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E262: Patricia Armentrout
2.6k Plays29 days ago
A name carries history, identity, and belonging—but what happens when it's lost to time? In 1984, the quiet town of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was rocked by a gruesome discovery along Interstate 65-- the discovery of a body. With no immediate clues to her identity, the woman became known only as "Bowling Green Jane Doe," her past a mystery and her voice silenced. Who was she? How did she end up there? And, more importantly, would she ever be given her name back? In this episode of Coffee and Cases, we unravel the story of a young woman whose identity was restored—but whose fate still raises more questions than answers.
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Transcript
The Significance of Names
00:00:00
Speaker
Think about the weight that rests within a name. It's often the first gift we receive, a carefully chosen identifier that can link us to generations past.
00:00:11
Speaker
For some, it's a cherished inheritance, a namesake echoing the love and legacy of a beloved grandparent. As we grow older, our names become synonymous with our very selves, growing into a professional hallmark, a brand that defines our achievements and reputation.
00:00:30
Speaker
Our names, in one instant, weave through family histories and our own successes, carrying both the warmth of shared memories and proud achievements and, at times, the complexities of familial bonds,
00:00:46
Speaker
But there are instances, profoundly heartbreaking, where that fundamental piece of identity is tragically erased. When the circumstances surrounding an individual's passing leave them without a voice, without a history immediately known, they become simply Jane Doe or John Doe.
00:01:05
Speaker
Sometimes
The Case of Bowling Green Jane Doe
00:01:06
Speaker
for years, even decades, they remain suspended in anonymity, their full story untold, their connections to the world severed, their very essence reduced to a placeholder or to their tragic ends until their given name can be reclaimed.
00:01:23
Speaker
Imagine the echoes of a life lived, once vibrantly attached to a name, now fading into the silence of the unidentified. Thankfully, today's story ends with at least one piece of that puzzle in place, as her name has now been returned.
00:01:40
Speaker
This is the case of the woman once known only as Bowling Green, Jane Doe.
00:02:01
Speaker
Oh
00:02:21
Speaker
Welcome to Coffee and Cases, where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Allison Williams. And my name is Maggie Dameron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement so justice and closure can be brought to these families.
00:02:40
Speaker
With each case, we
1984 Discovery in Bowling Green
00:02:41
Speaker
encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee in Cases Podcast, because, as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping keep their memories alive.
00:02:53
Speaker
So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week. Okay, Maggie. Just so you know, the bowling green I am speaking of is the one in Kentucky. oh I don't know if there are other bowling greens. Probably. i feel like... That's not a super uncommon weird name. I mean, I know we have some weird names. We do. I'm googling it.
00:03:13
Speaker
Okay. Are there other bowling greens? But the one in Kentucky... is decently large in terms of a city.
00:03:23
Speaker
Apparently, you just found multiple. Yeah, there's a list. There's like Florida, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois. so oh okay. Well, ours is not special, but is... Sorry, calling great. She just offended you all.
00:03:39
Speaker
Western Kentucky University. And in the time of this case that I'm going to cover, as the summer sun beat down on Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1984, the small city, as it was then, was alive with the sounds of laughter and music drifting from the local water park, Beach Bend, and And the smell of sizzling burgers floating through the air from backyard barbecues. This particular year, 1984, was marked by a sense of optimism and patriotism.
00:04:14
Speaker
The United States was gearing up to celebrate birthday July 4th. birthday on july fourth And, you know, in the years leading up to 1984, so between 1980 and 1984, Kentuckians and U.S. citizens had witnessed significant events that shaped our nation, including the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981, the introduction of the first personal computer, the IBM PC in 1981, and And the emergence of new technologies like the CD Proger. Yes. And the Apple Mac and Posh computer. So these were big. yeah
00:04:52
Speaker
The U.S. was a changing in the early 80s. In Bowling Green in the 80s, it was this perfect blend of innovative growth and rural small small town life. The population then was around 40,000.
00:05:06
Speaker
So I say small, but that's still compared to a lot of towns in Kentucky pretty big. And the city was surrounded by rolling hills and scenic farmland. The downtown area was bustling with activity, featuring a mix of old and new buildings, including the historic Warren County Courthouse and the newer shopping centers like the Bowling Green Mall.
