Reconstructions of the victim (Carl Koppelman and David Wood); victim's ring. To view postmortem photos, please click here and here.
Reconstructions of the victim (Carl Koppelman and David Wood); victim's ring. To view postmortem photos, please click here and here.
Date of Discovery: October 30, 1996
Location of Discovery: New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Estimated Date of Death: 2 days prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide. She was hit in the face and shot a dozen times.
Estimated Age: 30-45 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'1" to 5'2"
Weight: 127 lbs.
Hair: Shoulder-length hair, dyed strawberry blonde within a month of her killing. Her natural color was light brown.
Eye Color: Brown or hazel
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Though her ears were pierced, she wore no earrings. Her toenails were painted but her fingernails were not. Her hands were not callused. She didn't shave her legs or her underarms. She was well groomed. She was petite and looked European.
Dentals: Available. She'd had some dental work done, fillings and root canals, most judged by a forensics expert to be too poor in quality to have been done in the United States. But one root canal, less than five years old, was done in the US.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Available.
Clothing: A mustard-color long-sleeve turtleneck, size medium, made by Licorice, under a white pullover sweater. The sweater had multicolored rectangular designs. It was a size medium, brand name Oakbrook, probably bought mail-order a decade ago. Blue Levi's 521 jeans and black ankle High Lites high tie boots with chunky-style heels. Pantyhose, underwear and cotton socks.
Jewelry: A gold ring with an emerald colored stone, with no inscription on her left ring finger. Experts say it comes from Belarus, part of the old Soviet Union.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
The victim was found floating off of Popes Island Marina in New Bedford.
Her body was found wrapped in two green garbage bags and a white and teal wool blanket, the kind common to fishing boats. She was found by a maintenance worker at the Popes Island Marina.
She was found at the marina within 24 hours of being dumped in the water and within 48 hours of being killed.
Investigators believe the body might have been dumped in the water elsewhere, and that the current eventually pushed it to the dock.
Copies of the woman's fingerprints was sent to the FBI and Interpol.
She probably never had children. And there is no evidence of drug use. There was no sign of sexual assault.
Investigators think things like the Belarusian ring, the unshaved legs, the poor dental work point to an immigrant from eastern Europe. The fact that checks of visas and immigration records of fingerprints and photos have turned up empty could mean an illegal immigrant.
She is known as "Popes Island Jane Doe."
Agency Name: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 617-267-6767 ext 187
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 1996-3152
Agency Name: New Bedford Police
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 508-991-6320
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 96-20704
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 7253
NamUs
Massachusetts State Police
South Coast Today
Added: 7/22/00; Last Updated: 10/24/18
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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