Unidentified Female Found May 1950 in Bath (Berkeley Springs), WV - NamUs #UP10026 Case Details

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP10026

Female, White / Caucasian: Jane Doe
Date Body Found: May 10th, 1950 (Wednesday)

Location Found: Bath (Berkeley Springs), West Virginia. According to early journalism, she was found "along a little used road near the bridge which crosses the Potomac River of Hancock." She was found next to a ditch about 30 yards from the bridge. I think the Google Maps coordinates would be about 39.69214444454965, -78.1844344136343, River Road would have been a "little used road" back then, I think. 

She is barely across state lines between West Virginia and Maryland. That could mean whoever dumped her body did so in a way to try and get the wrong authorities to investigate.

May 12th, 1950. Beckley Post-Herald

County: Morgan County
Who found the body: Benjamin Miller of Hancock (his name is a good keyword to search to find early journalism)

Estimated Age Range: 35-50 Years
Birthdate Estimate: The person’s birthdate would fall between May 11th, 1900, and May 10th, 1915, based on the estimated age range and the date of death.

This individual was found nude according to reports. Clothing must have been added for the photo.

Demographics

Biological Sex: Female
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Estimated Year of Death: 1950
Estimated PMI: 48 Hours
Date of Death: Situation would suggest she died on May 8th, 1950. Early journalism suggested a bit longer time frame as an investigator said they weren't sure within five days how long she has been at her found location.

Height: 5' 5" (65 inches), Estimated
Weight: 130 lbs, Estimated
BMI: 21.6, meaning she would have looked average to slender

Circumstances

Date Body Found: May 10, 1950
NamUs Case Created: March 20, 2012

Circumstances of Recovery: Body was discovered by an individual while mushroom hunting along U.S. Route 522.

Physical Description

Hair Color: Red/Auburn
Head Hair Description: Curly, recent perm
Teeth: Natural teeth

Distinctive Physical Features

Scar/Mark: Y-shaped scar on outside right wrist approx. 3" long. W-shaped scar in center of forehead. 2 surgical scars—one a 10" hysterectomy scar and one a 4" appendectomy scar.
Other Characteristics: Freckles on back of hands and lower arms. Hands very small, shoe size 4 1/2 narrow.

Research

By: Shane Lambert

NamUS UP10026 is an old and cold case in the United States. It has drawn a fair amount of online attention with one Alice Kelly suggested as a potential match. 

Journalism for this case started the day after she was found. On May 11th, 1950, The Beckley Post-Herald headlined "Nude Body of Woman Found Near Highway."  Despite the nudity, it was thought that she had not been raped.

At the time of her discovery, it was originally thought that she was younger than what is now thought. A mushroom picker named Benjamin Miller found the body.

Journalism from the very next day estimated her to be 35 years old. A second piece of journalism said she did not have any ring marks on her fingers.

Her remains were found near a "lover's lane," a term meant to describe parking spots where people often go for intimacy. There have been numerous murders in lover's lanes in American history. But her proximity to the locale could also easily be a red herring.

This woman's body was displayed for viewing, and it seemed anyone from the public could have a look at her. In one instance of the early journalism, it was stated that she must not have been from around the area because so many locals had a look at her remains that she would surely have been identified. It was therefore thought that she was driven to the location where she was found as a body dump.

May 11th, 1950/Hinton Daily News

The cause of death in the early journalism was strangulation and a broken neck. Her neck was "seared by rope marks" according to the source immediately above. When I read the description of her neck, it sounded like someone murdered her by hanging her. However, the term "garrote" was used 

In journalism that followed a short time later, the case was described as the "Berkeley Springs Murder." They were not sure, "within five days," how long the woman had been at the location she was found (May 19th, 1950/Berkley Post-Herald).

In cases like these where a body is displayed for public viewing, a lot of 'tips' come in. They all have to be taken lightly, in my opinion. One man said she was a hitchhiker. Another man said he found a woman's dress some 38 miles away. There were some other murders in the area that involved strangulation of women.

Alice Kelly Theory

One popular theory with this case online is that she might be a missing person, Alice Kelly. She was from New York, which would actually align with this case in a way. The decadent was thought to be from far away based on the fact that scores of locals saw her body and none could name her.