00:05:29
Speaker
And the streets were filled with tall trees, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. The sound of cars driving down Main Street obviously provided a constant hum of activity.
00:05:40
Speaker
But as you would walk through the city, you would hear the chatter of friends and family gathering in local restaurants. There's an iconic restaurant called Chaney's Dairy Barn. Listen, anything with a dairy barn yeah it's going to be delish.
00:05:52
Speaker
Apparently, it has delicious ice cream and burgers. So, again, field trip yeah in our future. The smell of freshly cut grass, which...
00:06:03
Speaker
Like, my people with allergies know. Do you break out just thinking about it? Yeah, I do It's like as soon as... I smell it. It's like, yep, here come the hives. so like Bring it on.
00:06:16
Speaker
Do you at least like the smell or now it's like Pablos? like PTSD. It's all over it. it's all over it Well, for normal people, the smell of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers filled the air,
Efforts to Identify Jane Doe
00:06:30
Speaker
which obviously added to the charm of the city. On the outskirts of Bowling Green, for our car lovers out there, is General Motors' Corvette assembly plant, which is a major landmark. Was that the one that had the sinkhole? That was the museum. Okay. It had not, the Corvette museum had not opened
00:06:50
Speaker
In the 80s, but the plant was the plant was functioning. Yes, it was there. And obviously employed thousands of workers and produced, you know, an iconic American sports car.
00:07:02
Speaker
So, um again, Bowling Green was supposed to be. Yes. As the nation prepared to celebrate Independence Day, Bowling Green was also getting ready to host its own festivities, including parades, fireworks displays, and patriotic concerts.
00:07:19
Speaker
And the residents of Bowling Green, they were proud of its rich history, which dated back to the early eighteen hundred So, you know, is, and also near Bowling Green is Mammoth Cave National Park. It's my favorite.
00:07:36
Speaker
It's amazing. Anthony and to every fall break. We've done every tour, but um one, and then obviously the one where you like have to The sprawl. The spelunking. No.
00:07:47
Speaker
So that we haven't done. And then the one where you go down to like the river. We've not got to do that one. Oh, ah I've done that one. It's very cold. want to do But, yes. Probably not pregnant. But, yeah you know.
00:08:00
Speaker
But Mammoth Cave, that's a draw for international. Well, the Corvette Museum and Mammoth Cave. These are international draws for Kentucky's Bowling Green. So Kentucky's Bowling Green is special.
00:08:13
Speaker
She was just kidding. I was just kidding about the name. it was the 4th of July, 1984, when this case and takes place. A day typically associated with celebration, but for one man in Bowling Green, it would hold a much darker memory. I'm going to guess he stumbles upon a mannequin.
00:08:33
Speaker
Though not a mannequin, but yes. According to an article by Brennan Crane published on WBKO.com on October 22nd, 2024, a biologist and instructor at Western Kentucky University, Wayne Mason, had this beautiful morning that, you know, he decides he's going to just go out. He's doing biologist things. Well, he's going to go out picking blackberries, which amazing.
00:08:59
Speaker
I mean, the lee appeal. Yes. So he's going to go out picking blackberries in this local patch that's near the Green River Parkway, which is now known as I-65. It was a little rainy and overcast, but he was like, you know what? Going power through it, get these blackberries. But as he approached the blackberry patch, which was located about 40 feet from the northbound lanes,
00:09:27
Speaker
of the interstate. He stumbled upon a gruesome discovery that would shatter the tranquility of the community, spark a decades-long investigation, and ultimately lead to this mystery that haunted the
Breakthrough in Identification
00:09:42
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region for years.
00:09:44
Speaker
Instead of ripe berries, you were right, Maggie, Mason stumbled upon a human skull and articles of clothing lying on the ground.
00:09:55
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The initial shock, as you can imagine, unsettling nature of this find, was palpable. I mean, you'd think... You're just going along to pick blackberries. Yeah.
00:10:05
Speaker
And now, all of a sudden, you're confronted with mortality. Right? Like, in this. peaceful day has turned upside down. Yes. but Crane notes in that same article, quote, quickly shaken, Mason left the area and drove to the Kentucky State Police Post on Nashville Road, arriving at 1.30 that afternoon, end quote, to report this discovery. we have no cell phones.
