On November 13, 1966, the decomposed body of a male was found in the Hiawatha National Forest in Trout Lake, Chippewa County, Michigan. The man's cause of death was determined to be a homicide by gunshot to the head. The victim was aged between 19 and 25, although he may have been up to 30 years old when he died. He was approximately tall and weighed. His hair was around long and was brown with a reddish tint. He was dressed in a tan shirt with jeans, and had both American and Canadian currency in his shirt pocket, leading officers to believe he was of Canadian nationality. Additionally, he was found near the border of the Canadian province of Ontario. A gold and chrome-colored lighter, and a set of five Canadian-style keys on a key ring, with the number "330" etched in it, were also found with the remains. The man's belongings and clothing no longer exist, as they were destroyed. He is believed to have died approximately six months before his discovery.
Wayne County Jane Doe (1987)
On February 10, 1987, the body of a young woman, aged 16 to 25, was located in a dump in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. The victim was deceased less than two days and had been stabbed to death. She was approximately tall and weighed around. The victim had given birth eight weeks to one year prior, and she was lactating. A scar from an episiotomy was also found on her body. Her hair was brown with red and blond highlights, and was styled with a long nape with various layers. She was slender, but had an athletic build and an O blood type. Her nails were painted with pink polish, and she had brown or hazel eyes. A worn black bikini bottom was the only clothing she wore. Two rings were found on her left hand, one on her index finger and one on her ring finger, indicating she may have been married. She also had pierced ears. Along with some other unidentified decedents from Detroit, the victim was exhumed in 2014 for additional examination. The DNA Doe Project is assisting with the victim's case.
"Betty The Bag Lady" (1992)
The remains of a woman were found on August 23, 1992 in New Buffalo, Berrien County, Michigan. The victim was nude, and between the ages of 65 and 75 when she was murdered. The victim was wrapped in a bed sheet, two garbage bags, and a towel, and left alongside a highway. Her hands were severed to prevent identification through fingerprint examination. The victim was also missing her dentures, as she had no teeth. The body was at the scene for approximately two days, but she was killed four to seven days before. The woman may have been from a nursing home in Illinois or Indiana. She was believed to have been five feet two inches tall and weighed around 102 pounds. The DNA Doe Project was asked to assist with identifying the body in December, 2019.
"Matilda"
On November 6, 1994, the skeletal remains of a young-middle aged woman of unknown race was discovered by a pair of hunters in a cornfield in Coopersville, Michigan. Cause of death could not be the determined, but investigators are treating the case as a homicide. She had most likely died between August or September of that year. She was between 30 and 45 years old, was between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighed 160 pounds. She had red/dark brown hair. She also had severe arthritis in her left leg, which may have caused her to limp. She also had a healed fracture on her lower back. Sixteen of her teeth were missing, and one tooth had a filling. Some clothing items were found on the scene, but it is unknown if they are related to the case. They include a pair of black stretch pants, pink panties with blue stripes, and blue high-heeled shoes. Investigators believe she may have been a victim of an unknown serial killer who preyed on prostitutes in the area, similar to the Kent County Jane Doe.
The body of a female between 15 and 25 years old was located in an alley in Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan on May 20, 1996. The victim was shot in the neck. The young woman weighed and was tall. She is presumed to be a mix of white and African-American. Her hair was reddish-brown, curly, and tied with a white bow in a ponytail. She wore a distinctive white shirt with yellow smiley faces, a white bra, white socks, black shoes, and a teddy-bear shaped wristwatch. Her eyes were brown, like her hair. The victim's teeth had three fillings and untreated decay, although no teeth had been removed. She is also believed to have been a tobacco smoker; other than this, she is believed to have been drug-free. She had type O blood and painted her nails; her fingernails were purple, and her toenails were pink. Other distinguishing features included many freckles on her face and a scar under her right knee. The victim also had pelvic inflammatory disease.
On July 31, 1997, the partial skeletal remains of a young African American female were discovered in a wooded area in Ada Township, Michigan. Cause of death could not be determined, however investigators believe she was the victim of a homicide. She had possibly died between March and August of the previous year. She was estimated to be between 20 and 30 years old and was between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall. Weight, hair color, and eye color could not be ascertained. She had a healed fracture on her nose at the bridge, which investigators described as 'noticeable'. She was found wearing a navy blue leg warmer. Investigators believe that she may have been a victim of an unknown serial killer who preyed on prosititutes in Ottawa, Kent, and Muskegon counties during the mid 1990's. The DNA Doe Project was asked to assist with woman's identification in July, 2020.
Wayne County Jane Doe (2005)
On July 13, 2005, the severely deteriorated body of a 35- to 60-year-old woman was found naked inside an abandoned building in Detroit, Michigan. The woman had extremely poor dentition, possibly due to methamphetamine use. However, her toenails and fingernails were well cared for. She had short auburn and grey hair, and was approximately tall. The skull was reconstructed twice, once with clay and the other by drawing.
Wayne County Jane Doe (2006)
An African-American woman of slender build, reported to be a sex worker, was discovered on June 5, 2006, around a week after her death. She had been strangled and suffered trauma to the head. She was between 20 and 30 years of age, and had been left in a deserted building. The clothing she wore included a red T-shirt, a blue jacket decorated with flags, and Nike shoes. One of her front teeth was missing; her oral care was not well performed. Shelley Brooks, a serial killer, confessed to killing her and six other women, and remains incarcerated for the rest of his life.
Wayne County Jane Doe (2009)
The partially mummified remains of a woman were located in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan on March 26, 2009 in an alley. The woman's cause of death is unknown, but she was found without clothing, which indicates homicide. The victim was between 25 and 45 years old, and around tall. Because of the state of her body, her weight could not be estimated; the Jane Doe was deceased for approximately eight months. Judging by a wad of hair found at the scene, she may have had red or auburn hair when she was alive. Examining the woman's bones suggested that she had given birth to at least one child and had trauma to her back before she died, which likely caused her pain.