I will note that the Jane Doe had red hair while Kelly had brown hair. Furthermore, the Jane Doe's hair was described as naturally red, instead of dyed. She was examined in relation to a missing woman who had red hair but was ruled out because the missing woman had dyed her hair. Furthermore, I found a source that called the Jane Doe's hair "flaming" red. That would suggest that it would not be confused with brown hair if they a mixed or kind-of in-between red and brown color.

Other aspects of the two people, Alice Kelly and the Jane Doe, do, in fact, match up. Hair color can be misdescribed. Furthermore, the journalist's description of "flaming" red hair might be an attempt to be overly descriptive with writing that emphasizes imagery over fact.

The Jane Doe's Scars

Scar Description	Likely Origin	Definition in Layman Terms	Source
Y-shaped on right wrist	Surgical (e.g., complex wrist repair, vascular access)	A mark shaped like a "Y" from a surgery on the wrist, possibly to fix tendons, ligaments, or blood vessels	Many sources. Seemed to be veneral medical knowledge.
W-shaped on forehead	Surgical (W-plasty for cosmetic scar revision)	A mark shaped like a "W" from a surgery to make an old scar on the forehead less noticeable, typically done for cosmetic reasons	W-plasty in Scar Revision
Hysterectomy scar	Surgical (removal of the uterus)	A line from an operation to remove the uterus, usually seen as a horizontal mark on the lower belly	Cleveland Clinic, but seemed like common knowledge in the medical community
Appendectomy scar	Surgical (removal of the appendix)	A small mark from an operation to remove the appendix, usually on the lower right side of the belly, sometimes just tiny dots if done with a camera	Cleveland Clinic - Appendectomy

Where Is Peggy Lynn Alt? Lost Since March 2, 1985

Missing Person: Peggy Lynn Alt

Image: The plaid coat Peggy Lynn Alt was last seen wearing on March 2, 1985.

Details from a Government Source

On March 2, 1985, Peggy L. Alt was last seen at her High Ridge, Missouri, residence. She was reported missing by her father on March 4, 1985—her 18th birthday. She has not been heard from since, with no contact with family. Foul play is suspected.

Last Seen Wearing: The jacket shown above.

Last Contact: March 2, 1985 (Saturday)
Last Location: Her residence, High Ridge, MO (Williams Creek Road)
Age at Disappearance: 17
DOB: March 4, 1967
Sex: Female
Height: 60 inches
Weight: 125 lbs
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Hair Color: Blond/strawberry
Eye Color: Brown
Distinctive Mark: Burn scar on left arm, near bicep
Government Source: MP9849
Discussion Page: Peggy Lynn Alt

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert
Written: March 8, 2025

Has Peggy Lynn Alt Been Found?

As of March 8, 2025, Peggy remains missing. Reported absent on her 18th birthday, her family likely noticed her absence that day. She vanished two days earlier, on a Saturday, which may not have initially raised alarm. In 2011, the case was reopened, including a search of a cistern near High Ridge, but no new leads emerged.

Sources on Her Disappearance

Per The Charley Project, Peggy packed her belongings and left voluntarily on March 2, 1985. Hitchhiking is a possible but risky travel method she may have used, especially in 1985 when the FBI noted numerous unsolved cases linked to transients on highways like I-44 and I-55, which connect High Ridge to neighboring states. Authorities showed little initial interest, halting the search after 11 days. A 2015 article in the Leader (Tracy Bruce, March 28, 2015) revisited her case.

Serial Killers Near High Ridge, MO in 1985: Relevance to Peggy Lynn Alt’s Disappearance

Organized by Serial Killer

Charles Ray Hatcher

Active Period: 1960s–1982

Primary Location: St. Joseph, MO; IL, CA (~300 miles from High Ridge, St. Joseph)

Victim Profile: Children, adults (varied)

Status in March 1985: Dead (since Dec 1984)

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – Dead in 1985. X

Lorenzo J. Gilyard

Active Period: 1977–1993

Primary Location: Kansas City, MO (~250 miles from High Ridge)

Victim Profile: Adult women (often prostitutes)

Status in March 1985: Active, not yet caught

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: Low – Far, profile mismatch. ?