00:10:28
Speaker
Okay. Right. To report this discovery to the the Kentucky State Police. So he finds it. You're right. No cell phone. So he's like, okay, let's drive straight to Kentucky State Police and report this. Except if this was me, I would be like, I don't know how to get to the Kentucky State Police. Yeah.
00:10:45
Speaker
And there's yeah there's no GPS on our ah phone. So, yeah. Or Maggie would be driving around phone like crying. Are you a cop? Are you a cop?
00:10:56
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Yeah, I need help. Trooper Elmore Smith was immediately dispatched to the scene where he confirmed the unsettling find. Soon after, a team of four detectives arrived, joined by the Warren County Deputy Coroner Kevin Kirby.
00:11:13
Speaker
As they secure the area, investigators uncovered the bones approximately 80 feet from the interstate. So, I mean, that's 80 feet. That's pretty far. But yeah it made sense. Maybe normally they wouldn't have been discovered, but he's going to the Blackberry patches.
00:11:32
Speaker
wonder if it was like... A more wooded area? Or it was it like, you know how sometimes they'll plant wildflowers along the interstate? Was it one of those types things? do not know. But even though the blackberry patches were at least 40 feet away from the interstate, so it's still a distance. So I'm going to guess it was more wooded.
00:11:52
Speaker
So, obviously, the investigators, they saw the bones that this professor had pointed out. And a few other clues to the identity of this person. There were strands of brown hair. Oh, that's good.
00:12:07
Speaker
That's DNA. Yes. a multicolored long-sleeved blouse, a pair of red corduroy Levi's, and cotton panties. So, they knew that this was ah woman. A woman.
00:12:20
Speaker
Other than that, though, the scene offered very little in the way of immediate answers regarding how this young woman came to be almost sounds like she was dumped there. Not murdered there, but...
00:12:31
Speaker
right Even the clothing, though offering a glimpse into her, provided no immediate leads to her identity. Because those are just i everyday things. Levi's. Yeah.
00:12:43
Speaker
Yeah. So, yeah, it wasn't something where like, oh, this is an interesting brand or the shirt
Ongoing Investigation into Patricia's Death
00:12:50
Speaker
mentions a band or something like that. Perhaps the remains they decided might provide more clues. Like you said, you heard hair and you were like, okay, yes. Or, you know, bones. Because we've talked about several cases where the bones themselves or the teeth or even the hair can tell backstory for the person. It can tell their age. Where they lived. Yes, where they lived. Their diet choices. I mean, it can reveal a lot of those things.
00:13:17
Speaker
So the remains were examined by forensic experts who began to piece together a physical profile of the deceased. It was estimated that the individual was a white female and likely a young girl with initial estimates placing her age somewhere between 12 and 20. Which I feel like sounds bigger than it is because 12 you think little girl and 20 you think young woman. Right.
00:13:46
Speaker
But I guess... But I guess a height-wise, you could be around the same height and weight at 12 and 20. Yeah. A lot of people have narrowed that age gap or age range to between 12 and 16 is the more likely.
00:14:01
Speaker
Her height was estimated to be between 4'8 and 5' even. So, again, like you said, Maggie, it could be just a shorter adult versus a child. And maybe that's why, you know, it can be hard.
00:14:14
Speaker
um to determine that. One source more specifically said fourfeit eleven ah Her weight was approximated to be between 90 and 115 pounds. So again, could be a petite woman or a teenager.
00:14:29
Speaker
While the hair was determined to be browned, like I just mentioned, the eye color apparently couldn't be determined due to the level of decomposition. Tragically, the cause of death was unknown. And obviously the circumstances surrounding her death and the placement of her remains beside what was a busy interstate were a complete mystery. So despite this lack of clarity regarding her death...
00:14:56
Speaker
Certain distinguishing features were noted that would prove vital later. According to Doe Network, examiners observed a healed injury to the back of her skull. Like a crack in the skull that had healed up? right because yeah she's It's like decomposed. She doesn't have skin back there. Right.
