KENT KRIEGSHAUSER/The Register-MailA marker inscribed "Jane Doe" sits at the fresh gravesite in Monmouth of a woman who is yet to be identified. She was struck and killed by a train in Warren County Aug. 1.
Mystery surrounds Warren County's Jane Doe
Little known about woman struck by train Aug. 1
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Sunday, August 19, 2007
MONMOUTH - The woman rests under a pile of brown earth and one bouquet of flowers.Her freshly filled grave is in Monmouth Cemetery, between plots occupied by Jimmie W. Register and Louise M. Johnson.
There is no headstone and no relatives were present when she was buried Tuesday afternoon.
A simple copper grave maker planted in the patch of grass next to the piled dirt reads "Jane Doe" because no one knows her name.
The only thing known about Jane Doe is the way she died.
At approximately 6:30 a.m. Aug. 1 she walking when she was hit by a westbound BNSF Railway train approximately six miles northeast of Cameron. The spot where she died was 100 to 150 yards east of the gated train crossing on 190th Avenue.
An artist's composite
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Warren County Coroner William Underwood discusses the "Jane Doe" case in his Monmouth office. "Jane Doe" was struck and killed by a train Aug. 1 and has not been identified. |
She was Caucasian with reddish-brown hair. It is estimated she was in her mid-50s. She was 5-foot-6 and weighed approximately 150 pounds.
The morning Jane Doe died she wore a white shirt with red and blue lettering, black pants and white tennis shoes.
She had no tattoos or surgery scars.
The lack of physical evidence is crucial in the identification process because Warren County Sheriff's Department investigators found no purse, backpack or cell phone at or near the scene.
An Illinois State Police plane surveyed the area around the site where Jane Doe was killed. The search yielded no evidence of an abandoned car or campsite.
"The first week was really frustrating," Underwood said. "We did all of the media - Macomb, Burlington, Quincy, the Quad Cities and, of course, Monmouth and Galesburg. No solid leads developed."
Investigators working the case received inquiries from Galesburg and Lewistown, as well as Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Alabama. In all instances, the leads dried up. Every single inquiry about a possible missing person turned up a living representative.
Martin Edwards has been the sheriff of Warren County for two years and in law enforcement for 25. He's never had less evidence to work with.
"It is frustrating," Edwards said. "I've never seen anything like it in all my time. The Jane Doe has no distinguishing marks. No tattoos.
"Right now, it's like someone came out of thin air and walked in front of a train."
Second train deadly
On the morning of Aug. 1, Jane Doe walked west on the double tracks away from the gated crossing at 190th Avenue, the stretch of road commonly known as the Munson Blacktop.
About one mile behind her was the crossing at 165th Street. Fields of tall Munson Hybrid corn surround both sides of the tracks.
Shortly before 6:30 a.m., the engineer on an eastbound train called the Warren County Sheriff's department and said a woman was walking toward the train and switched over to the other tracks as the train approached.
A westbound train traveling approximately 55 mph was one mile from the spot when the conductor of the eastbound train made the call.
The westbound train hit Jane Doe at 6:30 a.m. The Warren County Sheriff's Department was on the scene within minutes of the incident and Underwood pronounced Jane Doe dead at 7 a.m.
Underwood said he thinks Jane Doe committed suicide.
"I think it was intentional," Warren County's coroner said. "But I can't say for sure. We haven't gotten the toxicology reports back from the state police yet, but it seems like a suicide."
So why didn't Jane Doe choose to be struck by the first train she encountered.
"I don't know," Underwood said. "Maybe she hadn't made up her mind."
Underwood said Warren County decided to bury Jane Doe to at least have some sense of closure.
"We have DNA samples, dental records and we'll have toxicology reports," Underwood said. "We'll have more than enough information to make a positive ID if we ever get a chance.
"But the body is available. It was my decision not to cremate her. If anything comes up or a family shows up and wants to move her, they can take her home. Burying her was the only thing we could do for her so far."
Underwood said all he can do now is wait. Jane Doe offers only questions with no answers.
"The entire thing is just odd," Underwood said. "Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she get there?
"And why did she do it? Why?"