Robert Berdella

Active Period: 1984–1987

Primary Location: Kansas City, MO (~250 miles from High Ridge)

Victim Profile: Young men (lured to home)

Status in March 1985: Active, not yet caught

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – Men targeted, far. X

Kenneth McDuff

Active Period: 1966; 1989–1992

Primary Location: Texas (~700 miles from High Ridge)

Victim Profile: Young women (varied methods)

Status in March 1985: Incarcerated (paroled Oct 1989)

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – In prison until 1989. X

Terry Blair

Active Period: 1982; 1990s–2004

Primary Location: Kansas City, MO (~250 miles from High Ridge)

Victim Profile: Women (known or prostitutes)

Status in March 1985: Incarcerated (released 1991)

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – In prison, no 1985 link. X

Ottis Toole

Active Period: 1960s–1983 (possibly later)

Primary Location: Multi-state (incl. AR, OK) (~150–300 miles from High Ridge, AR, OK)

Victim Profile: Varied (often hitchhikers)

Status in March 1985: Incarcerated in FL (~1,000 miles)

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – In prison, ruled out. X

In March 1985, when Peggy Lynn Alt disappeared from High Ridge, Missouri, one serial killer was actively operating in Missouri: Lorenzo J. Gilyard. Gilyard, known as the Kansas City Strangler, was in the midst of his 1977–1993 killing spree, targeting adult women—often prostitutes—in Kansas City, Missouri, approximately 250 miles from High Ridge.

Do you have information about Peggy Lynn Alt’s disappearance? If it is SOLID information, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. If you have an idea to share, feel free to offer your thoughts in the comments below.

Michelle Lise Wedge -- Missing Since July 1975 From Moncton

Paraphrased details from Canada's Missing: 

On July 2nd, 1975, at approximately 8:30 pm, Michelle returned to her residence and left shortly after. Her bicycle was later located near her home at the intersection of John and Dominion Street, Moncton.

Missing Person: Michelle Lise Wedge
Last-contact date: July 2nd, 1975 (Wednesday)
The area where the MP was last seen: Moncton, New Brunswick
Link to government source: MP @ Canada's Missing 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 7 years old
Birthdate: December 1st, 1967
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Brown
Scar: No scars known
Height/weight: 4'0"

Michelle Lise Wedge was last heard from on July 2nd, 1975 when she was 7 years of age. As of July 2025, this person will have been missing for 50 years.

What stands out with this case is that one witness reported seeing a young girl get in a vehicle on the evening of Michelle's disappearance. This happened at the intersection where Michelle is thought to have disappeared.

Furthermore, some witnesses provided a description of a man they saw speaking to the missing child. Please read the snipped newspaper article below. The man was thought to be in his last 30s, dark complexion, black hair, a scar on the right side of his face, and he had a "strange voice."

04 Jul 1975, Fri The Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.com

The missing person was wearing shorts, stockings, sandals (size 3), and a red-and-white checkered shirt. These articles of clothing may be associated with a Jane Doe either now or in the future. If you come across a Jane Doe with these particulars, then be sure to cross-reference the case details.

I did not find a ton of media coverage of this case, however, there was a little. For instance, there was a CBC article on the topic online in 2019.

However, this article didn't mention the description of the suspect. There was a picture of the bicycle that she had with her the night she disappeared.

Furthermore, police involved with the investigation stated that they were looking at the case as a criminal case. They have details that they are not making public.

Some of the details of this case remind me of the case of Michael Dunahee, who went missing in Victoria, BC in 1991. While there are stark differences in both cases there is a suggestion that the missing child was lured into a vehicle. Also, in both cases the witnesses to the potential abduction were children.

Tags that I've associated with this blog post are below. It's interesting to see what can connect unrelated cases. Click one of the tags to go to an article that is related to this one in some way, shape, or form.

Author: Shane Lambert (Vancouver, Canada)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (Vancouver, Canada) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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Patricia Hubbard -- Missing Since February 2008

Details from NamUs**: 

Patricia was reported missing on 2-9-08.

Missing Person: Patricia Hubbard
Last-contact date: February 9th, 2008
The area where the MP was last seen: Louisville, Kentucky, 7300 block of Dunkirk Lane near the Dixie Highway
Link to government source: NamUs #MP1696

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 53 years old
Birthdate: between February 10th, 1954 and February 9th, 1955
Hair: Blond/Strawberry, shoulder length
Eyes: Brown
Scar: Left knee (limped from a knee injury)
Height/weight: 5-foot-7 and 120 pounds
BMI*: Patricia Hubbard was in the normal range for BMI.