00:15:17
Speaker
Interesting. So that's a traumatic injury. But then you're thinking, okay, if this is somebody local, maybe there are medical records or maybe, right, that would indicate this. Or if you're missing, like, your kid and they said, they've healed from a traumatic head injury. Exactly. Oh, yeah, Sally fell off the monkey bars at three. Yes. Cracked her skull whatever. Yes.
00:15:39
Speaker
And I don't know how they could tell this next part because my understanding was that it the state of decomposition was very advanced. But one source, the Doe Network, also said a possible scar on her right elbow.
00:15:54
Speaker
So I don't know if they could tell something by, like, the... The bone or... Maybe that part hadn't fully decomposed yet? Maybe. I'm not sure. Maybe that's it. And then they're just like, is this due to decomposition or is there a scar here?
00:16:10
Speaker
Notably, and these details are also included in the entry on her case for the Doe Network, her dental records revealed she had dental work completed within four or five years prior to her death, including several fillings. Which that in of itself, I don't think is, like, people with feelings is common. Yeah.
00:16:33
Speaker
And I started thinking, okay, if that were done, you know, four or five years prior to her death, would that rule out a 12-year-old? Oh, right.
Engagement with Coffee and Cases Podcast
00:16:41
Speaker
Because then... They would still have temporary teeth, maybe? Right.
00:16:44
Speaker
So, I don't know... Or were they all permanent teeth? And, like, at what age do you get that? I think these were more permanent teeth. Furthermore, she displayed hypoplasia.
00:16:56
Speaker
which is a disorder affecting tooth enamel on two of her bottom middle teeth. So again, this should be something that maybe was in dental records. She obviously went to a dentist. Right. She had fillings.
00:17:11
Speaker
So these are things where, you know, these forensic experts are like, okay, we've got something. We don't know that she's technically from Bowling Green. Correct. then you're pulling dental records from like every dentist.
00:17:24
Speaker
and america a path Right. Or at least if you have somebody who says, oh, you know what? My sister potentially could have gone through Bowling Green. We have her dental records.
00:17:34
Speaker
Let's compare them. You know, so what it's at least a path toward identification. The initial phase of the investigation involved law enforcement quickly launching launching a search for missing women, combing through national databases of women who were missing in the region.
00:17:54
Speaker
Detectives actually spent weeks collaborating with forensic examiners, hoping that any of these details would align with existing missing persons reports. But did though.
00:18:05
Speaker
They did not. They ruled out 15 potential matches region. In that early stage. And those names of those potential matches actually stretched from Florida to Illinois. Wow. Yeah.
00:18:22
Speaker
And what I've decided to do is, even though these matches were ruled out, is in the next few weeks, I'm going to cover some of these other cases. Oh, interesting. So that way, you know, you can kind of see How the similarities were there. Right.
00:18:37
Speaker
Despite these efforts, the identity of the young woman found along the roadside wouldn't be known for decades. Luckily, because there are a lot of cases we've covered where I don't think people go into law enforcement become investigators if they don't care about finding answers. It's just that sometimes I think they become...
00:19:01
Speaker
Either they hone in too much on one particular theory, which i get can be easy to do or they are resistant to outside help Well, I want feel like that's with any profession, even with teaching. Right. People get complacent.
00:19:19
Speaker
Right. And if somebody tries to tell you to do something differently, you're like, ugh. Yeah. Why? Yeah. But these investigators, they were on it. And I just want you to imagine them because they were pouring over cash.
00:19:34
Speaker
countless missing person reports, each one obviously representing a family's enduring nightmare, and so they're taking it very seriously. Each detail about the Jane Doe, her estimated age, height, weight, hair color, even the clothes that she was found wearing, it was meticulously cross-referenced with the profiles of young women who had vanished, and you know their families are hoping for any potential match that you know And so so are the investigators because they want to find out the identity of this person.
00:20:07
Speaker
Do you? I mean, I don't know. and We probably have talked about this. But if a family member has a Jane Doe, do police say, hey, we have a possible, I guess they probably would, like we have a possible match for,
00:20:19
Speaker
Does X, y and z seem to apply to your missing loved one? I don't know if all of them do that. I'm sure some of them do that. I would imagine that many law enforcement agencies would send out descriptions of Jane Doe's to surrounding states. And so then those detectives would be like, oh, yeah. or if they put it out in the media, then anybody from any state, think about if they put it on Facebook or something like that, then anybody anywhere could tag somebody else or be like, hey, this kind of sounds like your sister, your daughter, your cousin, or whoever.
