Given the nickname “Smurfette” by online sleuth forums because of the t shirt she was found wearing, this young Jane Doe has remained nameless since her decomposing remains were found approximately 25 feet from the side of Walters Road in Houston Texas, on October 16th 2012.
Dumped in two black trash bags, adjacent to a gated driveway laid Smurfette. Her left hand and left foot were absent, likely due to carnivore scavenging. Her body was not stumbled across by chance, someone rang in an anonymous tip to Harris County police.
They believe she had died 3-6 weeks earlier and to be around 15-17 years old. After finding no obvious matches on missing persons registeries, they added her to NamUs on October 29, 2012.
The page noted she wore a “He Smurfs Me, He Smurfs Me Not” aqua top, tan colored cargo pants (size 5), a black bra (34C), pink thong underwear, a bobby pin in her hair, but no footwear or jewelry. She was about 5’1″ with a small build and had wavy/ curly shoulder length hair. Her hair was very dark brown with hints of red. She also had a pronounced overbite and dental fillings in three of her lower molars.
Possibly of mixed ancestry (African American and Caucasian) although NamUs lists Race / Ethnicity as Uncertain
Since she was listed as ” not recognizable – near complete or complete skeleton,” CT-Scan facial reconstruction was used and a more life like rendition was done by the amazingly talented Carl Koppelman.
In February 2013, isotope testing suggested that she may have lived in central/ north central Texas. Although, the science on this is not perfect and has been found to be inaccurate in some cases.
Her cause of death is listed as “undetermined” due to the time the bags were out in the elements.
Plenty of internet sleuths are still watching missing persons lists, hoping an old case will finally be entered and lead to Smurfette getting her real name again.
Maybe she was never reported missing?
Maybe sites such a GED match will lead to a fresh lead?
Someone knows this young girl. Someone must wonder what became of her.
Anyone with information that would help identify her should contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children hotline at 800-843-5678 or the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ID unit at 713-796-6774
References-
NCMEC: 1205209 – NCIC: U710027103 – NamUS: 10722
NamUs- https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/10722/details
NCMU- http://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMU/1205209/1/screen
Unidentified Wikia- https://unidentified.wikia.org/wiki/Smurfette
Video of where she was found from 2012- https://www.click2houston.com/human-remains-found-in-trash-bag