Rahway Jane Doe was a young woman was found on March 25, 1887. She had been beaten to death. She is also known as "The Unknown Woman".
Case[]
The young woman's body was found at the side of the road by four men. Her blood was frozen in the cold, her throat had been cut and her face was badly beaten. Footprints were also discovered around the body.
Hundreds of people came to view the body and her murder was the subject of national headlines. Her embalmed body was photographed and dressed in the clothing that she was discovered in and despite these images being widely circulated, her killer and herself have never been identified.
As her jewelry was not taken, robbery had been ruled out as a motive. Investigators assumed that she had been a prostitute who had come from abroad who had fallen to foul play.
Days after her discovery, the media reported that the victim had been identified as Mary Maltby, a girl who had escaped a reformatory home in Newark, New Jersey, by the home's superintendent. However, this was disproven when Maltby had arrived at the police station as proof she was still alive.
Characteristics[]
- Brown hair.
- Blue eyes.
- "Attractive" features.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Dark green cashmere dress trimmed with green feathers.
- Yellow kid gloves.
- Foreign good shoes.
- Bonnet.
- Black straw hat with red velvet trimmings.
- Black dotted veil.
- Fur cape.
- Jewelry.
- Small satchel.
- Umbrella.
- Small parcel.
- Eggs.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Rahway Jane Doe at the Doe Network
- Rahway Jane Doe on Wikipedia
- Rahway Jane Doe at Find a Grave
- Courier-Post
- The Morning Call