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UNIDENTIFIED: Bowmanville Clarington Jane Doe - 2006 - Bowmanville, ON

SM 
By: S.M.
Last Updated: 04/18/23 - NEW CONTACT INFORMATION / PHOTOS
09/28/21
04/24/20

New 2021 reconstruction of Bowmanville Jane Doe (Source: DNA Doe Project)

Bowmanville Clarington Jane Doe

Found October 27, 2006 in Bowmanville, Ontario

Unsolved Homicide

NCMPUR Case reference: 2006029199
Doe Network: 90UFON - Unidentified Female

Date of Discovery: October 27, 2006
Location of Discovery: Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
Estimated Date of Death: 2 to 25 years prior (1976-2006)
Estimated Age: 18 to 25 (Doe Network age range is 18-40)
State of Remains: Skeletal
Cause of Death: Possible homicide

Discovery

On October 26, 2006, a man harvesting dogwood plants in a marshy field in Bowmanville, ON, discovered the skull, femur and scattered skeletal remains of a woman with no hair and no clothes. The boggy field - close to the entrance of the Darlington Nuclear Plant, at the junction of South Service and Holt Roads in the municipality of Clarington - was the closest stop off the eastbound exit of Hwy. 401.

The woman’s teeth were in good condition with metal and composite fillings, and she had an expertly set nose fracture, indicating nasal surgery or a possible rhinoplasty - leading investigators to believe she wasn’t a transient. Although the state of the remains made it impossible to determine the cause of death, the facts of the case - a young woman’s body found in a boggy, dense field, and a lack of clothing - suggest Bowmanville Jane Doe was murdered.

The victim’s estimated age is 18 to 30 years old. She may have been at the site anywhere from 2 to 10 years prior to discovery (1996 - 2004), and possibly as long as 25 years (1981). Investigators are considering a time frame of 1976 to 2006.

Source: Durham Regional Police Service.

“It’s off the beaten path, so that makes it highly suspicious,” said Durham Homicide Detective Chuck Nash at a news conference in 2010. “It would lead us to think this is a body dump location.”

He has also said the crime may have occurred at the location.

The body recovery scene and the surrounding area was searched by the DRP Public Order Unit, the DRP Forensic Identification Unit, the Ontario Provincial Police and a Forensic Anthropologist. By the time the search concluded on November 29, 2006, all that was found was a piece of red ribbon, a small red heart-shaped object, a penny from 1980, and a women’s OMNI digital watch with a large face and stainless steel straps fit for a small wrist - items which may or may not be related to the case. Investigators were able to determine that the watch was made by the Omni Watch Company in the early 1980s and was sold exclusively at the now-defunct Consumers Distributing from 1981 to 1983.

Although investigators released photos of the woman’s likeness and a description of the items found with her body in 2009, they had no solid leads.

It took four unusually dry years in Bowmanville for investigators to make another discovery.

An Omni digital watch, heart-shaped object and a piece of red ribbon were located near the body in 2006.

Key Pieces of Evidence

On October 27, 2010, investigators returned to the site. In the four years since the body had been found, the water table in Bowmanville had gradually decreased. The perpetually wet and weedy field had dried out, enabling a more thorough search.

This second expanded grid search over a 20-acre parcel of land led to the discovery of several distinct items which may hold the key to the woman’s identity.

The most significant piece of evidence found was a size 9.5 women’s ring. Unique for it’s large size, the gold ring had a a red garnet stone and two one-point diamonds on either side. The inside of the band was stamped with the word “Burns.” It was determined the ring had been made by A&A Manufacturing in Toronto, and was sold at Burns Jewelers - a family business located at 20 Simcoe Street North in Oshawa, which operated from 1923 to 1994 (The distance between Simcoe Street and Darlington Nuclear Plant is 15.9 km - about 15 minutes via Hwy. 401 E).

The ring showed evidence of frequent wear; it’s likely the victim wore it more often than she kept it in a jewelry box. Investigators believe the ring could be the strongest piece of evidence in the case of Bowmanville Jane Doe. People who knew her would likely recognize the ring.

Red garnet ring sold by Burns Jewelers in Oshawa.

Investigators also found a men’s hooded short-sleeved shirt with red, yellow and blue stripes. The shirt was sold by Tip Top Tailor, labeled "Blue Rodeo" and sold between 1995 and 1996. A 2019 Oshawa Express article claims remnants of grey track pants were also recovered at the scene.

In 2006, a DNA profile of the unidentified woman was created. Over the years, all attempts to match the DNA and dental records to missing persons cases in Canada and the U.S. have been unsuccessful. According to a statement made by Detective Nash in 2010, it’s likely the woman was never reported missing - if she was, the case “may have been deleted” due to the passage of time.

The woman could have come from anywhere - she may not have been from the area, and people who knew her may not think she’s missing or dead.

Shirt: “Blue Rodeo” brand mens shirt. May or may not have belonged to victim.

In June 2013, the Durham Regional Police Service enlisted the help of forensic artist Diana Trepkov to create a composite drawing of Bowmanville Jane Doe based on her skull. Her hair type is unknown, but she had distinguishable protruding upper and lower teeth. Both Trepkov and Durham Police believe the woman’s features are an accurate representation of how she would have looked in life.

“We hope that someone in the community will look at this image and take the time to call us,” said Nash in the 2013 DRPS press release.

“We want to get the message out that all tips will be investigated.” 

Who was she? She has a name; she has loved ones. How did she end up in a field in Bowmanville?

After 14 years, the hope is someone, somewhere, will recognize her and finally help answer those questions.

