Reconstructions of the victim; victim's clothing and ring. To view postmortem photos, please click: Photo 1 , Photo 2 , Photo 3 and Photo 4.
Identified...Identified...Identified
Reconstructions of the victim; victim's clothing and ring. To view postmortem photos, please click: Photo 1 , Photo 2 , Photo 3 and Photo 4.
Date of Discovery: March 14, 1968
Location of Discovery: Huntington Beach, Orange County, California
Estimated Date of Death: Less than 24 hours prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide
Estimated Age: 20-30 years old
Race: White and/or Hispanic
Sex: Female
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 130 to 140 lbs.
Hair: Dark brown, shoulder length
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Medium build, well-nourished, and well-developed. Pierced ears. Blood type O Negative.
Dentals: Available. Teeth in poor condition with several caries and no restorations. Missing several back upper and lower teeth. Her front teeth were somewhat crooked.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Available.
Clothing: Black flat Owego loafers, black three-quarter length imitation leather coat, purple capri pants, and a white floral long-sleeved blouse. Most of the clothing was only available in upstate New York at the time.
Jewelry: Inexpensive silver-colored ring with a light blue square stone worn on her left ring finger.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
The victim was located in an empty field near Yorktown Avenue and Newland Street in Huntington Beach.
Police theorize that she got in a car with a man somewhere locally and the pair drove to a large field used for farming. The man parked the car and the pair talked while the man smoked, dropping a cigarette butt onto the dirt. Then he sexually assaulted her, and when she resisted, he punched her in the face.
After the attack, the victim was pulled from the car and her throat slit. She was dragged to a nearby drainage ditch and abandoned around midnight.
Police recieved a tip in 2011 that the sketch of the victim resembled a friend of hers that disappeared in 1968, with the first name "Rosie" and an "Italian" last name. Rosie had apparently worked at "The Circus Room" bar in Long Beach. "Rosie" was originally from New York and spoke with a heavy "New York" accent.
"Rosie" may have been native to either the Bronx or Brooklyn, New York and also had a two-year-old son nicknamed "John-John."
DNA results from the cigarette butt found by the body were entered into CODIS as an attempt to idenify the killer but turned up no matches.
Authorities speculate that the woman could be a victim of a serial killer.
Agency Name: Orange County Sheriff-Coroner's Department
Agency Contact Person: Scott Hayes
Agency Phone Number: 714-647-7400 or 7411
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 68-00745-C
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 7694
NamUs
Orange County Medical Examiner
Orange County Register
CBS Crimesider
Orange Coast Magazine
Added: 5/9/10; Last Updated: 6/21/18
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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