910UFTN - Unidentified Female

Identified...Identified...Identified

Reconstructions of the victim by NCMEC and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Date of Discovery: January 1, 1985
Location of Discovery: La Follette, Campbell County, Tennessee
Estimated Date of Death: 72 hours prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Cause of Death: Homicide by strangulation

Physical Description

Estimated Age: 17-30 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'1" to 5'4"
Weight: 110-115 pounds lbs.
Hair: Red, curly, shoulder-length
Eye Color: Green
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Freckles across her body. Both ears pierced twice. Several scars - a healed burn scar the size of a silver dollar was seen on the inside of her left arm; marks on both arms; scars on both knees; faint 2-inch long scar on her forehead; and a scar on her right hand. Possibly underwent plastic surgery in the past. She was 10-12 weeks pregnant and there was evidence she had recently given birth to another child.

Identifiers

Dentals: Available. Wore a removable partial dental plate for two upper central teeth that had likely been in place for at least 9 months before her death. She had all her wisdom teeth. No fillings.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: Tan or beige velour top and new men's Levi blue jeans. No shoes were located.
Jewelry: None.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery

The victim's body was found down an embankment off the shoulder of the southbound lane of I-75 in La Follette, about 12 miles from the Kentucky border. She had been bound and strangled.

It is suspected she is a victim of the so-called "Redhead Murders," which occurred between 1978 and 1992 where the perpretrator sought red-haired victims that spanned across the country, taking place primarily in the Southeastern states.

Investigating Agency(s)

Agency Name: Forensic Anthropology Center, University of Tennessee
Agency Contact Person: Lee Jantz
Agency Phone Number: 865-974-4408
Agency E-Mail: ljantz(at)utk.edu
Agency Case Number: UT01-85D

Agency Name: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 1-800-TBI-FIND
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: Unknown

NCIC Case Number: U144869160
NamUs Case Number: 1579
NCMEC Case Number: 1184609
Former Hot Case Number: 1189

Information Source(s)

NamUs
NCMEC
Wikipedia
FBI ViCap
Daily News Archive (Jan 3, 1985)

Admin Notes

Added: 8/23/08; Last Updated: 4/9/18