NamUs UP11583 - Wiggins, Mississippi's Jane Doe from 1980

NamUs UP11583 — Wiggins, Mississippi (Found October 5, 1980)

Source: NamUs.gov — Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP11583

Case Overview

• Status: Unidentified deceased person
• Biological sex: Female
• Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
• Date found: October 5, 1980
• Location found: Wiggins, Stone County, Mississippi (USA)
• Estimated year of death: 1980
• Estimated PMI: 6 months
• NamUs case created: September 9, 2013

Case Numbers

• NamUs #: UP11583
• ME/C case number: 2013005870
• NCMEC number: Not listed

Circumstances

• Recovery: Hunters discovered skeletal remains.
• Condition: Not recognizable — near complete or complete skeleton
• Inventory of remains: All parts recovered
• Jurisdiction notes: Original jurisdiction is Stone County Sheriff’s Office; Harrison County Sheriff’s Office is assisting with the cold case investigation.

Estimated Profile

• Estimated age range: 32–46 years
• Height (estimated): 5'1" (61 inches)
• Weight: Cannot estimate

Physical Description

• Hair color: Brown
• Hair description: Medium to dark brown, shoulder-length hair
• Eye color: Unknown
• Distinctive notes: Probably right-handed. Muscle attachments well developed (especially upper extremities). Physique likely muscular and compact; may have been physically active through occupation or athletics.

Clothing & Accessories

No information entered (per NamUs).

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Attribution: The case details above are summarized from NamUs.gov.

By: Shane Lambert

I had a look through some newspaper archives to see if I could find some original journalism for the Jane Doe known as NamUs UP11583. At present, I'm having log-in troubles with NamUs, so I apologize for not being able to look at rule-outs. I think I found an article pertaining to the Jane Doe, as posted below.

October 7th, 1980. Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The October 7th, 1980 Mississippi Gulf Coast newspaper clipping very likely refers to the same remains now cataloged as NamUs #UP11583. The alignment in core details is striking. 

NamUs lists the skeletal remains as having been discovered on October 5, 1980 in Stone County, Mississippi. The newspaper article—published just two days later—reports that authorities were awaiting identification of a woman’s body found in Stone County on Sunday, which would have been October 5.

The estimated postmortem interval in the NamUs profile is approximately six months, placing death around the spring of 1980, which closely corresponds to the May 3 disappearance of Marguerite “Peg” Mayden. Both accounts describe skeletal remains pending identification. However, evidently the match between Mayden and this Jane Doe was not made as Mayden's own MP profile remains active as of February 2026. I found a November 13th, 1980 article that said that the remains found in October were not the Mrs. Mayden's.

But the article references Biloxi police involvement, and the NamUs profile notes that Harrison County authorities are assisting Stone County in the cold case investigation—placing the same regional law enforcement agencies in both accounts. Given the exact discovery date, identical county location, consistent timeline, skeletal condition, and overlapping police jurisdictions, it is highly probable that the newspaper clipping is referencing the same remains later entered into NamUs as UP11583.

Attempt to Match: Best Candidate I Could Find

Among the candidates reviewed, Kay Ilene Collins (NamUs #MP12822), in my opinion, is the strongest anatomical match for the unidentified woman cataloged as NamUs #UP11583. Collins was 33 years old at the time of her disappearance in December 1978, placing her squarely within the Jane Doe’s estimated age range of 32–46 years. More importantly, her recorded height of 5'0" aligns almost perfectly with the skeletal estimate of approximately 5'1". A one-inch discrepancy falls well within accepted margins of error in osteological height reconstruction, making this an interesting physical consistency.

Collins was described as 100 pounds, suggesting a small and compact frame. The Jane Doe’s remains indicated well-developed muscle attachments, particularly in the upper extremities, suggesting a physically active lifestyle. While Collins’ occupation is not listed, her body type does not contradict the forensic profile. Hair descriptions are also broadly compatible: Collins was reported to have black hair, while the Jane Doe was described as having medium to dark brown hair—an overlap that is not inconsistent given variations in reporting and possible postmortem deteriorations.

The primary problem I had is the estimated postmortem interval. The Jane Doe’s PMI was listed as approximately six months prior to the October 5, 1980 discovery, suggesting death in spring 1980. Collins disappeared in December 1978, which means a scenario needs to be constructed that accounts for her living quite a long time after her disappearance event.

Conversely, no scenario accounting or her surviving her disappearance event is needed if the PMI is wrong. PMI estimates are often wrong. If the initial PMI was based on incomplete environmental analysis or assumptions tied to other missing persons under consideration at the time, it is conceivable that the true interval was longer, thus permitting cases of missing women before the spring of 1980.

Geographically, Collins went missing from Mountain Home, Arkansas. While not immediately adjacent to southern Mississippi, the distance is not prohibitive. I will profile Collins separately. At first glance, she is a good missing person to compare in detail to the Jane Doe. The near-exact height match, proper age range, compatible physical characteristics, and absence of a known rule-out position her as a viable comparison candidate worthy of further review.