00:20:59
Speaker
But of all of those potential matches, none of them were the Bowling Green Jane Doe.
00:21:16
Speaker
One of the individuals considered in the search for Jane Doe's identity was Ann Gottlieb, which was case that we covered, who went missing from Louisville, Kentucky on June 1st, 1983. So barely over year prior. And so barely over a year prior Side note, if you want to hear more about her case, we covered it in episode 227. Which feels forever. Yes. So go listen to it if you want the complete story. But as a very condensed reminder, Anne was a 12-year-old girl with red hair.
00:21:51
Speaker
Though I guess, again, with decomposition, maybe could look brownish. And gray eyes standing at five foot one and weighing 85 pounds. so she fit... Yep. The timeline of her disappearance, roughly a year before the discovery of the Bowling Green Jane Doe, placed her within the time frame that investigators were considering for Jane Doe. They estimated that Bowling Green Jane Doe's time of death was somewhere between several months to two years prior to July 1984. from July 1982 until about May...
00:22:23
Speaker
from july nineteen eighty two until about may 1984. Somewhere around in there. So, Ann Gottlieb fits in there. Ann had last been seen near the Bashford Manor Mall in Louisville, Kentucky.
00:22:39
Speaker
Her family found her bicycle, remember. it's coming back to me now. Yep. Propped against a wall outside the department store. a detail that strongly suggested an abduction to investigators. We talked about actually several...
00:22:52
Speaker
Sadly, several individuals who could have been responsible for Anne's disappearance. Despite some similarities in age range, because remember the Jane Doe was estimated between 12 and 20, stronger leanings towards 12 and 16, Anne Gottlieb was 12.
00:23:08
Speaker
twelve She was, though, ultimately ruled out as a potential match for the Bowling Green Jane Doe. The differing hair color... Red versus Brown for Jane Doe.
00:23:20
Speaker
And the circumstances of their disappearances likely played a role in that exclusion. So, it remember, it there's like the cracked skull. There's dental records. So, we were able to rule her out.
00:23:32
Speaker
And while the discovery of Jane Doe's remains pointed to a tragic end, Ann Gottlieb's case does remain an active missing person investigation. so Again, equally heartbreaking for the families, but they said, nope, this is not Ann Gottlieb.
00:23:48
Speaker
As the investigation into the activity of this young woman found along Interstate 65 in July 1984 commenced, a lot of other names were considered, like Kimberly Rae Doss, Barbara Jean Monaco, Deborah McCall, and Tracy Ann Byrd.
00:24:05
Speaker
Again, heartbreaking stories of disappearance. And even though these are ruled out, I want to at least share a little bit about these cases because these are still unsolved cases.
00:24:16
Speaker
They're ones where there's not a whole lot of information out there. So since I have the opportunity and the platform to get these names out, I just want to tell you a little bit about each one of those. Well, I think it makes sense, too, because we can talk about how they potentially could have been.
00:24:30
Speaker
Right. Billingham Curb. kimberly raydoss disappeared from jacksonville florida on may twenty nine nineteen seventy nine she was sixteen years old she stood between five four and five five she weighed approximately one hundred and forty pounds she had brown hair and hazel or a blue eyes I think the reason why she was considered is, in some cases, the details of this Bowling Green Jane Doe were sent out.
00:24:59
Speaker
And people were like, um my sister was, you know, close to this age range, had brown hair. Could this be her? Even though, obviously, from those dates, we know that the date she disappeared is prior to. Yeah. And her height doesn't quite fit and her weight.
00:25:18
Speaker
Kimberly had been visiting a relative in Jacksonville, Florida, her hometown being Tampa, when she was last seen. Her mother tragically believed that Kimberly had been abducted by a motorcycle gang, suspecting that they were trying to leverage her to recover money that her uncle had allegedly stolen from them. That's terrifying.
