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March 28th, 2002
The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was called on March 28th, 2002 to investigate the remains of a body found near Columbia, Illinois. The Columbia Police Department was the requesting agency.
CLICK HERE to read the news accounts of the specific incident. You may also read below for the news accounts from the local newspaper.
The Major Case Squad is attempting to identify the victim. The following is a description as best can be determined:
VICTIM DESCRIPTION:
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CLOTHING DESCRIPTION:
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Posted on Sat, Mar. 30, 2002 Belleville News Democrat
Death explored for possible links to others
Black woman's body is latest of a series
By Brian Brueggemann
BBRUEGGEMANN@BND.COM
COLUMBIA
-- The body found Thursday in a creek south of town is that of a black woman, and police are trying to determine whether her killing is related to the killings of other black women whose bodies have been found in the metro-east.
Lt. Richard Scott of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis said a forensic anthropologist examined the remains Friday and is ``fairly sure that it's a black female, mid-20s to mid-40s, and under 5-foot-6.''
Police had not determined the woman's identity as of Friday. Detectives released photos of clothes worn by the woman in the hope someone might be able to help identify her.
The woman wore a T-shirt with a large ``M'' on it and the word ``Mavericks.'' Police searched the Internet for sports teams with that nickname and logo, but investigators haven't nailed down the source of the shirt.
Scott said a man who coached a Mavericks softball team that existed several years ago in south St. Louis County has talked with police, and the shirt looks ``very similar'' to shirts worn by that team. But the team was for girls in their early teens, Scott said, and none of those girls would have worn the extra-large size found on the body.
Scott said the shirt could have been worn by an adult involved with the team, but even if the shirt is connected to the team, it might not be of much value to the investigation. The shirt could have changed hands at thrift shops or yard sales.
A spokesman for the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team said the shirt doesn't resemble any shirts made for the basketball team.
The cause of the woman's death has not been determined, but police are treating the case as a homicide. Police estimated she has been dead at least six months.
More than a dozen bodies of black women have been found in the metro-east and St. Louis region in the past three years. Many of them have been found in the East St. Louis area, but the last four were found along roadways in outlying areas.
The last four cases, involving bodies discovered since March 2001, have similarities:
* Each woman was fairly small.
* In each case, the body was found along the lane that would be used to drive away from St. Louis. Three of the bodies were found along interstates. The fourth body -- the one found Thursday -- was found along Illinois 3, a four-lane highway through Columbia.
* Each body was found at or near a creek or ditch. Two of them were found near Silver Creek -- in different counties.
When asked whether the killing of the woman found Thursday could be connected to others, Scott answered: ``We're thinking about that more and more.''
Illinois State Police Lt. Terry Remelius said detectives are aware of similarities in the cases.
``Obviously, we are looking at that,'' Remelius said.
When asked whether a serial killer could be at work, Remelius answered: ``I would not want to speculate on anything like that.''
On March 11, a woman's body was found along Interstate 70, near Silver Creek and Illinois 143, in Madison County. The woman has not been identified.
On Jan. 30, a woman's body was found along Interstate 64, near Silver Creek and the Mascoutah exit, in St. Clair County. That woman has not been identified, either.
In March 2001, the body of 19-year-old Cassandra R. Walker of Jennings, Mo., was found along Interstate 64 near the Nashville exit in Washington County. She was last seen alive in the Jennings, Mo., area, and lived less than three miles from Alysa Greenwade, 33, of St. Louis, whose body was found in April 2001 in Washington Park.
Illinois State Police last week released photographs of clothing and distinctive jewelry worn by the woman found in Madison County. Despite widespread news coverage of the clothing and jewelry, no one has offered any leads, said State Police Sgt. Kurt Sachtleben.
``Not one single phone call,'' Sachtleben said.
Still, police haven't ruled out the possibility that the woman is from the St. Louis area or the metro-east. Sachtleben said it's possible that she had no close relatives or friends.
Sachtleben on Friday joined the Major Case Squad's investigation in the Columbia case.
Remelius said the frustrating part of the cases has been the inability to identify victims.
``It really hampers our position in trying to investigate the case,'' he said, adding that detectives usually identify the victim and then ``work backwards'' by studying the victim's movements, habits and associates.
Remelius said a forensic sculptor in Indiana is making a facial reconstruction of the woman whose body was found along I-64 in St. Clair County. The sculpture is expected to be finished next week.