Fond du Lac County Jane Doe

Fond du Lac County Jane Doe, also known as "Jane Fond du Lac Doe", is an unidentified female discovered on November 23, 2008 in Ashford, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. She has yet to be identified, although many efforts have been made to discover who she was. Investigators believe that it is possible that she may not have been from the area. Her face was reconstructed digitally by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2009 to give an approximation of how she may have appeared in life. The victim was between fifteen and twenty-one years old when she died, placing her year of birth to be between 1987 and 1994. Discovery: The remains of a young woman were found frozen in a creek by hunters on November 23, 2008, in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, near an abandoned farm. To extract the body, investigators were forced to chisel away the ice and scuba divers searched the bottom for evidence. Some articles of clothing were found, including a black and pink top with a pink bow, originating from Family Dollar, distributed in the spring of 2008. The underclothing that she wore, also from Family Dollar, was shipped only between July 1 and July 15, 2008. Her jeans were that of the Angels brand and the bottom of the legs had been rolled up, somewhat, and an elastic ponytail holder was found on her wrist. No socks or shoes were found at the scene. Initially, no jewelry was found, until a penny-sized St. Benedict medal was found by divers, but it may not have belonged to her, as examiners could not be certain how long it had been in the water. However, some reports claim that a bracelet containing several pendants was also found on the girl's remains. The hair was a shoulder-length light brown, possibly having hair highlights due to having some different shades. The clothing had caused some issues with investigators, as many of the different articles were in various sizes. Examination: Determining the cause of death was inconclusive, as the severe decomposition on the body had removed all signs of possible violence from the remains. However, the case is believed to have been a murder, as suicide was eliminated as a possibility of the girl's death. The circumstances of the location of the remains had also sparked suspicion among authorities. Toxicology tests were conducted to see if any drugs or alcohol had been in her system, yet the results were never released. Although the body was found in autumn, she had died in the summer, two to four months previously. This was established by examining traces from insects that were found on the remains. She had an overbite, and some fillings and dental sealants were found on the upper molars with no current cavities. The overbite was not described as extreme, but may have been noticeable, which could be a reliable feature depicted in her facial reconstruction. The estimated height was between 4'10" and 5'4", the victim being between fifteen and twenty-one years old and weighing between 110 to 135 pounds, at an "average frame". Examiners believe she was either white or Hispanic, although Native American and Asian races cannot be ruled out. She also may have been biracial. Other physical characteristics included a healed rib fracture and being pigeon toed or knock-kneed, which may have been noticeable when she walked, as her feet were slanted inward. She also suffered from spina bifida occulta, but may have been unaware of the condition. To obtain DNA information, her femur was transported to the University of Texas. Investigation: At least 200 leads have been explored into discovering the identity of the victim. A computer-generated reconstruction was created from the skull by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children from mortuary photographs and a CT scan of the skull that were submitted to the center. The reconstruction of the victim generated over two hundred tips that did not produce solid leads, as the composite apparently resembled a large number of missing people. Former missing person Amanda Berry, one of several possible identities of the Jane Doe, was ruled out by DNA analysis. She was recovered alive in 2013. Besides Amanda Berry, two other individuals that were eventually located were also ruled out of the case: Connie McCallister and Brittany Peart. McCallister, native to Wisconsin, was abducted at age 16 and taken to Mexico. She was eventually recovered alive after meeting a "church missionary" that reported the find to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Brittany Peart disappeared in July 2008 from Elkton, Maryland. Peart's remains were located and identified in December 2011. Her cause of death remains unreleased. The Jane Doe's body was buried in 2011 after the investigation turned cold. Television shows such as America's Most Wanted were contacted to broadcast the case to possibly reveal new clues. A Facebook page was also created to generate leads for the case.