00:25:39
Speaker
Mm-hmm. This theory, though, does remain unverified. That's just the theory that her mom has always held. In considering Kimberly as a potential match for the Bowling Green Jane Doe, investigators obviously would have noted the difference, like I just said, at the date of disappearance. She went missing in 1979, which was several years before the estimated time of Jane Doe's death.
00:26:02
Speaker
Which was, again, believed between late 1982 and right up to a few months prior to finding her in July 1984. Then you have the vast geographical distance between Jacksonville, Florida and Bowling Green, Kentucky. It doesn't make it impossible, but maybe more improbable that she was the man the match. Yeah.
00:26:25
Speaker
The search also extended to the disappearance of Barbara Jean Monaco, who went missing from Virginia Beach, Virginia. a little closer. Yeah, but on August 23rd, 1978. Oh, so even earlier. Yes, but she still was considered. Barbara, who had just turned 18, had been vacationing there with her older sister.
00:26:45
Speaker
And on the night of her disappearance, she left her sister around 1 a.m., intending to walk six blocks to a bar called Peabody's to meet a date. It's a long walk. Tragically, though, she never arrived, and witnesses reported actually seeing Barbara get into a car on Pacific Avenue with a handful of men.
00:27:07
Speaker
And I don't know if one of those was the potential date. Yeah, despite her sister's attempts to report her missing, police initially refused to take a report for 48 hours. Y'all, the way i rolled my eyes. know.
00:27:19
Speaker
48 hours is a long time. It's a very long time. Have they not seen the show, The First 48? Yeah, to know how important it is. In Barbara's case, just like Kimberly Doss, the date of her disappearance, like we just said, 1978, is considered too early. The estimated time frame of Bowling Green Jane Doe's death, and obviously, again, just like with Kimberly Doss, Virginia Beach, Virginia,
00:27:42
Speaker
is a significant distance from Bowling Green, Kentucky. So, again, ruled out. yeah Another missing person profile that was considered was Deborah McCall, who disappeared from Downers Grove, Illinois. Okay, closer. Yes, but on November 5th, 1979. Earlier. so i mean, I get, part of me is like, okay, why are we comparing all of these cases when it's clearly outside of the range? But, you know, I don't know how accurate, fully accurate.
00:28:15
Speaker
Especially if there is significant decomposition that you can be like, yep, it doesn't go past this date. Right. You know, so I get why. Because I guess it's the same as the age range. Right. She could be 12. She could be 16. It could be 20. Yeah. Yeah. So Deborah McCall went missing on November 5th, 1979. She was 16 years old. So fits in the age range. She was 5 foot 2. So that's close to the height, we're assuming.
00:28:38
Speaker
She weighed 105 pounds. We're right there in that range. Okay. She had long brown hair and gray eyes. So a lot of things match. Yeah, a lot of boxes can be checked. Yes, with with ah Deborah McCall.
00:28:52
Speaker
She was last seen leaving Downers Grove North High School. There was a prime suspect in Deborah's case. It was actually a serial killer named Bruce Lindahl, who was active in the Chicago area during the time. Oh, right. Because she's from Illinois. for Correct.
00:29:10
Speaker
Photos of young women, including one of Deborah, were found in his home after his death. So that's why a lot of people are like, okay, we think. Yeah, it's got to be him. Right. Because he has this photograph. Right.
00:29:25
Speaker
While the possibility of Lindahl's involvement in Deborah's disappearance is chilling, when considering her as a potential match for the Bowling Green Jane Doe, again, they can't just rule it out on a suspicion that the serial killer was involved. Right.
00:29:39
Speaker
But there were several discrepancies. Again, the disappearance in 1979, it is outside of the time frame. And even though her age and her hair color were in the possibilities for Jane Doe,
00:29:53
Speaker
Again, even for them in Illinois, even though we're closer, they were like, well, with this geographical difference, like... Was this really right? And again, they've got some DNA now. They could rule it out.
00:30:05
Speaker
So as you can see in reading about all these missing persons cases that were considered in the Bowling Green Jane Doe case, it felt like these law enforcement agencies, they're really looking. But you can tell kind of how desperate they were to close a lot of these longstanding open cases. They're like, well, let's go all the way down to Florida. Yeah. Let's at least test.
