NamUs UP155211 — Prospect, Maine (Found September 7, 1994)
Below is a structured summary of publicly available details for this unidentified female discovered along the Penobscot River in Waldo County, Maine.
 |
| Image illustrative, not a real photo, not based on one. |
| Case Numbers |
NamUs:
UP155211
ME/C Case: 94-664 |
|---|---|
| Demographics |
Female (there was some doubt as to the gender at the early stages but confidence grew) White / Caucasian Estimated Age Group: Late Teen / Young Adult, journalism suggests a 17-18 year old |
| Discovery Details |
Date Found: September 7, 1994 (Wednesday) Location: Prospect, Waldo County, Maine (Mendall Marsh was the exact location mentioned in news) NamUs Case Created: February 10, 2026 |
| Condition of Remains |
Not recognizable — Partial skeletal remains only Torso not recovered One or more limbs not recovered One or both hands not recovered |
| Circumstances of Recovery | A human skull was located on the shoreline above the high tide line along the Penobscot River in Prospect, Maine. |
| Distinctive Feature | May have been missing one or more left front teeth but still had at least one molar tooth on that side. |
| Clothing / Accessories | No information entered. |
Source: Public NamUs case file. Refer to the official case page for updates and contact information.
A Case From 1994 With Few Details and Few Remains
By: Shane Lambert
NamUS UP#155211 is a case involving the discovery of human remains, but only a skull. A skull can be an identifier for someone, especially the deceased individual had dental records that could be compared to. The Kelly Disney missing person case is one where only a skull was found but it was still conclusively tied to a missing person.
The Prospect Jane Doe is a case that did make the news. The first article that I found on the matter was from September 13th, 1994, in The Bangor Daily News. The case details align closely with the NamUs entry, suggesting they likely refer to the same recovery.
As reported, a bird hunter named Warren Bayard was out with a dog in the woods. It was this dog that found the skull and Mr. Bayard alerted the authorities. According to this early journalism, this individual was thought to be a 17-18 year old American Indian. There's a comment suggesting that the remains originated from a burial ground. However, as later journalism revealed, this original presumption would be abandoned.
 |
| September 13, 1994. The Bangor Daily News. |
The next article shows two weakening positions regard the gender and the dated burial grounds of American Indian association. There was a strengthening position at this point that the skull belonged to someone of more recent times.
 |
| September 14th, 1994. The Bangor Daily News. |
The authorities considered that the skull, which was found on a muddy knoll, either got there due to animal interference or it detached from the body and washed ashore. In this latter scenario, one would expect the deceased's body to be in the marsh.
One individual that the authorities considered as a possible match was missing person Virginia Sue Pictou Noyes, who went missing in April 1993. This is someone who, at the time of writing, is still missing, meaning she was not matched to the skull. The fact that investigators considered Virginia Sue Pictou Noyes as a potential comparison indicates they believed the remains were modern rather than archaeological. Her disappearance in April 1993 placed her within a recent timeframe relative to the September 1994 discovery.
 |
| The Bangor Daily News. September 15th, 1994. |
Noyes' missing person's case was still making headlines as of April 2018, meaning she had not been conclusively associated with the skull. But I did not find anything regarding the skull after 1994.
Attempt to Match
The case of Noyes has long been associated with the skull. However, the case of Kimberly Ann Moreau could also be looked at. Moreau went missing in 1986 under suspicious circumstances. Her NamUs profile explicitly states that foul play is suspected.
Does her 1986 disappearance from Jay, Maine (fewer than 100 miles away), line up with a 1994 skull discovery? If she died near her disappearance date, then her remains would be skeletanized except for rare situations. Her age does line up, as Moreau was 17 years old when she missing. At present, I can't look in the rule-outs for the Jane Doe, Moreau, or Noyes due to log in issues but will update accordingly when that is resolved.
.jpg)
.jpg)
