Berks County Jane Doe was a woman whose skeletal remains were found on a farm in Windsor Township, Pennsylvania. The rural area is in between Lenhartsville and Virginville, thus it is described as in either of these cities.
Case
A farmer was plowing his soybean field when he struck bones. She was buried in a shallow grave in one of the gullies. Numerous bones belonging to lower extremities and the neck were not recovered. No cause of death could be determined, but the burial and location suggest foul play, as authorities acknowledge.
According to a Radford University article, Larry DeWayne Hall is a suspect in this case. Hall, who worked as a janitor and a Civil War reenactment actor, is speculated to be responsible for the disappearances up to forty-five women during the 1980s and 1990s. The victims were White and Hispanic women aged very young to middle-aged, with many being students or prostitutes. Of those that were found, many were mutilated and/or found near Civil War memorials. He has confessed to kidnapping and killing thirty-nine women between 1980 and 1993, but he has since recanted.
He is now serving time at a North Carolina federal prison in for the kidnapping and murder of Jessica Roach, who went missing in 1993 near Georgetown, Illinois. Her body was found weeks later in an Indiana cornfield and was strangled and mutilated in a similar manner to many of speculated victims.
Other victims Hall has been accused of killing, according to the Radford University article, include Chelle Carnall-Burton, Christie Witcher, Lolly Chavez, Shelly Christian, Stacy Chahorski, Madison County Jane Doe (1990), Winchester Jane Doe (1991), Fulton County Jane Doe (March 24, 1992), DeKalb County Jane Doe, Alcona County Jane Doe, and Champaign County Jane Doe (1995).
He is no longer believed to have killed Denise Pflum, Aundria Bowman, Laura Thompson, Jenkins County Jane Doe (1988), and Fairfax County Jane Doe (1993) due to the circumstances behind each of the cases.
Characteristics
- Short light brown or dark blonde hair, three inches long.
- She is thought to have been slender, based her belt and watch sizes.
- Doe Network states she had "severe periodontal disease." (Other sources do not mention this.)
Clothing
- Dark blue or black, long-sleeved Benetton thin sweater with large white buttons, size X-Large.
- A light-colored, long-sleeved pullover shirt. It was made of a lightweight fabric, had pleats up the front, and a small collar. It also had five buttons down the front (presumably more decorative than functional).
- A white belt made of vinyl.
- Doe Network also lists pantyhose.
Accessories
- A digital wristwatch described as "sport type." It had a small face and a plastic band in orange, pink, and yellow.
- A gray metal ring without stones.
- What is believed to be a small, plastic dolphin. It may have been a brooch.
- A small cylindrical, metallic object that is 4.5" in length & 3/32" in diameter. It is possibly from an umbrella.
Exclusions
The following have been ruled out as the victim per NamUs:
- Deborah Arvanites
- Mary Ann Bagenstose
- Brenda Condon
- Kathern Fetzer
- Katherine Heckel
- Elaine Johnson
- Alice Klug
- Gloria Korzon
- Tracy Kroh
- Ellabeth Lodermeier
- Anne Manchester
- Barbara Miller
- Patricia Schmidt
- Karen Spencer
- Charlene Villinger
- Rose West