00:30:27
Speaker
So again, I give them props for that. And then another case investigators considered was that of Tracy Ann Bird, who went... Why do I feel like we've said these names before? Maybe we haven't, and they just...
00:30:43
Speaker
Maybe it's pregnancy brain. Yeah. Tracy Ann Bird went missing from Ben Salem Township, Pennsylvania. So, again, we're going a little bit further away.
00:30:54
Speaker
But on March 1983. So, we're a little bit closer to the time frame. Tracy was 13 years old. Okay. When she was being, last seen being dropped off at Ben Salem High School. Though she never attended classes before.
00:31:09
Speaker
that And I'm sure that was before the school called and was like, hey, you know, your kid's not here. Right. Or you got a text saying you're your kid is absent. Tragically, seven months after Tracy's disappearance, her mother oh also vanished, though her remains were later found.
00:31:26
Speaker
Tracy's mother's boyfriend, who was the last person to reportedly see Tracy as well. Oh, prime suspect. was arrested for her murder, but he subsequently committed suicide. So we, again, is this a sign of guilty conscience?
00:31:42
Speaker
Did he have something to do with Tracy's disappearance? We don't know. The date of Tracy's disappearance, though, March 7th, 1983, it does fall within the earlier part yeah of the potential time frame for Bowling Green Jane Doe. But it's quite a distance, though. Definitely quite a distance. So again, painstaking process of elimination.
00:32:04
Speaker
Each of these people were eventually ruled out. So despite this lack of identification, the investigation into the Bowling Green Jane Doe case persisted for decades. So they're not giving up.
00:32:20
Speaker
Law enforcement used various methods to try and give this young woman her name back. For example, multiple depictions of how she may have looked during her life were developed, specifically in 1984. Oh, so not long after was discovered. The same year of the discovery, a clay facial approximation was created. Yeah, they do...
00:32:43
Speaker
Yeah, versus a drawing. But it did give this tangible representation of the face. Right. You know, decades later, with advancements in technology, further attempts were made through facial reconstructions that were released in 2013 and again in 2018, with each iteration offering...
00:32:59
Speaker
eighteen with each iteration offering this renewed hope that somebody somewhere would recognize the face of the girl known only as Bowling Green Jane Doe or in some cases Warren County Jane Doe. Well, now I want to see, because I know we know who she is. i want to see like the progression of Clay to. Okay.
00:33:20
Speaker
Yes. I will share that. Yes. While these multiple visual representations over the years, sadly, again, did not lead to breakthroughs or direct identification, they were crucial in generating leads and expanding the search beyond the immediate vicinity of Bowling Green, like you saw in our case comparisons.
00:33:39
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Details of this case, including these reconstructions, were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Person system, so name us, as UP, Unidentified Person 102.
00:33:53
Speaker
As investigators delved into national databases of missing persons, even more potential matches were considered and rolled out. But that effort led to the consideration of, like I said earlier, at least 15 potential matches, and So, again, it just shows how much effort they were putting in.
00:34:12
Speaker
Detective Alan Shirley of the Kentucky State Police described the sheer volume of information they processed, stating, quote, there were several different leads, mountains and mountains of leads. is crazy because she's a Jane Doe and you feel like there wouldn't be...
00:34:26
Speaker
That many leads. but Well, I guess it's every. Right. Missing person case. Well, that's true. That's coming in. Of different persons all over the country that people thought could be related to this individual. End quote.
00:34:38
Speaker
And like I said before, Kentucky State Police never stopped searching and they never stopped comparing. And I wish all departments maintain that same rigorous seeking of answers.
00:34:49
Speaker
But again, after nearly four decades of that rigorous searching, Finally, Bowling Green Jane Doe would be identified. Well, I'm excited to figure out how they found out who she was.
00:35:03
Speaker
All of the efforts of law enforcement finally yielded a breakthrough. In a testament to the power of advancing forensic technology, the Kentucky State Medical Examiner's Office teamed with Othram. Okay. Okay. And we talked about them a lot. Many times.
00:35:17
Speaker
In a renewed effort to extract and analyze DNA from their remains, at Hawthorne's Laboratory in the Woodlands, Texas, scientists worked meticulously to develop a DNA extract suitable for forensic-grade genome sequencing.
