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KYF690601; Harlan
Topic Started: May 5 2008, 06:23 AM (1,032 Views)
ELL
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Caroline" was believed to be white
about five foot three,
medium build
reddish-blonde hair
she had a broken collar bone at one point during her life that had healed

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Mountain Cold Case - Unidentified Girl - 1969 Save Email Print

Posted: 10:27 PM May 4, 2008
Last Updated: 11:58 PM May 4, 2008
Reporter: Steve Hensley
Email Address: steve.hensley@wymtnews.com

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Mountain Cold Case - Unidentified Girl - 1969 - Steve Hensley Reports



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A | A | A Anyone who was alive in Harlan County in 1969 probably remembers the story of a young woman found stabbed to death on Pine Mountain. Nearly 40 years later, it's still not known who she was, where she came from, and who killed her.

After a short walk through a wooded area on a hill overlooking the city of Harlan, you'll find a grave marker that simply says, Unidentified Girl Burial, June 5th, 1969, Colonial Chapel. Newspaper articles at the time say a man picking flowers found the woman's nude, decomposed body about 50 feet off the Little Shepherd Trail. She'd been stabbed in the chest.

"People in Harlan were scared to death to let their girls go out on dates," said Joe Mahan, former funeral home owner.

Mahan, who is mainly confined to a bed at the Harlan Nursing Home, believes he's one of only two people still alive that saw the murder scene. Mahan was a funeral home owner and retrieved the young woman's body. He says he still thinks about her all the time.

"It still stays with me. I've prayed a lot over this hoping that she can be identified and maybe the killer be identified," Mahan said.

Mahan paid for the woman's casket himself and members of the Harlan County Rescue Squad served as pallbearers when she was buried.

"I just couldn't put that little girl in a casket knowing what she may have gone through, maybe on that mountainside some night, screaming for help," Mahan said.

"It doesn't appear that anyone ever looked for her. It doesn't appear to me that anyone's looking for her now," said author Darla Jackson.

Jackson wrote about the unidentified girl in a book called Harlan County Haunts. Jackson's uncle lived near the cemetery where she's buried for a short time several years ago and believes she tried to communicate with him from beyond the grave.

"He actually saw her and she was simply staring out a window," she said.

Incredibly, Jackson says her uncle believes the woman was guiding him to the answers nobody else could find. She told him her name was Caroline, that she was from Ohio, and even mentioned the name of her killer. Of course, none of this has been proven, although an order ticket from a Cincinnati, Ohio restaurant was found near the body.

"She would like to go home. She's not familiar with this area, she feels like she doesn't belong here, she doesn't like to be referred to as the unidentified girl," Jackson said.

Even though decades have passed, those who remember the murder, and who've studied it, would still like to know who "Caroline" was.

"Once you hear this tragic story, you can't help but be touched by it," Jackson said.

"Everyone would like closure involving this little girl," Mahan said.

"Caroline" was believed to be white, about five foot three, with a medium build and reddish-blonde hair. Joe Mahan says she had a broken collar bone at one point during her life that had healed.

To contact Author Darla Jackson's, you can send an e-mail to rdjackson@kih.net
http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/18566989.html
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http://z10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/in...showtopic=32218
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10 Years - 10 Stories: Mountain Cold Case
Posted: 12:28 AM May 23, 2009
Last Updated: 12:28 AM May 23, 2009
Reporter: Steve Hensley
Email Address: steve.hensley@wymtnews.com

Last year, our Steve Hensley did a six month series on cold murder and missing person cases in Eastern Kentucky. All of them are memorable, but this one stands out because the victim still has not even been identified and it includes a ghost sighting! A young woman was found stabbed to death on Pine Mountain in Harlan County in 1969. The 40th anniversary of her burial is two weeks from Friday.
http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/45885027.html#

video at link
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http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=10643465

HARLAN, Ky. (AP) - The identity of a woman tagged only with the name "Caroline" has remained a mystery in eastern Kentucky for four decades.
Darla Jackson heard the legend of the mysterious woman and now is hoping DNA testing can help shed light on who "Caroline" really is and how she ended up dead along the side of a road in Harlan County in 1969.
The Harlan Daily Enterprise reports that Jackson, a local author, is seeking to have the woman's body exhumed and her DNA entered into a national database with the hope of finding a match.
A man picking flowers along Little Shepherd Trail in 1969 found the partially nude and badly decomposed woman. The only things with the women were a ticket stub and parts of a man's sweater.

Information from: Harlan Daily Enterprise, http://www.harlandaily.com
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http://www.harlandaily.com/pages/ful...e_right_column

A mystery discovered in Harlan County four decades ago may soon have some light shed on it as plans are under way to exhume the body of a young woman who was never identified.

The remains of a young woman were discovered on Little Shepherd Trail in 1969 by a Harlan County man picking flowers along that road, and to this day her identity remains a mystery.

According to old police records and reports from the Harlan Daily Enterprise, the young woman appeared to be in her late teens to early 20s and also appeared to have been murdered.