• Please, Google-search BMI if you aren't familiar with the phrase. I think it's an important tool to be aware of when working on missing person cases.

Patricia Hubbard, a missing person, was last heard from on February 9th, 2008 when she was 53 years old. She has now been missing for 13 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

CharleyProject appears to have done some research on the circumstances in her life surrounding her disappearance. I recommend reading those at the following link: CharleyProject's landing page for Patricia Hubbard.

As for finding Patricia Hubbard, Websleuths or amateur investigators can look through the Jane Does at the various websites, like NamUs or DoeNetowrk. You would be looking for someone who was found on or after February 9th, 2008 for starters. Also, you would want someone who was thought to have died at about the time that Patricia Hubbard went missing. If dealing with skeletal remains, this missing person had knee surgery on her left knee. Ground zero, in this case, is Louisville, Kentucky, particularly the 7300 Block of Dunkirk Lane off of the Dixie Highway.

Clothing and articles/items that a missing person was last associated with can be important. If, for example, a Jane Doe is found, knowing what the missing person had in her possession might expedite a match. While DNA and dentals will always be the best way to conclude a match, the former can be very expensive. It's best to narrow down the field of candidates to make the process of identification more efficient.

There were a couple of articles or possessions that were associated with Patricia Hubbard. Please, take note of the following: blue jeans and a pink sweater. One odd detail with this case is that Patricia's husband committed suicide a few months after Patricia's disappearance.

Thu, May 29, 2008 – Page B3 · The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) · Newspapers.com

If these kinds of mysteries intrigue you, then you can find more like them at Websleuths.com.

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of February/March 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing person's case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

Bethany Anne Sinclair -- Missing Since February 2001

Details from NamUs**: 

Bethany and her mother, Tina M. Sinclair, have not been seen since February 3, 2001. Bethany has a U-shaped scar on her head and may be wearing a crucifix pendant around her neck. She may also wear glasses. Tina has a tattoo on her ankle.

Missing Person: Bethany Anne Sinclair
Also known as: Beth, Bethany Deuso
Last-contact date: February 3rd, 2001
The area where the MP was last seen: West Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Link to government source: NamUs #MP2361

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 15 years old
Birthdate: between February 4th, 1985 and February 3rd, 1986

• When the birthdate isn't known, I calculate a range using the age at the date of the missing person's disappearance.

Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Scar: Bethany has a U-shaped scar on her head
Height/weight: 5-foot-2 and 120 pounds
BMI*: Bethany Anne Sinclair was in the normal range for BMI.

• BMI is body mass index. It relates to an individual's height and weight. I include it believing it can help picture what a missing person looked like or it may help another writer in describing one.

Bethany Anne Sinclair has not been seen since February 3rd, 2001 when she was 15 years old.
She has now been missing for 20 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

Bethany Anne Sinclair went missing at the same time as her mother, Tina Marie Sinclair. These two people were considered likely to be dead shortly after their disappearances. That much was stated explicitly in some media sources, like The Brattleboro Reformer out of Vermont.

Wed, Feb 4, 2004 – 9 · The Brattleboro Reformer (Brattleboro, Vermont) · Newspapers.com

There was a report of a strange phone call in this case. A female phoned Bethany's high school and claimed that she was sick but the call was not traceable, nor did the caller leave a name.

Fri, Feb 16, 2001 – 8 · The Brattleboro Reformer (Brattleboro, Vermont) · Newspapers.com

Bethany went missing as an adolescent and that's important if there are ever dental comparisons done between her and a Jane Doe. People in puberty have teeth that go through changes and perfect matches might not happen for all teeth.

This is also an individual that has now been missing for several years. One has to be careful when considering distinctive physical traits as some of these might change over the years. If she died shortly after her disappearance, then the U-shaped scar that she had on her head would not likely be an identifier. However, a Jane Doe that is found that is associated with a crucifix pendant would be a candidate for comparison. Bethany's disappearance has also been mentioned in conjunction with the Connecticut River.

If you are interested in reading some of the details surrounding the investigation of this case, then I recommend the following: NCMissingPersons. If you know where this person might be or have any information on this case, then please contact the authorities. In Canada, look for Canada's Missing website with the Federal government. In the USA, you can look for the NamUs profile. Conversely, you can post a remark to this article.

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: Information posted is thought to be correct as of the time posting.