00:35:33
Speaker
And this advanced technique allowed for the creation of a comprehensive DNA profile for Jane Doe, which is like a digital blueprint with a key to her past and to her name.
00:35:44
Speaker
And with that detailed DNA profile in hand, Authram's forensic genetic genealogy team embarked on the process of tracing familial connections through gene genealogical research.
00:35:58
Speaker
And these newly developed leads were then passed back to the officials at the Kentucky State Medical Examiner's Office, who followed up with an investigation, some extensive interviews, searching of records. Again, that she ah dedication. Yes.
00:36:14
Speaker
So eventually, Warren County Jane Doe got her name back. She was Patricia Armantrout. Was she from Bowling Green? No. Okay. She was from quite far away. So, again, they weren't really all that. Patricia was born on April 1964. So she 20. Oh.
00:36:33
Speaker
so she was twenty oh Look at them. Yeah. She was born in Bethesda, Maryland. So a distance. Yes.
00:36:44
Speaker
However, her journey was marked by complexities. What it revealed was that Patricia had been adopted and lived most of her life under a different name. So they were facing kind of struggles previously.
00:37:01
Speaker
From the beginning, because obviously her DNA says her name is Patricia Armandrout. But her records say. Exactly. She was so under another name. Yes.
00:37:12
Speaker
So that explained why traditional missing person databases. Oh, duh. Yeah, it didn't yield any matches. But the confirmation of her identity did come through the discovery of a Maryland birth certificate from a family member and another state.
00:37:29
Speaker
So this identification of Patricia Armantrout represents a significant milestone in the Bowling Green-Jade Doe case because this act of identification It's not just about solving a cold case. It's about acknowledging the life that was lost and beginning to piece together the circumstances surrounding her death.
00:37:48
Speaker
So while Patricia has finally been identified... and We're still, I guess, trying to figure out why she's dead. Exactly. The investigation into her death in her final days is still ongoing. But at least now...
00:38:02
Speaker
authorities even though they're still seeking information from anyone who may have details about her life, now we at least know whose life we're asking about. Right, and I guess technically they would be asking, did you know Patricia?
00:38:16
Speaker
Or, right, did you know whatever her adopted And you know, shockingly, none of my research said what her adopted name was. And I don't know why, because if she lived her whole life... As the other person.
00:38:29
Speaker
and i mean, not the other person, but you know what saying. Under this other Then more people would know her by the adopted name. Right. um Get on it, state police. Yeah.
00:38:40
Speaker
It is hoped, though, that with her name restored, further details of her backstory and obviously the events leading to her discovery will eventually come to light. And I can only hope that one day her full story can be told.
00:38:55
Speaker
And so, after nearly four decades of anonymity, the placeholder of Bowling Green Jane Doe has finally been replaced by the name that was her first gift. the identifier that connects her to her beginnings, Patricia Armentrout.
00:39:11
Speaker
Think back to the weight of a name, as we discussed in the introduction. For Patricia, the weight of her name had been tragically lifted and then lost, only to be rediscovered through the tireless efforts of investigators and the advancements of forensic science.
00:39:26
Speaker
To be known, to be called by your name, is a fundamental aspect of human dignity. For Patricia, this basic right was suspended for so long, her story untold, her existence marked only by the label of unidentified.
00:39:41
Speaker
Now, with her name reclaimed, the power of that identifier can begin to weave through the present, potentially unlocking memories, connections, and ultimately answers about her final days.
00:39:54
Speaker
while the return of her name is a momentous step. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Patricia's death remains open. If you have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, about Patricia Armentrout, about her life, or about the time leading up to her discovery in July of 1984, please contact the Kentucky State Police Post 3 at 1-270-5504.
00:40:18
Speaker
at one two seven zero 782-2010 or case and finally providing justice for Patricia Armentrout. five five five five you could be the key to bring in closure in this decades old case and finally providing justice for patricia armmenttro Again, please like and join our Facebook page, Coffee in Cases Podcast, to continue the conversation and see images related to this episode.
00:40:47
Speaker
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00:40:59
Speaker
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00:41:09
Speaker
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