List of unidentified murder victims in New York
In New York state, there are a number of murder victims in the category of unidentified decedents. In these cases, the murderer has never been identified.
Ulster County John Doe
A frozen male corpse was found on February 1, 1970 in the Ulster County town of Saugerties, at the bottom of a slope near Platte Clove Road by two children who were out sledding. He was aged between 35 and 45 and had been shot four times in the back of the head. The victim was approximately tall and weighed about. He had dark brown hair, with balding at the crown. He was wearing a tan three-quarter length raincoat over a dark green suit with faint pinstripes; beneath was a blue dress shirt and black silk Playboy Enterprises tie with pajamas underneath. On his feet were gray socks and size 8 black dress shoes covered by black Canadian-made Wings rubbers. In his pocket he had $156 in cash, but no identification.He appeared to be from outside the United States, most likely Brazil. His suit has been described as "European-style". On his wrist was an Omega Seamaster wristwatch that had been sold in a Portuguese coastal resort town. His other accessory was a gold ring whose stamp indicated it had been made in Brazil, set with an imitation ruby of Portuguese manufacture. His undershirt was a Brazilian store brand, made in Taiwan; the bullets used to kill him also appeared to be a Brazilian brand.
The death is believed to be gang-related. Members of local organized crime groups were questioned, but never revealed who the victim was. In 2015, investigators had the body exhumed and sent samples for a DNA profile; so far there have been no matches to those in any database.
Onondaga County John Doe
On June 16, 1976, the decomposing remains of a young white male were found by three fishermen in the Oswego River, in Lysander, New York. He had been smothered to death and then tied to two cinder blocks to keep him submerged in the water. Investigators believe that he was dead for between two to five weeks, however he could have been dead for up to a year. He was estimated to be between 25 and 35 years old, was 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighed between 130 and 140 pounds. He had brown, medium length hair and what was described as a thin, jagged nose. He was also of a thin build. He was found wearing a beige, cashmere, pullover sweater, a blue turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, a pair of nylon bikini shorts with a red trim, brown, leather, half-boots with side zippers, blue cotton socks, a gold chain with the charms of an Italian "Mano Cornuto" symbol, and a cornicello or Bull-horn shaped ornament. $0.87 USD and a good luck charm from South of the Border in South Carolina were also found on his person.Investigators found that the Comuto symbol was of Italian origin, with "Como" meaning horn and "Mano" meaning hand. The gesture that the hand depicts the pinkie and pointer finger extended to the air, while the other three fingers are curled. It is in reference to the horned head of the animal. The symbol is believed to ward off evil, and is a popular amulet found among descendants of Italian immigrants.
Chautauqua County Jane Doe
On the morning of December 6, 1983, a woman's body was found by utility workers in a roadside ditch alongside eastbound NY 17 in the Chautauqua County town of Ellery. She had been shot four times: twice in the chest, once in the mouth and once in the back. The woman carried documents available in European countries and in Canada and had dental work appearing to use European techniques. The victim had brown eyes and graying brown hair, and was also estimated to have given birth to a child within the last 15 years. She was between 33 and 37 years of age when she had died, hours before being found. She was around tall and weighed around. It is suspected that she may have been Canadian, as she carried a handwritten note with indecipherable abbreviations that originated from an establishment in British Columbia. She had some distinct characteristics: a wart was visible above her left eye, a mole was found behind the left ear and a scar was visible on her neck. The victim's clothing has caused some issues with determining her social class, as she wore both expensive and inexpensive clothing. The undershirt she wore originated from Italy and was not worth a lot of money. This product had also not been circulated globally. She also wore a multicolored trench coat that was fairly expensive, along with a pullover and a "handmade" skirt.Putnam County John Doe (1985)
On April 2, 1985, a man's remains were found nearly two years after his death, in Philipstown, Putnam County, New York. He was found with a dress shirt along with shorts, two pairs of pants with army coloring and corduroy material and work boots. Several pairs of underwear and socks were also found at the scene. A map of New York and New Jersey, a comb, dental floss and playing cards were among his possessions. At one time in his life, he received orthodontic care.Westchester County Jane Doe (1988)
On February 14, 1988, the "posed" nude body of a woman was found on a street in Mount Vernon, Westchester County, New York. The victim had been dead for approximately six to twelve hours, and was bound at the wrists and ankles and had died from ligature strangulation as well as suffering a beating. She was aged 18 to 30, with hazel eyes and with bleached, light brown or blonde hair. She was 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighed 105 pounds, and had pierced ears without earrings. She had numerous freckles and moles. Her underarms had not been shaved for approximately two weeks, but her pubic area was recently shaved. This detail has led some investigators to presume she could have been a prostitute. The fact that the rest of the body showed an absence of shaving, it has also been suggested she was foreign to the United States, and could be of South American descent. Her nails were painted pink prior to her death. No clothing was found at or near the scene. An autopsy found that she had ingested cocaine and broccoli before her murder, which may have been the work of a serial offender.Irondequoit Jane Doe
On July 31, 1988, a skeleton was found in a shallow grave by a boy who was digging at the edge of his family's property in Irondequoit, Monroe County, New York. No signs of trauma were found, but the cause of death was ruled as a homicide.The remains were those of a white female between 4 feet 10 inches and 5 feet 5 inches tall. Her weight, hair color, and eye color could not be determined. She had received significant dental restoration in life, including gold foil fillings.