Physical Description & Distinguishing Features:

She has a very well-healed nasal fracture which would have been located at the mid-point of her nose (in life) - the point where the nasal bones end and the soft part of the nose begins. The fracture indicated she either received treatment, or it may have been the result of rhinoplasty. The fact that her nose had been fractured (or surgically altered) would not have been obvious unless someone who knew her at the time saw her post-trauma/surgery, or she told someone. An analysis of her bones indicate the possibility of anemia.

Identifiers:

Dentals/Teeth: Nice teeth. Prominent upper teeth with visible white fillings on her front teeth, and small silver fillings in some back teeth. One front tooth appears slightly wider than the other. Both upper and lower teeth protruded, but her upper teeth protruded more than her lower teeth. Her upper and lower jaws are described as narrow. The skull was missing two teeth when it was found.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.

Another view of the body recovery site near the Darlington Nuclear Plant in Bowmanville. Source: DRPS.

Anyone with information about the identification of this female is asked to contact:

Detective Constable Paul Grigoriou #3425 at 905-579-1520 ext. 5439

OR

Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)


Note: On September 14, 1963, 13-year-old Noreen Greenley was abducted from Bowmanville. Her case is still unsolved. 


Last Updated: 04/18/23
07/20/20
04/24/20
Sources:

DNA Doe Project: https://dnadoeproject.org/case/bowmanville-jane-doe-2006/

  • Contains new reconstruction of Jane Doe

Canada’s Missing: https://www.services.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/missing-disparus/case-dossier.jsf?case=2006029199&id=0

Doe Network: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/90ufon.html

Nov. 1, 2010 - Durham Region. “Police revisit Clarington site where remains were found.”

Nov. 16, 2010 - The Spec. “Mystery of dead woman found in Clarington lingers - Police release new information in ‘suspicious’ case.”

  • https://www.thespec.com/news-story/3518100-mystery-of-dead-woman-found-in-clarington-lingers/

  • Quote from Durham Homicide Detective Chuck Nash: "We have not ruled out foul play," he said Tuesday, noting the woman may have been left in the vicinity, "or perhaps the crime even occurred here."

  • Information about search expansion: November 2010 was unusually dry, which prompted detectives to return and look for more clues. A 20-acre parcel of land near the junction of Holt and South Service Roads.

  • Detective Nash said it’s likely the woman was never reported missing, or if she was, the file may have been deleted due to the passage of time.

  • The Omni model watch originally recovered with the body was sold through the now-defunct Consumers Distributing chain between 1981 and 1983.

  • The article says investigators traced the red garnet ring to Burns Jewelers in Oshawa.

Nov. 16, 2010 - CBC. “New clues in Bowmanville cold case uncovered.”

Nov. 17, 2010 - CTV Toronto. “Police build DNA profile for unidentified human remains.”

Nov. 17, 2010 - Toronto Star. “Police hope new discovery helps solve cold case”

https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2010/11/17/police_hope_new_discovery_helps_solve_cold_case.html#photo

  • Describes location of remains: off an exit of the Hwy. 401 eastbound lane.

  • The man who discovered the remains used his cell phone to call police.

  • Detective Nash quoted as saying the victim’s nasal fracture and dental work “leads us to believe this person certainly did take care of themselves and was not likely transient.”

  • States that comparisons to dental records were made.

  • Detective Nash said the ring shows enough wear that it was likely worn frequently by the victim rather than kept in a jewelry box.

  • The article notes another detail about the manufacturer of the shirt found in 2010: “Also recently unearthed is a striped hooded shirt that had been sold by Tip Top between 1995 and 1996 until a copyright infringement was claimed by Blue Rodeo.”

  • Detective Nash says police are considering a time frame of 1976 to 2006.

March 7, 2011 - CTV Toronto. “Police hope face reconstruction solves Ont. cold case.”

  • https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/police-hope-face-reconstruction-solves-ont-cold-case-1.615859

    • Details about the remains: a skull, femur and some other bones were all that were left when the remains were discovered.

    • Says custom-made garnet ring was sold at the Oshawa jewelry store in the 1980s.

    • Statements from forensic artist Diana Trepkov: says the only guess work in the drawing, which took two days to complete, was the hair.

    • Confirms there was no match made with the DNA profile created in 2010.

June 11, 2013: Durham Region Police Service: “DRPS Showcases Portrait of Unidentified Woman.”

  • https://members.drps.ca/internet_explorer/whatsnew/whatsnew_view.asp?ID=18605&Related_With=Top_Story&Scope=&Scope_ID=&Last_ID=99999999

    • Gives age range of victim as 18-30 years old.

    • DRPS Officers, along with Forensic Artist Diana Trepkov, presented two-dimensional artwork of the woman.

    • “The only thing that the team is guessing about is the woman’s hair.”

    • Confirms information about the items found: ladies gold ring and an OMNI digital watch. It’s believed the ring is from a jeweller in Oshawa, while the watch may have been sold through Consumers Distributing in the early 80s.

    • Detective Chuck Nash appeals to people living outside of the region; says that woman may not be from the area.

April 2, 2019: Oshawa Express. “FEATURE Missing in Durham Region.”

  • https://oshawaexpress.ca/feature-missing-in-durham-region/

  • The article discusses several unsolved cases in Durham Region, including Noreen Greenley and Jami Furnandiz.

  • Information about the shirt: describes it as having a hood. It also says a portion of a pair of grey track pants was found.

  • Says that the remains were at the recovery scene between two and 10 years, or possibly longer.

Forumnation - The Lost and The Found

Other:

http://www.margaretrodgers.ca/closeups.html

Gives the address of the former Burns Jewelers as 20 Simcoe North.