While her badly decomposed body was discovered partially nude, the only evidence left at the scene was a ticket stub found within feet of the body and parts of a man's sweater.

The late Dr. Phillip J. Begley, who served as Harlan County coroner at that time, determined that the woman had died from stab wounds, and since there were no DNA resources available then, the case soon became known as one of Harlan County's cold cases.

After unsuccessful attempts were made to identify the young woman, she was laid to rest at the Harlan Gas Cemetery — now referred to as the “Pauper's Cemetery” — where she was destined to remain until four decades later.

Darla Jackson, a local author, said she became interested in the facts and the story behind the young woman when the legend was practically handed down to her from other family members.

“My uncle was very intrigued by who this young woman could be and who could have done something like this to her,” said Jackson.

Jackson, who dedicated a huge portion of her book “Harlan County Haunts” to this young woman and her uncle's interest in the story, said her uncle had tagged her as “Caroline.”

The book, which was published last year, prompted speculation and controversy over the young woman's identity and became one of the top cold cases featured on WYMT anchorman Steve Hensley’s “Mountain Cold Case” segments.

Jackson said she recently was notified by the Mountain News team that last year’s story about the young woman had been chosen as one of the news station’s top 10 stories of the last 10 years, and she once again found herself in the media with this story.

Jackson said with so many people becoming interested in the identity of the young woman, she has come to the realization that it is time to attempt to find out who she is and where she belongs.

With today's modernized means of determining identity through the use of DNA, Jackson said she realized the best way to attempt to find her family would be to have her body exhumed and tested for possible DNA matches in the national database.

With the help of several others, Jackson has begun the procedures to have the body exhumed and is currently awaiting the young woman’s death certificate.

Harlan County Coroner Phillip Bianchi, who will serve as the director of the exhumation, said he recently applied to Frankfort for the search of a death certificate for proof that the woman is actually buried in the spot in question.

“I first have to wait to make sure there is a death certificate on her, in which I am sure there is, and then I will have to take it before the judge (Russell Alred) in order to get a court order to exhume the body,” said Bianchi. “There are processes that we have to go through to get this sort of thing done, but I am sure we can get it done.”

Jackson also contacted Todd Matthews, of Livingston, Tenn., a national researcher who is best known for his role in helping determine the identity of a young woman discovered and buried in Georgetown who became known as the “Tent Girl.”

The story of the “Tent Girl” can be viewed by logging onto www.tentgirl.com.

Matthews, who traveled to Harlan several weeks ago, has agreed to assist Jackson and Bianchi with the quest and plans to return when the body is scheduled to be exhumed.

Jackson also noted that besides possibly being able to identify the woman, exhuming her body may also provide the opportunity for her to be reburied in a better location for people to be able to visit her grave more often.

“I am very pleased with the recent events. I feel this crime is finally getting the attention it deserves,” said Jackson.

While a search for missing women was conducted locally at the time of the discovery, no one locally claimed the body. A restaurant ticket stub found near the remains indicated that the woman was either from out of state or that she had recently been visiting another state, leading some investigators at the time to believe she was brought to the area from a Northern state.

Both Jackson and Bianchi said their main goal is to determine who the woman is and where she belongs, and to return her to her family for a proper burial.
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Still listed on NamUs

https://identifyus.org/cases/5880

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http://www.doenetwork.org/hot/hotcase1933.html
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Unidentified White Female

* The victim was discovered on June 1, 1969 in Harlan, Harlan County, Kentucky.
* Estimated Date of Death: Days prior
* State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
* Cause of Death: Stabbing

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 16-22 years old.
* Approximate Height and Weight: Height estimated at 63" or 5'3". Weight is estimated at 112 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Light brown hair with auburn tint, medium length. Eye color is unknown. Painted fingernails and toenails in unkempt condition. Healed broken collar bone.
* Marks, scars: Apparent burn scar, 3/4 inch wide, on right leg midway between knee and thigh. Scar begins on outside (lateral side) of leg and continues around to the back side of leg. Scar three inches above right knee on the outside (lateral side) of the knee. Scar is 1 and 1/2 inches long with two clamp marks. Scar is three inches long and located just below and beside the "clamp scar" mentioned above.
* Clothing: None located.
* Dentals: Available. Dental information obtained from old notes taken in 1969: Severe decay noted in #29 and #30. Noted as missing, and presumed to be missing postmortem since healed sockets were described for #4, #5, #6, #19. All 3rd molars had erupted and two were pulled, but no indications as to which two had been pulled.
* DNA: Sample available, not yet submitted.
* Fingerprints: Not available.

Case History
The unidentified white female was located on Pine Mountain about 50 feet off the Little Shepherd Trail by a man picking flowers.

It is not believed that she is from the local area. .

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
Harlan County Coroner's Office, Dr. Emily Craig
606-573-3030

You may remain anonymous when submitting information.

Agency Case Number: FA-2009-54; NAMUS 5880

Source Information:
NamUs
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