Buried Without My Name

On December 7, 2011, the city of Waupun, Wisconsin, did a beautiful thing. They held a memorial service for a young girl that none of them had ever met. Everything was either donated (the flowers, marker, and wreath) or paid for by the county (burial costs, casket, and vault). Several dozen people were there to honor and remember her and some of them brought flowers too. They had tried so hard to find out who the girl was before her burial--but three years of searching and researching produced no results. Finally, the only thing they could do for the poor girl was bury and memorialize her, even though the search for answers would go on.

That girl was me. On November 23, 2008, some hunters found my body immersed in a frozen creek in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The deputies have followed through on more than 200 leads and turned to entomologists, forensic anthropologists, dentists, and the general public for help. A few leads looked especially promising, but none of them panned out. Waupun, Wisconsin, sort of adopted me as one of their own, and I'm grateful for that-- truly I am--but my last wish is to be buried wherever my real home is with a marker that bears my real name. Maybe you can help!

So, who was I? Well, this blogger has chosen to call me Sarah Doe. I was between 15 and 21 years old, possibly Caucasian, but tests indicate I may have also been Asian, Native American, or Hispanic. My hair was either light brown or dark blonde and between 12 and 14 inches long. I stood about 5'1", give or take an inch or two, and they estimate I weighed between 110 and 135 pounds. I guess it's hard to tell when you're ‘partially decomposed.’ I was also either knock-kneed or pigeon-toed. I was wearing light-colored blue jeans (Angels brand) and a black shirt with pink trim that included a pink bow tied around the back of my waist.

Please look at my forensic reconstruction and the picture of my shirt to see if I might be familiar to you--and then pass them along to everyone you know! Someone out there somewhere must know me! Maybe I went to school with you...or with your children. Maybe I was your babysitter...or even your friend. Please help me to finally go home and rest in the peace that I deserve!

If you recognize this woman or have any information, please contact:

Fond Du Lac Medical Examiner’s Office (920) 929-3366 Case# 08-15891

VIEW HER PROFILE DATA AT A GLANCE:  Fond Du Lac Wisconsin Jane Doe November 2008