose and the hair style are an artist's estimation to complete the image.

Date of Discovery: December 20, 1976
Location of Discovery: White Haven or East Side Borough, Carbon County, Pennsylvania
Estimated Date of Death: Less than 24 hours
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide - Strangled and shot in the neck

Physical Description

Estimated Age: 15-25 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 4'11" to 5'4"
Weight: 140-150 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: She had a 5.5" scar on her left leg, just above the heel and a 2-inch scar on her left calf. She had a small circular mole above her left eye and a mole on her left cheek. She was carrying a full-term White female fetus. It is possible that the moles on her face developed at some time during her pregnancy. Blood type O.

Identifiers

Dentals: Available. she had suffered extensive dental disease resulting in three extractions, multiple restorations, and extensive decay. Her oral hygiene improved as she got older but at the time of her death she was still suffering from tooth decay and a fracture to her upper right lateral incisors that would have caused her serious pain and been noticeable to others.
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery

On December 20, 1976, the dismembered remains of the victim were found in three suitcases along the Lehigh River (Carbon/Luzerne County Line) under a bridge of westbound Interstate Route 80 near Exit 273. The suitcases appeared to have been thrown from the Interstate bridge.

She had been strangled, then shot in the neck and then dismembered with a fine, serrated tool. Her killer had removed her nose, ears, and breasts.

There were letters and numbers written on her left hand in ink (color of ink unknown). While there were different interpretations of what was actually written on the hand, almost definitely was "WSR". Next to that was either a 4 or a 5. Below and to the right was either a 4 or 7. Police checked license plates and CB call signs but were unable to determine the significance of the notations. The ink would probably have lasted 8-12 hours.

The three suitcases the remains were found in were all the same size (23" x 14" x 7 1/2"). Two of them were blue in color, one was blue and tan plaid. The handles had been cut off of the suitcases before they were dropped at the site and the zippers had been painted with flat black paint.

Inside the suitcases, the police also found straw, dry packing foam, a cut up chenille bedspread and six sections of the New York Sunday News dated September 26, 1976. The bedspread was most likely originally pink in color, however, the worn and dirty condition made it appear more rust or coral colored. The bedspread had an embroidered yellow flower design.

Advanced forensic testing of her bones suggest that the female was possibly born in Western to Central Europe and likely migrated to the USA five to ten years prior to her death in her early childhood to teenage years.

She is known as Beth Doe.

Investigating Agency(s)

Agency Name: Carbon County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Thomas McAndrew
Agency Phone Number: 570-669-9898
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: N03-027244

Agency Name: Pennsylvania State Police
Agency Contact Person: Thomas McAndrew
Agency Phone Number: 570-459-3890
Agency E-Mail: thmcandrew(at)state.pa.us
Agency Case Number: N/A

NCIC Case Number: U833004226
NamUs Case Number: 8913
NCMEC Case Number: 1104191

Information Source(s)

Namus
NCMEC
Pennsylvania Missing Persons
Wikipedia: Beth Doe
Beth Doe on YouTube - created by Theresa Golden

Admin Notes

Added: 7/22/00; Last Updated: 1/24/18