UNIDENTIFIED: December 1953 Wellington, New Zealand Jane Doe

A Jane Doe was found in December of 1953 in Wellington, New Zealand. She either died or was interred at the Kaori Cemetery and Crematorium on December 31st. There is little information in this case.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

Leanne the Leanderthal

 

On December 29, 1982, the remains of a young woman were found near Leander, Texas. She would be the most complete and one of the oldest remains found in North America. It was found that she had died over 10,000 years before and was given the name Leanne. She was a Paleo-Indian woman between 18 to 30 years old and only stood 5'3" tall. It's unknown how she died. She may have died in 9,000 B.C.

Around 10,000 to 13,000 years ago near a small stream, Leanne was laid to rest in a shallow grave. The person who dug her grave in an oval shape in hard compacted soil perhaps using a sharp stick. Leanne would be laid on her side in a fetal position with her knees drawn up, arms crossed, and the right hand beneath her head. Next to her side was a heavily worn sandstone tool, a hand stone or mano, that was used for grinding food and chopping. A fossiled shark tooth was found in the neck area and it's possible it was worn as a necklace. They would then place a limestone slab over the burial. They may have done it to secure a hide around the body or mark the grave.

SOURCES:
Texas Beyond History

Williams County Texas History

KVUE

UNIDENTIFIED: December 28, 1924 Coonagh, Ireland John Doe

 On December 28, 1924, a man's body was found in the River Shannon at Coonagh, Ireland. He was buried 3 days later in Mount Saint Lawrence Cemetery in Limerick.

John Doe was around 40-years-old. He was wearing an ordinary blue coat with British Army trousers., held up by a knot, tied around the waist.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

INFANTICIDE: December 27, 1902 Newent, England Baby Doe

 On December 27, 1902, a woman would go to a well for water on Botloes Green in Newent, England. She would look inside the well and thought she had seen her cat. She would ask a man to help her retrieve it from the well. Instead of a cat, it was the body of a 10-day-old baby girl.

The coroner stated that the girl had breathed and was 10 days old. She had died from neglect and want of care at birth.


SOURCES:
Unsolved Murders UK

UNIDENTIFIED: December 25, 1924, Portage, Pennsylvania John Doe

On December 25, 1924, a man was struck by a train in Portage, Pennsylvania.

John Doe is a white male around 32 years old.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave

Murder of Eugenio Lopez

On December 15, 1914, 41/42-year-old Eugenio Lopez was at his home at 225 Conejos St. in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Two men would knock on Eugenio's door. When he answered he was either shot or stabbed in the chest which went through his right lung. He would then flee to his neighbor's home for help. The two men proceeded to burn down Eugenio's home. They may have had

He would die on December 31st from the injuries.

I could not find if the two men were found and prosecuted for the murder.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave

The Ordway New Era December 25, 1914

Gilpin Observer December 17, 1914

Murder of Ann Wycherly

 In 1837 28-year-old Ann Wycherly lived in a workhouse with her two illegitimate children in Drayton, 
England. She was known to have mistreated her oldest daughter Ann who was 3/4-years-old. On December 14, 1837, a James Freeman would see Ann and the two children leaving the workhouse in the early afternoon. 

By 6 Ann was exhausted and knocked on the door of Sarah Newbrook asking to rest. Sarah allowed the single mother to do so and noted that she just had an infant with her. 

On December 22nd the body of young Ann was found by William Poole, a farm laborer, in a water pit on his employer's land near Chipnal. He went to tell Mr. Butters of the body and the two pulled the young girl out. 

An inquest for the girl's identity was done at the Noah pub and William Crutchley, the governor of Drayton, recognized the young girl as young Ann Wycherly. Ann would be confronted and arrested for the murder.

They would show her the body and Ann seemed reluctant to look or touch her daughter. When asked why the girl was murdered Ann said that Charles Gilbert, father of her youngest, persuaded her to. She said Charles helped get the girl into the pit and then threw tiles at her

In March the Assizes would happen. Ann (Mother) would get capital punishment and would be set to hang. When told she was to be executed she told the court that she was with child. An examination was quickly done and it was found she was not pregnant. 

There were efforts to obtain reprieve of capital punishment, not because of innocence as she was seen as guilty, but for her feeble mind and being convinced to kill her daughter. The judge who presided the case saw the punishment befitting the crime though.

On May 5, 1838, Ann would be hanged in Stafford. The crowd that came was unusually small, but it's likely because people believed Ann would be reprieved for the murder. 

SOURCES:

Capital Punishment UK (list of executions)

Capital Punishment UK (Story of murder and execution)

True Crime Library

The Observer March 19, 1838

The Hull Packet; and East Riding Times March 23, 1838

The Standard May 2, 1838

Berrow's Worcester Journal May17 1838

Murder of Gilbert Caleb Amos

On December 12, 1924, around 10 pm 21-year-old William Bressington would go to the home of the Amos family in Bristol, England. He was known to the family. The three Amos boys were home, 12-year-old William, 8-year-old Gilbert, and 2-year-old Walter. William B. would tell the oldest boy that their aunt Lizzie was looking for him. William A. told him that he could not go because he was in charge of babysitting the baby. Their mother was Christmas shopping at the time. 

Gilbert went instead volunteered to go instead. He stated that he would go with Gilbert and find out what their Aunt wanted and bring him back to convey the message. However, this was not what happened. The Aunt did not send William B. to get any of the boys.

William B. instead of bringing Gilbert to their aunts he brought him to Cousin's Field in Staple Mill. He did the unimaginable to the boy. He would sexually assault the young boy and then strangle him to death with a necktie. It was possible the sexual assault also happened while he was dead.

William would leave Gilbert's body and loiter near Derham's boot factory where his father Charles came across him. William told his father "I have done it, Daddy. I can't tell you, but I'll take you to the place and how you." William would bring his father to the crime scene. Charles seeing the young boy's body began to beat his son. A bystander had to intervene to get him to stop beating him. 

William would be arrested and confessed to his crimes again. On February 16, 1925, he would appear at the Bristol Assizes before Justice Roche. He confessed to the murder, but not the sexual assault. He claimed that a man named "James" had asked him to fetch the boy. That "James" had done that.


He would plead insanity. In 1924, William Bressington was discharged from the army for being "feeble-minded. He was trying to use his fondness for women's clothes and makeup for his defense. He also used his family's mental illness. His grandfather died in an asylum and a cousin and uncle were in one at the time. A Dr Robert Phillips testified that William did fit the legal definition of insanity. 

This however did not work and the Jurors found him guilty of murder. He was set to be executed. On March 31, 1925, William was hanged at the gallows in Bristol Prison by Thomas Pierrepoint.

SOURCES:

British Executions

Evening Express December 13, 1925

Western Daily Press December 23, 1924

Western Daily Press February 17, 1925

Western Daily Press March 23, 1925

Bristol Post August 28, 2022

UNIDENTIFIED: December 11, 1957 Florida City, Florida "H. Daniels"

 On December 11, 1957, skeletal remains were found in a homeless camp located 100 feet south of Lucy Street and 11th Avenue in Florida City, Florida. There was no form of identification at the scene, but there was a laundry slip with the name "H. Daniels". According to the scene, it's believed that he had died from wood-alcohol poisoning as there were sterno cans found. It's believed he died weeks prior to discovery.

John Doe was a black male between 40 to 50-years-old. He was 5'5" and had black hair. He was wearing Dark colored pants and a khaki shirt. There were other pieces of clothing at the scene. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network