For the last seventy two (72) years, the identity of the Morgan County Jane Doe has remained a mystery. On May 10, 1950, a Ben Mills, a local mushroom picker, discovered the nude body of a redheaded woman outside Berkeley Springs, WV along an abandoned section of US 522. The woman, who was estimated to have been around thirty five (35) years of age, had been strangled to death by a rope or another similar means of asphyxiation. A search which spread two (2) miles in every direction from the location of the body, sadly yielded no results.
The body was taken to the Hunter Mortuary in Berkeley Springs where a four (4) hour examination of the body elicited the following information by physicians from nearby Martinsburg, WV:
Death Occurred from Strangulation performed by a rope or similar object being drawn around the base of the neck. This caused deep abrasions. Abrasions were also discovered on the nose, forehead and temporal muscles and above the eyes, indication that she had likewise been struck multiple times with a blunt object. The neck was broken.
A physical description of the Jane Doe reads as follows: Female between the ages of 30-40 years of age. Red hair and a fair complexion. Eye color was unable to be determined due to swelling that had occurred. 5’5”tall and weighing between 125-130 pounds. The Doe had freckles on her arms and hands. Shoe size was a 4/5 narrow. She has a Y shaped scar on the outside of her right wrist and a W shaped scar on the outside of her forehead. A 10” hysterectomy and a 4” Appendectomy Scar.
Though multiple “clues” have been brought to Law Enforcement over the years, the most viable came from a bus driver named, R.H.Grossnikel, who came forward and expressed that the Doe had been a passenger en route from Columbus, OH to Hancock, MD on May 5th (just five (5) days prior to her death). His account was validated by another passenger and a fellow employee, who both confirmed witnessing the Doe as a passenger. Authorities did travel to Columbus, where they learned that no fewer than six (6) other redheaded women were missing at this time. They even followed one particular lead, where the woman in question ended up being alive and well in Akron.
Over the years multiple people have come forward to identify the Doe. Most recently, in 2007, two (2) families came forward with the belief that the Doe was a lost relative. They even had the body disinterred as a means to collect DNA which would help in her identification. Sadly, neither family was a match via DNA. Since this time, Jane Doe’s fingerprints, dental information and DNA is on file should a match come available.
The body of the Morgan County Jane Doe was laid to rest on May 23, 1950. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding the murder or identity of the Morgan County Jane Doe, please contact the Berkeley Springs Detachment of the West Virginia State Police at (304) 258-0000.
Join the Cold Case Crew as they tell the story of the Morgan County Jane Doe, a 1950 Cold Case homicide from Berkeley Springs, WV. Stay tuned and let us know WHAT’S YOUR THEORY?
References:
YouTube:
Mysterious WV: Episode 3: The Morgan County Jane Doe
Newspapers:
The Hinton Daily News (Hinton, WV)
The Raleigh Register (Beckley, WV)
The Leader (Hinton, WV)
The Weirton Daily Times (Weirton, WV)
Websites:
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