The victim, who was between 15 and 19 years of age, may have been deceased for as long as 10 to 30 years before the discovery of her body. No clothing was found at the scene. A single white button, which may have belonged to the victim, was found near the remains.
Yonkers Jane Doe
On June 27, 1992, the dismembered body of a young-middle aged white female was discovered in a trash bin at a shopping center, near the New York Thruway in Yonkers, New York. She was estimated to be between 28 and 42 years old, was 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighed between 115 and 140 pounds. She had dark brown hair and hazel eyes, as well as a tattoo of a butterfly on her right shoulder. She had two Cesarean section scars, a scar on her left thigh, and pierced ears. She was found wearing a short sleeved, light blue denim jacket and a white bra.She was confirmed to be one of two unidentified victims of serial killer Robert Shulman. His modus operandi matched up with how the victim was found, leading investigators to believe that she was a prostitute and may have abused narcotics. The other unidentified victim was a young white female discovered in a garbage can in Medford, New York.
Long Island serial killer victims
The dismembered corpses of several females discovered between 1996 and present day."Peaches"
The torso of a woman found in 1997. She is known for her unique peach tattoo.Woodbury John Doe
On May 3, 1998, the skeleton of a black male was found in the Orange County town of Woodbury. He had been shot twice in the head by two guns of different calibers and left near a rest area for hikers. His body had been wrapped in plastic and he was fully clothed. He carried a hair pick, a lighter and a French to English dictionary, indicating that he may have been from a Francophone country. Although the body was found in 1998, he was believed to have died as early as 1985. He was knock-kneed and between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 11 inches in height, although he was more likely around 5 feet 9 inches. He had been between 17 and 25, but could have been as old as 35. He wore a blue jacket, a black shirt containing a pot of gold design with the words "follow your dreams," jeans and sneakers from the Pony company. He had had dental work, including fillings, crowns and a possible root canal. He had suffered a fracture of his right hand some weeks prior to death.Suffolk County John Doe
On March 9, 2000, the nearly-fully decomposed remains of a young white/Hispanic male were discovered by a NYDOT inspector near a chain link fence off of the shoulder of the Northern State Parkway in Huntington, New York. He had been shot three to five times by a large caliber pistol and stuffed into a garbage bag. He was estimated to have been dead for two months. He was estimated to be between 25 and 45 years old, was between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet tall, and weighed between 140 and 150 pounds. He had short, dark brown/black hair. His teeth were severely decayed, and eight teeth were missing entirely. He was found wearing a khaki colored, short sleeved, v-neck shirt with a black trim, a "New Jersey" T-shirt depicting a seaside scene with an "Atlantic City" emblem on it, blue jeans, and a bathing suit. It was noted that contract workers had been working on installing light fixtures in the area the December prior.Wayne County Jane Doe (2002)
On August 29, 2002, the skeletal remains of a young, African American female and fetus were discovered next to a roadway near a state-access boat launch in Huron, New York. Cause of death could not be ascertained, but is deemed a homicide. She was estimated to be between 20 and 40 years old and between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 6 inches tall. She had red/brown-red hair that was possibly dyed, and was 7-8 months pregnant with the aforementioned fetus. She had been wrapped in a tan shower curtain with royal-blue shower rings. The area is between Rochester and Syracuse, New York, and investigators believe that her body had been dumped at the location after being killed elsewhere.Investigators believe that she may be connected to six unsolved homicides in the area which occurred over the last two years, however nothing has been confirmed. Investigators have interviews various potential witnesses or doctors who may have treated her during her pregnancy. She was possibly a migrant worker.